[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:35:57 -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. 23rd - 9:30am-10:30am & 1:00pm-1:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-8pm (August), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 8/23 SEASON 1998 1997
TV 0 4 525 362
BV 0 1 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (1 ad. & 1 imm.) 0 2 22 9
NH 0 1 48 25
SS 0 1 260 106
CH 0 2 153 82
NG 0 0 1 2
RS 0 0 108 51
BW 3 8 11,782 4,324
RT 0 2 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS 0 9 48 20
AK 0 9 64 23
ML 0 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
3 41 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 8/23 SEASON 1998
Short-billed Dowitcher 0 9 n/a
Ring-billed Gull 0 8 467
Common Nighthawk 1 5 188
Chimney Swift 2 41 4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird 0 1 1
Belted Kingfisher 0 1 (male) n/a
Eastern Kingbird 0 3 n/a
Purple Martin 0 3 n/a
Barn Swallow 1 29* 3
Tree Swallow 0 16* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 5 n/a
Am. Robin 0 4 866
Black-and-white Warbler 0 1 n/a
Bobolink 0 3 n/a
Common Grackle 0 39 n/a
4 168 10,256 (33 species)
Butterfly 8/23 SEASON 1998
Monarch 2 33 7,399
2 33 7,399
Weather: am=S pm=PC :Temp in the upper 80's. Poor wind in am from
the SE brought nothing, had to take off almost all morning because of
the poor wind movement. Shortly after noon, clouds are forming in from
the NWW and NEE.
Raptor Migration Highlight: A kettle of 3 Broad-winged Hawks came in
from the NNE at 1:05pm and headed W. Turkey Vulture was seen at 11:55am
headed N and was not counted.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: A nighthawk was seen at 10am headed SE
in the daylight.
Butterfly Migration Highlight: n/a
Standard hawk species identifier codes used: TV= Turkey Vulture, BV=
Black Vulture, GE= Golden Eagle, BE= Bad 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