[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Tue, 19 Oct 1999 23:58:37 -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. 19th - 9am-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-6:00pm (Oct.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)

SPECIES                10/19     SEASON         1998       1997
TV+                      13        145           525        362
BV                        1         10            49         13
GE                        0          0             1          3
BE (7 ad. & 16 imm.)      1         23*           22          9
NH+                       2         29            48         25
SS+                      21        237           260        106
CH+                      10        148           153         82
NG (male)                 0          1             1          2
RS+                       7         77           108         51
BW+                       0     12,062*       11,782      4,324
RT+                      15         85           526        339
RL                        0          0             7         14
OS+                       0         84*           48         20
AK+                       1        125*           64         23
ML                        0         34*           15          7
PG                        0          2             4          2
SW                        -          -             1        n/a
UA+                       0          2             3          4
UB                        0          3             3          3
UF                        0          2             1        n/a
UR                        0          1           n/a        n/a
                         71     13,250        13,621      5,338

Non-Raptor             10/19     SEASON         1998
Common Loon               0          2            21
Red-throated Loon         2          2             2
Double-cr. Cormorant      2         92           141
Great Blue Heron          0         11*            4
Canada Goose             12      1,936         2,934
Snow Goose                0         68           230
Am. Black Duck            0          2           n/a
Northern Pintail          0          4           n/a
Short-billed Dowitcher    0          9           n/a
Common Snipe              0          1           n/a
Laughing Gull             0          1           n/a
Ring-billed Gull          9         77           467
Common Nighthawk          0         63           188
Chimney Swift+            0      2,082         4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird      0          7*            1
Belted Kingfisher         0          1 (male)    n/a
Downy Woodpecker          0          1             2
Northern Flicker          0         13*            5
Eastern Phoebe            0          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              3        130*            5
N. Rough-winged Swallow   0         35           n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch     0          5           n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet      8         25*           11
Golden-crowned Kinglet    6         12*            7
Gray Catbird              0          8            ?
N. Mockingbird            0          2           n/a
Hermit Thrush             0          2             4
Am. Robin+               12        222           866
Blue Jay+                 8      2,868*          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              0         15            ?
White-throated Sparrow    6         18            63
Swamp Sparrow             0          1           n/a
"Slate-colored" Junco     5          7            51
Unid. sparrow sp.         9        153            ?
Common Grackle            0         53           n/a
Pine Siskin               1          1           n/a (new yardlist)
Am. Goldfinch+            2         66*           50
Scarlet Tanager+          0          1 (female)  n/a
Purple Finch              3          3             3 
Unid. non-raptor sp.     40        433         4,283 (including sparrow)
                        128      8,683        14,539 (33 species)

Butterfly              10/19     SEASON        1998
Monarch+                  1       6,585       7,399
American Lady             0           4         n/a
                          1       6,589       7,399

+ reported by other observers

Weather: am= PC/MC     pm= PC    :Temp in the upper 50's. Wind from
the SW.

Raptor Migration Highlight: An 1st winter Bald Eagle seen at 11:43am 
headed S and is the new season record. Ad. male N. Harrier at 11:31am 
headed SW and ad. female at 11:53am headed SWS. Only kettle of TV was 9 
birds with single Black Vulture at 11:34am headed SW. Accipiters and 
Buteos are picking up well today. 

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: New record and new yardlist for Pine 
Siskin flyby at 12:36pm and season first Pueple Finch at 12:37pm. More 
juncos flyby and got 4 in my yard today. Good day for kinglets and new 
season record for Golden-crowned. Season first Red-throated Loons at 
12:36pm headed SE. 2 cormorants at 11:28am headed SE. Slow day for geese 
with a flock of 11 at 11:01am and 1 at 11:40am and both headed SE. 

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 comment on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com


                Kevin Graff
                Baltimore, MD
                ggraff@erols.com