[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Wed, 06 Oct 1999 23:23:53 -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. 6th - 9:30am-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-6:30pm (Oct.), except 
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)

SPECIES                10/06     SEASON         1998       1997
TV+                       4         48           525        362
BV                        0          9            49         13
GE                        0          0             1          3
BE (7 ad. & 13 imm.)      1         20            22          9
NH                        0         17            48         25
SS+                      17        178           260        106
CH                        6        115           153         82
NG (male)                 0          1             1          2
RS                        2         46           108         51
BW+                      30     12,058*       11,782      4,324
RT                        8         37           526        339
RL                        0          0             7         14
OS+                       1         78*           48         20
AK+                       1        120*           64         23
ML                        0         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
                         70     12,944        13,621      5,338

Non-Raptor             10/05      SEASON        1998
Double-cr. Cormorant      0          48          141
Great Blue Heron          0          10*           4
Northern Pintail          0           4          n/a
Canada Goose              0       1,262        2,934
Short-billed Dowitcher    0           9          n/a
Common Snipe              0           1          n/a
Laughing Gull             0           1          n/a
Ring-billed Gull          0          24          467
Common Nighthawk          0          63          188
Chimney Swift+          284       1,888        4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird      0           7*           1
Belted Kingfisher         0           1 male)    n/a
Downy Woodpecker          0           1            2
Northern Flicker          1          12*           5
Eastern Phoebe            0           3 (same bird yesterday, seen today
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              2         115*           5
N. Rough-winged Swallow   0          35          n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch     0           5          n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet      2           5           11
Golden-crowned Kinglet    2           2            7
Gray Catbird              0           8           ?
Am. Robin+                0         149          866
Blue Jay+                 8       2,621*         576
Cedar Waxwing             0          53*          30
Red-eyed Vireo            0           1          n/a
Nashville Warbler         0           1          n/a
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              3          13           ?
White-throated Sparrow    2           7           63
Swamp Sparrow             0           1          n/a
Unid. sparrow sp.         8         124           ?
Common Grackle            0          53          n/a
Am. Goldfinch+            4          56*          50
Scarlet Tanager+          0           1 (female) n/a
Unid. non-raptor sp.     11         332        4,283 (including sparrow)
                        327       7,109       14,539 (33 species)

Butterfly              10/06      SEASON        1998
Monarch+                 49        6,538       7,399
American Lady             0            4         n/a
                         49        6,542       7,399

+ reported by other observers

Weather: am=PC      pm=PC      :Temp in the mid 60's. Wind from the NWN 
then to NWW rest of day. Increasing cloud cover in early pm.

Raptor Migration Highlight: Sharpies are picking up well today. Late 
kettle of BW's at 1:11pm and are in good view. 3rd year Bald Eagle seen 
at 1:11pm with kettle of 30 BW's and RT headed SW.

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: 4 Golden-crowned Kinglets seen today, 
but only two flyby and two other spent most of the day in one of rows of 
4 White Pine in my neighbor's yard. Alot of sparrows flyby but only 
identify few of them.

Butterfly Migration Highlight: n/a

Standard hawk species identifier codes used: TV= Turkey Vulture, BV= 
Black Vulture, GE= Golden Eagle, BE= Bad 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