[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Fri, 12 Nov 1999 23:28:45 -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))
Counter: Kevin Graff (Nov. 12th - 9am-12:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-4:30pm (Nov.), except
Mon.-Fri. 8am-2pm and Sat. 8am-12pm)

SPECIES                11/12     SEASON         1998       1997
TV+                       0        544*          525        362
BV+                       1         33            49         13
GE (imm.)                 0          1             1          3
BE (11 ad. & 21 imm.)     0         32*           22          9
NH+                       0         36            48         25
SS+                       0        350*          260        106
CH+                       0        216*          153         82
NG (2 ad. males & 1 imm.) 0          3*            1          2
RS+                       7        189*          108         51
BW+                       0     12,113*       11,782      4,324
RT+                       7        733*          526        339
RL                        0          4             7         14
OS+                       0         84*           48         20
AK+                       0        136*           64         23
ML                        0         36*           15          7
PG                        0          5*            4          2
SW                        -          -             1        n/a
UA+                       0          2             3          4
UB                        0          8             3          3
UF                        0          2             1        n/a
UR                        0          2           n/a        n/a
                         15     14,529*       13,621      5,338

Non-Raptor             11/12     SEASON         1998
Common Loon               0         35*           21
Red-throated Loon         0          3*            2
Double-cr. Cormorant      0         95           141
Great Blue Heron          0         11*            4
Tundra Swan               0         53            78
Canada Goose              8      2,254         2,934
Snow Goose                0        149           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        135           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         16*            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     23        100*           11
Golden-crowned Kinglet    3         46*            7
Eastern Bluebird          0          6           n/a 
Gray Catbird              0          8            ?
N. Mockingbird            0          2           n/a
Hermit Thrush             0          3             4
Am. Robin+                4      1,270*          866
Blue Jay+                 0      2,914*          576
Cedar Waxwing             0        161*           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          7            ?
Song Sparrow              0         26            ?
White-throated Sparrow    0         95*           63
Swamp Sparrow             0          1           n/a
"Slate-colored" Junco     0         76*           51
Unid. sparrow sp.         6        251            ?
Red-winged Blackbird      0         60           n/a
Common Grackle+           0         84           n/a
Pine Siskin               0          3           n/a
Am. Goldfinch+            0        122*           50
Evening Grosbeak          0          1           n/a
Scarlet Tanager+          0          1 (female)  n/a
House Finch+              0         26           n/a
Purple Finch              0          3             3
Unid. non-raptor sp.+    57      1,113         4,283 (including sparrow)
                        101     11,694        14,539 (33 species)

Butterfly              11/12     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= MC   pm= MC   :Temp in the low 50's all day with cold
wind from the NE until around 10:45am changed to ESE rest of the day. 
Overcast sky again. Left at 12:30pm to go see Christmas Bazaar at my old 
grade school before headed to work.

Raptor Migration Highlight: Better than yesterday, with nice movement of 
Redtails and Red-shouldered. Black Vulture seen at 10:45am headed SW. On 
my way to work at 2pm, a kettle of 12 Turkey Vultures seen over Belair 
Rd. headed SW north of Perry Hall, and few minutes later a kettle of 35 
Turkey Vultures headed SWW south of Kingville, both kettles might be 
headed for my hawkwatch as both headed in same route toward my yard.

Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Big flock of 26 kinglets with 23 
Ruby-crowned and 3 Golden-crowned Kinglets headed SW. Small flock of 7 
Canada Geese followed by single Canada Goose at 11:43am headed W. 

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