[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Mon, 25 Oct 1999 00:10:02 -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: Did only 2 hrs on Fri the 22nd from 3:45pm-5:45pm because I went 
to my cousin's buffalo farm in Harford County to help out cook some food 
for the girl scout troops camp-out. During the hawk watch, I had a 
kettle of 5 Black Vultures at 3:49pm and a Sharpie at 4:20pm, 
non-raptors flyby south including 21 Am. Robins, 5 House Finches, and 10 
unidentified non-raptor species. Special thanks to Pete Webb for 
covering Sat while I was at re-enactment camping in Laurel, Prince 
George's County.

Reports: Kevin Graff (ggraff@erols.com))
Counter: Pete Webb (Oct. 23st - 10:00am-5:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-6:00pm (Oct.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)

SPECIES                10/23     SEASON         1998       1997
TV+                      36        215           525        362
BV+                       1         16            49         13
GE                        0          0             1          3
BE (7 ad. & 16 imm.)      0         23*           22          9
NH+                       0         30            48         25
SS+                       5        255           260        106
CH+                       2        155*          153         82
NG (male)                 0          1             1          2
RS+                       0         87           108         51
BW+                       0     12,062*       11,782      4,324
RT+                       2         98           526        339
RL                        0          0             7         14
OS+                       0         84*           48         20
AK+                       1        126*           64         23
ML                        0         34*           15          7
PG                        0          2             4          2
SW                        -          -             1        n/a
UA+                       0          2             3          4
UB                        0          5             3          3
UF                        0          2             1        n/a
UR                        0          1           n/a        n/a
                         47     13,372        13,621      5,338

Non-Raptor             10/23     SEASON         1998
Common Loon               0          2            21
Red-throated Loon         0          2             2
Double-cr. Cormorant      0         92           141
Great Blue Heron          0         11*            4
Canada Goose              0      1,945         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          0         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         14*            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        133*            5
N. Rough-winged Swallow   0         35           n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch     0          5           n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet      0         30*           11
Golden-crowned Kinglet    0         12*            7
Gray Catbird              0          8            ?
N. Mockingbird            0          2           n/a
Hermit Thrush             0          2             4
Am. Robin+                3        254           866
Blue Jay+                 2      2,887*          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         17            ?
White-throated Sparrow    0         21            63
Swamp Sparrow             0          1           n/a
"Slate-colored" Junco     0         10            51
Unid. sparrow sp.         0        155            ?
Common Grackle+           3         58           n/a
Pine Siskin               0          1           n/a
Am. Goldfinch+            0         69*           50
Scarlet Tanager+          0          1 (female)  n/a
House Finch+             17         26           n/a
Purple Finch              0          3             3
Unid. non-raptor sp.+    13        470        4,283 (including sparrow)
                         41      8,797       14,539 (33 species)

Butterfly              10/23     SEASON        1998
Monarch+                  0       6,587       7,399
American Lady             0           4         n/a
                          0       6,591       7,399

+ reported by other observers

Weather: am= MC     pm= MC    :Temp in the mid 50's. Wind from
the WNW all day.

Raptor Migration Highlight: Pete seen good numbers of vultures, nice 
kettle of 11 Turkey Vultures at 12:15pm far east end of the ridge headed 
SW. New season record for Cooper's Hawk.

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Good movement of House Finches. 

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