[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Sun, 12 Sep 1999 23:03:20 -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.
Note: The Broadwings are on the move with over 1400 at a hawkwatch in
eastern Mass. today and one somewhere in the Northeast had over 300
and another hawkwatch has over 200 Black Vulture in a kettle. Cold Front
will hit Maryland on Tuesday and it better bring in good Broadwings
flights.
Reports: Kevin Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Counters: Kevin Graff (Sept. 12th - 9:30am-12pm & 1pm-6pm)
Peter Lev and David Thorndill
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-7:30pm (Sept.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 9/12 SEASON 1998 1997
TV 1 7 525 362
BV 1 2 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (1 ad. & 8 imm.) 2 9 22 9
NH 0 4 48 25
SS 5 25 260 106
CH 3 12 153 82
NG 0 0 1 2
RS 0 4 108 51
BW 6 173 11,782 4,324
RT 0 8 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS 1 17 48 20
AK 2 26 64 23
ML 0 4 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 n/a
UR 0 1 n/a n/a
21 293 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 9/12 SEASON 1998
Great Blue Heron 0 1 4
Short-billed Dowitcher 0 9 n/a
Ring-billed Gull 0 14 467
Common Nighthawk 2 47 188
Chimney Swift 4 227 4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird 1 4* 1
Belted Kingfisher 0 1 (male) n/a
Least Flycatcher 0 1 n/a
Eastern Kingbird 0 3 n/a
Purple Martin 0 5 n/a
Barn Swallow 0 168* 3
Tree Swallow 2 89* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 34 n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0 2 n/a
Am. Robin 0 9 866
Cedar Waxwing 9 53* 30
Yellow Warbler 0 1 (imm.) 1
Black-th. Blue Warbler 0 1 (female) n/a
Black-and-white Warbler 0 1 n/a
Am. Redstart 0 4 n/a
Bobolink 0 3 n/a
Chipping Sparrow 0 4 ?
Swamp Sparrow 0 1 n/a
Unid. sparrow sp. 4 56 ?
Common Grackle 0 41 n/a
Am. Goldfinch 0 5 50
Unid. non-raptor sp. 18 42 4,283 (including sparrow)
40 816 14,539 (33 species)
Butterfly 9/12 SEASON 1998
Monarch 64 201 7,399
Weather: am=PC pm=PC/S :Temp in the lower 80's. Wind from the SW
in am and shifted to NW in early pm and later became a variable winds
shifted from the SE, SW, NE, and NWN. Cold Front with NW wind will
arrive in Maryland on Tues should help some hawks.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Slow day today, no kettles as the wind
shifted alot. First eagle for the day was a 2nd winter at 1:26pm headed
W and the second was a 1st winter at 4:18pm headed E. More early
Sharp-shinned Hawks again, many dozens this past week.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: More flocks of Cedar Waxwings and was
headed W. Nighthawks seen before 6pm. Warblers seen at ridge this
morning: Black-throated Blue Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Magnolia
Warbler, and Ovenbird along with Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo,
Scarlet Tanager (yellow), White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches,
House and Carolina Wren. Another Ruby-throated Hummer flyby and a
non-migrant hummer seen in yard.
Butterfly Migration Highlight: First major Monarch on the move with 33
in am and 31 in pm.
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, 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