[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Tue, 05 Oct 1999 23:24:07 -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 (Oct. 5th - 9am-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-6:30pm (Oct.), except 
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)

SPECIES                10/05     SEASON         1998       1997
TV+                       1         44           525        362
BV                        0          9            49         13
GE                        0          0             1          3
BE (7 ad. & 12 imm.)      0         19            22          9
NH                        1         17            48         25
SS+                      15        161           260        106
CH                       20        109           153         82
NG (male)                 0          1             1          2
RS                        6         44           108         51
BW+                       1     12,028*       11,782      4,324
RT                        3         29           526        339
RL                        0          0             7         14
OS+                       5         77*           48         20
AK+                       2        119*           64         23
ML                        2         29*           15          7
PG                        0          2             4          2
SW                        0          0             1        n/a
UA                        0          0             3          4
UB                        0          3             3          3
UF                        0          2             1        n/a
UR                        0          1           n/a        n/a
                         56     12,874        13,621      5,338

Non-Raptor             10/05      SEASON        1998
Double-cr. Cormorant      0          48          141
Great Blue Heron          1          10*           4
Northern Pintail          4           4          n/a (new yardlist)
Canada Goose            113       1,262        2,934
Short-billed Dowitcher    0           9          n/a
Common Snipe              1           1          n/a (new yardlist)
Laughing Gull             0           1          n/a
Ring-billed Gull          0          24          467
Common Nighthawk          0          63          188
Chimney Swift+          261       1,604        4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird      0           7*           1
Belted Kingfisher         0           1 (male)   n/a
Downy Woodpecker          0           1            2
Northern Flicker          0          11*           5
Eastern Phoebe            1           3           ?
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              9         113*           5
N. Rough-winged Swallow   0          35          n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch     0           5          n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet      2           3           11
Gray Catbird              0           8           ?
Am. Robin+               43         149          866
Blue Jay+                27       2,613*         576 
Cedar Waxwing             0          53*          30
Red-eyed Vireo            1           1          n/a (new yardlist)
Nashville Warbler         1           1          n/a (new yardlist?)
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              2          10           ?
White-throated Sparrow    2           5           63
Swamp Sparrow             0           1          n/a
Unid. sparrow sp.         3         116           ?
Common Grackle            0          53          n/a
Am. Goldfinch+            0          52*          50
Scarlet Tanager+          0           1 (female) n/a
Unid. non-raptor sp.      6         321        4,283 (including sparrow)
                        477       6,782       14,539 (33 species)

Butterfly              10/05      SEASON        1998
Monarch+                 70        6,489       7,399 (27 - 10/04)
American Lady             0            4         n/a
                         70        6,493       7,399

+ reported by other observers

Weather: am=S/PC/MC    pm=MC    :Temp in the mid. 60's. Wind from the NW 
and sometimes from the NWN. Heavy overcast and windy.

Raptor Migration Highlight: Accipiters are picking up again with more 
Cooper's second time this week. Another good day for Osprey. 

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: The total species of non-raptor 
reached 41 species today compare to 33 for a season last fall. Three new 
yardlists, both vireo and warbler seen at one of the maple tree next to 
the driveway and a Commmon Snipe seen at 10:45am headed W. Eastern 
Phoebe seen on telephone wire along the alley and disappear after seen 
well for several hours. More flights of geese with 10 flocks, but a 
little slow, but interesting flight was a single Atlantic Canada Goose 
with 5 Hutchins's Canada Geese (formally Richardson's) seen at 10:51am 
headed SSE. And seen with a flock of 18 geese was 4 Northern Pintail at 
10:11am headed SE. I have seen few smaller race of Canada Geese in 
Blackwater NWR and in Eastern Neck NWR. 

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, 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