[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Wed, 27 Oct 1999 21:49:51 -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: The season total of each species was changed because of math
problems in the past. I have found some missing hawks numbers on my
sheets from Sept. 18 with 2 more Turkey Vultures, 2 more Sharp-shinned
Hawks, 2 more Cooper's Hawks, 3 more Red-shouldered Hawks, and 40 more
Broad-winged Hawks, on Oct 1st with 4 more Red-tailed Hawks, and on Oct.
3rd with 2 more Turkey Vultures, 9 more Sharp-shinned Hawks, 9 more
Cooper's Hawk, 8 more Red-shouldered Hawks, 10 more Broad-winged Hawks,
2 more Red-tailed Hawks, and 4 more Am. Kestrels. Sorry for the mixup
and it happens to others hawkwatchers who has some math errors too.
Reports: Kevin Graff (ggraff@erols.com))
Counter: Kevin Graff (Oct. 27st - 9am-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-5:30pm (Oct.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 10/27 SEASON 1998 1997
TV+ 28 308 525 362
BV+ 0 16 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (7 ad. & 16 imm.) 0 23* 22 9
NH+ 0 32 48 25
SS+ 2 287* 260 106
CH+ 8 181* 153 82
NG (2 ad. males & 1 imm.) 1 3* 1 2
RS+ 6 111* 108 51
BW+ 0 12,112* 11,782 4,324
RT+ 12 139 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS+ 0 84* 48 20
AK+ 0 130* 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
57 13,472 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 10/27 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 0 105 467
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 15* 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+ 0 133* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 35 n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0 5 n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 0 37* 11
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 15* 7
Gray Catbird 0 8 ?
N. Mockingbird 0 2 n/a
Hermit Thrush 0 2 4
Am. Robin+ 42 310 866
Blue Jay+ 3 2,905* 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 31 63
Swamp Sparrow 0 1 n/a
"Slate-colored" Junco 8 25 51
Unid. sparrow sp. 8 174 ?
Common Grackle+ 0 58 n/a
Pine Siskin 0 1 n/a
Am. Goldfinch+ 2 76* 50
Scarlet Tanager+ 0 1 (female) n/a
House Finch+ 0 26 n/a
Purple Finch 0 3 3
Unid. non-raptor sp.+ 15 548 4,283 (including sparrow)
79 9,039 14,539 (33 species)
Butterfly 10/27 SEASON 1998
Monarch+ 0 6,595 7,399
Question Mark 0 1 n/a
Mourning Cloak 0 5 n/a
Red Admiral 0 4 n/a
American Lady 0 11 n/a
0 6,616 7,399
+ reported by other observers
Weather: am= S pm= S/PC :Temp in the early 60's. Few clouds appear
during the sunny day. Wind from the NW all day.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Second goshawk in a row and new season
record. An ad. male N. Goshawk was seen at 10:30am at a distance near
west side of the ridge headed SW. More vultures in good numbers this
week. Redtail are picking up too. Still a slow day. (From the math
errors, Red-shoulders is now a new season record)
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Robins starting to move now, there may
be a chance to get good numbers soon. Lone Golden-crowned Kinglet flyby
and 1 was seen in the yard. Juncos starting to increase in the yard and
my neighbor's row of 4 White Pines is loading with them, while a flock
of 8 flew by.
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