[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Wed, 18 Aug 1999 22:05:33 -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. 18th - 10am-12pm & 1:30pm-2pm)
This is third day that I count late because of construction company is
working in the backyard in early am cutting woods for new stairs.
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-8pm (August), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 8/18 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 0 3 11,782 4,324
RT 0 1 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS 1 1 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 11 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 8/18 SEASON 1998
Short-billed Dowitcher 0 9 n/a
Common Nighthawk 0 1 188
Chimney Swift 4 21 4,486
Purple Martin 1 3 n/a
Barn Swallow 0 19* 3
Tree Swallow 0 16* 5
Am. Robin 0 4 866
Black-and-white Warbler 0 1 n/a
Common Grackle 0 39 n/a
5 113 10,256 (33 species)
Butterfly 8/18 SEASON 1998
Monarch 2 10 7,399
2 10 7,399
Weather: am=PS pm=S :Temp in the upper 80's to lower 90's. Another
good cloud cover in am. Wind from the NW.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Season first Osprey arrive from the NNW at
11:15am and headed SE.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: n/a
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