[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Mon, 16 Aug 1999 21:28:33 -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. 16th - 10am-12pm & 1pm-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-8pm (August), except 
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)

SPECIES                8/16      SEASON        1998      1997
TV                       0           1          525       362
BV                       0           0           49        13
GE                       0           0            1         3 
BE                       0           0           22         9
NH                       0           0           48        25
SS                       0           0          260       106
CH                       0           1          153        82
NG                       0           0            1         2 
RS                       0           0          108        51
BW                       1           3       11,782     4,324
RT                       0           1          526       339
RL                       0           0            7        13
OS                       0           0           48        20
AK                       0           3           64        23
ML                       0           0           15         7
PF                       0           0            4         2
SH                       0           0            1       n/a
UA                       0           0            3         4
UB                       0           1            3         3
UF                       0           0            1         0
UR                       0           0            0         0
                         1          10       13,621     5,338

Non-Raptor             8/16      SEASON        1998     
Short-billed Dowitcher   0           9          n/a
Chimney Swift            0          17        4,486
Purple Martin            0           2          n/a
Barn Swallow             0          17*           3
Tree Swallow             0          16*           5
Am. Robin                0           4          866
Black-and-white Warbler  1           1          n/a (one in 1997) 
Common Grackle           0          39          n/a   
                         1         105       10,256 (33 species)

Butterfly              8/16      SEASON        1998
Monarch                  1           8        7,399
                         1           8        7,399

Weather: am=PS   pm=PS    :Temp in the upper 80's. A ot of good cloud 
cover all day. Wind mixed from NW and NNE.

Raptor Migration Highlight: Single Broad-winged Hawk headed SW at 
11:17am.

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: The last B&W Warbler migration seen was 
back in mid Sept. 1997, but several seen at the ridge in Sept 1998.

Butterfly Migration Highlight: n/a

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, R= Rain

Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com


                Kevin Graff
                Baltimore, MD
                ggraff@erols.com