[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Thu, 04 Nov 1999 22:30:53 -0500


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))
Counters: Kevin Graff (Nov. 4th - 9am-2pm)
          Joe Platek (Nov. 4th - 12pm-1pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-5pm (Nov.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)

SPECIES                11/04     SEASON         1998       1997
TV+                      23        429           525        362
BV+                       1         17            49         13
GE (imm.)                 1          1             1          3
BE (10 ad. & 20 imm.)     3         30*           22          9
NH+                       0         33            48         25
SS+                       4        323*          260        106
CH+                       7        201*          153         82
NG (2 ad. males & 1 imm.) 0          3*            1          2
RS+                       4        124*          108         51
BW+                       0     12,113*       11,782      4,324
RT+                      59        300           526        339
RL                        2          3             7         14
OS+                       0         84*           48         20
AK+                       0        135*           64         23
ML                        0         36*           15          7
PG                        0          5*            4          2
SW                        -          -             1        n/a
UA+                       0          2             3          4
UB                        0          6             3          3
UF                        0          2             1        n/a
UR                        0          2           n/a        n/a
                        104     13,849*       13,621      5,338

Non-Raptor             11/04     SEASON         1998
Common Loon               6         12            21
Red-throated Loon         0          2             2
Double-cr. Cormorant      0         92           141
Great Blue Heron          0         11*            4
Canada Goose              0      1,969         2,934
Snow Goose               75        143           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        111           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        149*            5
N. Rough-winged Swallow   0         35           n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch     0          6           n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet      0         51*           11
Golden-crowned Kinglet    6         35*            7
Gray Catbird              0          8            ?
N. Mockingbird            0          2           n/a
Hermit Thrush             0          3             4
Am. Robin+                3        443           866
Blue Jay+                 0      2,914*          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    8         55            63
Swamp Sparrow             0          1           n/a
"Slate-colored" Junco     4         46            51
Unid. sparrow sp.        10        205            ?
Common Grackle+           0         69           n/a
Pine Siskin               0          3           n/a
Am. Goldfinch+            3         95*           50
Scarlet Tanager+          0          1 (female)  n/a
House Finch+              0         26           n/a
Purple Finch              0          3             3
Unid. non-raptor sp.+    15        807        4,283 (including sparrow)
                        130      9,757       14,539 (33 species)

Butterfly              11/04     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   :Temp in the late 40's to early 50's all day. 
Wind from the W. 

Raptor Migration Highlight: It getting better from the W wind as we get 
another Rough-legged with 2 today and season first imm. Golden Eagle. 
Redtails is getting stronger each day. New single day record with 104 
today broke old record of 93 on Nov. 9, 1998. 2 adult Bald Eagle at 
11:08am headed SW and imm. 2nd winter Bald Eagle at 11:32am headed SE. 
Imm. Golden Eagle at 11:30am headed SW. 14,000 is getting near as I need 
151 more to reach the mark. Both Black Vultures and N. Harriers are off 
to a worst start this year. 

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: A nice flock of 75 Snow Geese at 10:52am 
headed SE and 2 C. Loons at 11:38am and 4 more at 11:40am, 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