[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Thu, 26 Aug 1999 21:23:34 -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. 26th - 12:30pm-1:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-8pm (August), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 8/26 SEASON 1998 1997
TV 0 4 525 362
BV 0 1 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (1 ad. & 3 imm.) 1 4 22 9
NH 0 1 48 25
SS 0 1 260 106
CH 0 2 153 82
NG 0 0 1 2
RS 1 1 108 51
BW 0 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
2 44 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 8/26 SEASON 1998
Short-billed Dowitcher 0 9 n/a
Ring-billed Gull 0 8 467
Common Nighthawk 0 6 188
Chimney Swift 10 51 4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird 0 1 1
Belted Kingfisher 0 1 (male) n/a
Eastern Kingbird 0 3 n/a
Purple Martin 1 4 n/a
Barn Swallow 9 38* 3
Tree Swallow 1 17* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 15 20 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
36 205 10,256 (33 species)
Butterfly 8/26 SEASON 1998
Monarch 0 34 7,399
0 34 7,399
Weather: am=PC pm=PC :Temp in the mid 80's. Another bad day for
hawkwatch in am until after noon with gray clouds going on and off. Wind
from the NW mixed with SSW and NE.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Second eagle this week with imm. 1st winter
at 12:54pm and headed E and season first Red-shouldered Hawk at 12:57pm
and headed S.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Good day for swallows and swifts, with
first kettle of 7 N. Rough-winged, 5 Barn, 1 Tree and 10 swifts and
second kettle of 7 N. Rough-winged, 4 Barn, and 1 Purple Martin, and a
single N. Rough-winged later on.
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
Note: Tomorrow report will come in on Sun night as I have to go to New
Jersey for a fire station party on saturday night. Will try to do
hawkwatching at Wildcat Ridge Hawk Watch on Sun. morning before head
home.
Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com