[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Fri, 01 Oct 1999 23:24:43 -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: I left early today because I went out to my friend 50th birthday
Hawaii party at the zoo and I took a half day break because of my neck
pain from looking up.
Reports: Kevin Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Counters: Kevin Graff (Oct. 1st - 8am-2:00pm & 2:30pm-3:30pm)
Elliot Kirschbaum (Oct. 1st - 2:30pm-3:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-6:30pm (Oct.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 10/01 SEASON 1998 1997
TV+ 0 27 525 362
BV 0 5 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (6 ad. & 9 imm.) 2 15 22 9
NH 0 9 48 25
SS+ 27 114 260 106
CH 7 39 153 82
NG (male) 0 1 1 2
RS 5 24 108 51
BW+ 190 12,007* 11,782 4,324
RT 6 24 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS+ 0 45 48 20
AK+ 7 63 64 23
ML 3 11 15 7
PG 0 1 4 2
SW 0 0 1 n/a
UA 0 0 3 4
UB 0 2 3 3
UF 0 0 1 n/a
UR 0 1 n/a n/a
247 12,568 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 10/30 SEASON 1998
Double-cr. Cormorant 0 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 21 467
Common Nighthawk 0 54 188
Chimney Swift+ 44 657 4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird 0 7* 1
Belted Kingfisher 0 1 (male) n/a
Downy Woodpecker 0 1 2
Northern Flicker 1 10* 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 0 175* 3
Tree Swallow 4 100* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 35 n/a
Ree-breasted Nuthatch 0 2 n/a
Gray Catbird 0 8 ?
Am. Robin+ 10 64 866
Blue Jay+ 389 1,214* 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. 3 109 ?
Common Grackle 0 53 n/a
Am. Goldfinch+ 12 39 50
Scarlet Tanager+ 0 1 (female) n/a
Unid. non-raptor sp. 28 274 4,283 (including sparrow)
491 3,101 14,539 (33 species)
Butterfly 10/30 SEASON 1998
Monarch+ 233 5,625 7,399
American Lady 3 3 n/a
+ reported by other observers
Weather: am=S pm=S/PC :Temp in the low 70's. Wind from the W and
sometimes from the SWW.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Another late kettle of BW's, many very low
for closeup view. The BW's are off to a good start this season with over
12,000 so far. Two adults Bald Eagles, one at 12:18pm and other at
12:48pm and both headed SW. More good movement of Sharpies and
kestrels. Elliot and I had 3 hawks while he was here.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: More steady flights of Blue Jays all day
with 17, 2, 22, 54, 4, 14, 3, 1, 23, 1, 40, 6, 3, 2, 18, 1, 3, 9, 7, 1,
2, 15, 8, 1, 20, 1, 1, 8, 1, 48, 5, 16, 1, 20, 6, and 5.
Butterfly Migration Highlight: Monarch are getting slower this week.
With a help from Elliot, we identify a Am. Lady at the bushes and before
that I had two flyby. I will work on the unid. butterfly sp. from the
last three weeks and will put it in the report very soon. Thanks Elliot,
for helping me id. several butterfly species today.
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 comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com