[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Fri, 24 Sep 1999 23:18:49 -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. 24th - 9am-2:30pm & 3pm-6pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-7pm (Sept.), except
Mon.-Thurs 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 9/24 SEASON 1998 1998
TV 0 25 525 362
BV 0 3 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (3 d. & 9 imm.) 0 12 22 9
NH 0 8 48 25
SS 3 51 260 106
CH 6 25 153 82
NG (male) 1 1 1 2
RS 0 9 108 51
BW 267 10,651 11,782 4,324
RT 0 10 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS 1 36 48 20
AK 0 49 64 23
ML 1 8 15 7
PG 0 0 4 2
SW 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
279 11,071 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 9/24 SEASON 1998
Double-cr Cormorant 1 1 141
Great Blue Heron 0 1 4
Canada Goose 0 183 2,934
Short-billed Dowitcher 0 9 n/a
Ring-billed Gull 0 15 467
Common Nighthawk 2 53 188
Chimney Swift 39 420 4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird 0 7* 1
Belted Kingfisher 0 1 (male) n/a
Northern Flicker 0 7* 5
Eastern Phoebe 0 2 ?
Least Flycatcher 0 1 n/a
Eastern Kingbird 0 3 n/a
Purple Martin 0 5 n/a
Barn Swallow 0 171* 3
Tree Swallow 0 92* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 1 35 n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0 2 n/a
Am. Robin 3 40 866
Blue Jay 21 55 576
Cedar Waxwing 0 53* 30
Yellow Warbler 0 1 (imm.) 1
Black-th. Blue Warbler 0 1 (female) n/a
Black-and-white Warbler 0 2 n/a
Am. Redstart 0 4 n/a
Bobolink 0 3 n/a
Chipping Sparrow 0 4 ?
Song Sparrow 0 8 ?
Swamp Sparrow 0 1 n/a
Unid. sparrow sp. 0 83 ?
Common Grackle 0 45 n/a
Am. Goldfinch 3 13 50
Unid. non-raptor sp. 44 179 4,283 (including sparrow)
114 1,496 14,539 (33 species)
Butterfly 9/24 SEASON 1998
Monarch 462 4,409 7,399
Weather: am=S pm=S/PC :Temp in the upper 70's. Mostly clear sky
in am and part of pm, until small patch of clouds from the SW passing
through at 3:45pm. Wind from the SW.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Season first male N. Goshawk at 10:52am
headed W. This is early for this bird, the earliest record was on Oct.
22, 1998. Several hawkwatches had some goshawks early this month. Slow
day for BW's, not enough birds to reach the season record. I may be off
to a worst start for BW's this year, as they may be over soon. I need
1,131 to reach the mark.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Season first Double-crested Cormorant at
12:26pm headed SW. More Blue Jay today with a flock of 14 and 6 and a
single bird.
Butterfly Migration Highlight: More Monarch on the move.
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, PG=
Peregrine Falcon, SW= 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 comment on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com