[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Mon, 20 Sep 1999 21:39:27 -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 (Sept. 20th - 9am-1:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-7pm (Sept.), except 
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)

SPECIES                9/20      SEASON        1998      1997
TV                       0          24          525       362
BV                       0           3           49        13
GE                       0           0            1         3
BE (3 ad. & 9 imm.)      0          12           22         9
NH                       0           6           48        25
SS                       3          37          260       106
CH                       0          16          153        82
NG                       0           0            1         2
RS                       0           6          108        51
BW                      46       9,718       11,782     4,324
RT                       0          10          526       339
RL                       0           0            7        14
OS                       5          32           48        20
AK                       0          32           64        23
ML                       0           6           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
                        54      10,085       13,621     5,338

Non-Raptor             9/20      SEASON        1998
Great Blue Heron         0           1            4
Canada Goose             0          50        2,934
Short-billed Dowitcher   0           9          n/a
Ring-billed Gull         0          14          467
Common Nighthawk         0          51          188 (1 - 9/19)
Chimney Swift            9         288        4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird     0           7*           1
Belted Kingfisher        0           1 (male)   n/a
Eastern Phoebe           0           2           ?
Least Flycatcher         0           1          n/a
Eastern Kingbird         0           3          n/a
Purple Martin            0           5          n/a
Barn Swallow             0         170*           3
Tree Swallow             0          92*           5
N. Rough-winged Swallow  0          34          n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch    0           2          n/a
Am. Robin                5          14          866
Blue Jay                 6           6          576
Cedar Waxwing            0          53*          30
Yellow Warbler           0           1 (imm.)     1
Black-th. Blue Warbler   0           1 (female) n/a
Black-and-white Warbler  1           2          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          70           ?
Common Grackle           0          41          n/a
Am. Goldfinch            2           9           50
Unid. non-raptor sp.     9          69        4,283 (including sparrow)
                        36       1,008       14,539 (33 species)

Butterfly              9/20      SEASON        1998
Monarch                396       3,838        7,399

Weather: am=S/PC     pm=PC     :Temp in the upper 70's and lower 80's. 
Wind from the S and sometimes SSE. Cold Front tomorrow from the NW wind 
will brings rain.

Raptor Migration Highlight: Slow day for Broadwings, a kettle of 45 at 
1:04pm headed SWW. I still need at least 2,064 more Broadwings to break 
a new season record. Hope for good day on Wed. after a cold front 
tomorrow. Another good day for Osprey.

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Season first Blue Jay at 9am. 

Butterfly Migration Highlight: More Monarch are picking up and up to 40 
took a rest at the bushes for a while and left for south.

Standard hawk species identifier codes used: TV= Turkey Vulture, BV= 
Black Vulture, GE= Golden Eagle, BE= Baled 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, PC= Partly Cloudy, MC= Mostly Cloudy, R= Rain

Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at 
ggraff@erols.com


                Kevin Graff
                Baltimore, MD
                ggraff@erols.com