[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Thu, 19 Aug 1999 23:24:42 -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. 19th - 10am-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-8pm (August), except Mon.
Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 8/19 SEASON 1998 1997
TV 0 1 525 362
BV 0 0 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (1 ad. & 1 imm.) 2 2 22 9
NH 1 1 48 25
SS 0 0 260 106
CH 0 1 153 82
NG 0 0 1 2
RS 0 0 108 51
BW 1 4 11,782 4,324
RT 1 2 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS 3 4 48 20
AK 3 6 64 23
ML 1 1 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
12 23 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 8/19 SEASON 1998
Short-billed Dowitcher 0 9 n/a
Common Nighthawk 0 1 188
Chimney Swift 7 28 4,486
Purple Martin 0 3 n/a
Barn Swallow 2 21* 3
Tree Swallow 0 16* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 5 5 n/a (first yardlist)
Am. Robin 0 4 866
Black-and-white Warbler 0 1 n/a
Common Grackle 0 39 n/a
14 127 10,256 (33 species)
Butterfly 8/19 SEASON 1998
Monarch 2 12 7,399
2 12 7,399
Weather: am=PC pm=PS :Temp in the upper 80's. About 80% cloud cover
in am and going on and off in pm. Wind from the SW to SWW and mixed with
NE and E in pm.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Hawks on the move after a cold front last
night. Several season first including an early Merlin at 12:58pm.
Interested 1st year Bald Eagle at 11:56am and adult at 12:04pm.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Season first N. Rough-winged Swallow and
a first yardlist, came in a flock with Barn Swallows and Chimney Swift.
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