[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Thu, 05 Aug 1999 23:49:19 -0400
Backyard Hawk Watch (est. 1992), Fall 1999
Site: 3812 White Ave., between Belair Rd. and Walther Ave. - northeast
Baltimore City in the Gardenville section
Topography of the Site: The prominent peak in the area is a steep ridge
about 180-200' above Belair Rd. and about 260' above sea level. It runs
northeast to southwest and is the first ridge west of the Chesapeake
Bay. It is about 12 miles from the bay, and is about 5 miles northwest
of the head of Back River, an arm of the bay, and about 6 miles north of
Baltimore's Inner Harbor. There is a long narrow old-growth of woods
between 3-5 acres on top of the ridge. My hawkwatch site is about 150
yards west of the ridge. The only road that runs along side of ridge is
Fairwood Ave., that connects from White Ave. to Parkmount Ave.
The hawkwatch is located in my backyard. Most of the hawk flights
arrive from the northeast and a few from the north and northeast-east.
Reports: Kevin Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Counter: Kevin Graff (Aug. 5th - 12pm-1:30pm & 8pm-8:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-8pm (August), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 8/05 SEASON 1998
TV 0 1 525
BV 0 0 49
GE 0 0 1
BE 0 0 22
NH 0 0 48
SS 0 0 260
CH 0 0 153
NG 0 0 1
RS 0 0 108
BW 1 1 11,782
RT 1 1 526
RL 0 0 7
OS 0 0 48
AK 0 1 64
ML 0 0 15
PF 0 0 4
SH 0 0 1
UA 0 0 3
UB 0 0 3
UF 0 0 1
UR 0 0 0
2 4 13,621
Non-Raptor 8/05 SEASON 1998
Chimney Swift 8 8 4,486
Barn Swallow 3 8* 3
Tree Swallow 2 2 5
Common Grackle 0 38 n/a
4 56 10,256 (33 species)
Butterfly 8/05 SEASON 1998
Monarch 3 4 7,399
E. Tiger Swallowtail 2 4 n/a
5 8 7,399
Weather: am=PS pm=PC :Temp in the upper 90's in am. Became breezng
at noon with Loads of clouds from the SWW/W. Heat in at 8am prevent me
doing hawk watch until noon when cool weather arrive.
Raptor Migration Highlight: A good wind movement and alot of clouds
brought Broad-winged at 12:36pm and headed SW and Red-tailed at 12:59pm
and headed SW.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: First movement of Chimney Swifts plus
many are still hanging around all day in late evening. More swallows
around noon.
Butterfly Migration Highlight: More E. Tiger and Monarch headed SW (plus
7 E. Tiger and 1 Monarch feeding at bushes all day with 13 Cabbage
White, 11 Fiery Skipper, 22 Silver-spotted Skipper and a single Peck's
Skipper. (I don't know if any of these small butterflies at the bushes
are migrants).
Standard hawk species identifier codes used: TV= Turkey Vulture, BV=
Black Vulture, GE= Golden Eagle, BE= Bald Eagle, NH= N. Harrier, SS=
Sharp-shinned Hawk, CH= Cooper's Hawk, NG= N. Goshawk, RS=
Red-shouldered Hawk, BW= Broad-winged Hawk, RT= Red-tailed Hawk, RL=
Rough-legged Hawk, OS= Osprey, AK= Am. Kestrel, ML= Merlin, PF=
Peregrine Falcon, SH= Swainson's Hawk, UA= Unidentified Accipiter, UB=
Unidentified Buteo, UF= Unidentified Falcon, UR= Unidentified Raptor.
Sky Codes: S= Sunny, MS= Mostly Sunny, PS= Partly Sunny, MC= MOstly
Cloudy, PC= Partly Cloudy, MR= Mostly Rain
Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com