Based on the predicted NE winds following a cold front, I decided to 
rustle up a posse to watch for Broad-winged Hawks and migrant 
passerines this morning (Saturday Sept 24) at Cylburn Arboretum in 
north central Baltimore. Our two prior very large Broadwing flights 
over Cylburn had occurred on days of NE winds and some cloudiness. We 
had about 900 there in late September 1999, and 1500 in mid-Sept 2001.

Well, between about 9 and 10 AM, with a sky about 90% cloudy and light 
NE winds, we saw approximately 850 Broadwings! At first they were 
kettling very low, as if coming out of the nearby woods, then groups 
of birds streamed in fairly high from the NE forming kettles of 20 to 
200 birds. For an hour there was much excited screaming and pointing 
in various directions from the onlookers, with many invocations of the 
Deity. After 10 AM the skies became completely cloudy and the 
Broadwing faucet was turned off. Later, though, we saw an imm. Bald 
Eagle, 3 Ospreys, small numbers of Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks 
(probably local), and Coopers and Sharp-shins.

There were also lots of passerines with various first-of-the-season 
birds for some or all (*): Sapsucker, White-throated Sparrow, Winter 
Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Junco. Also, Flickers, Robins and 
Red-winged Blackbirds were numerous, and there was a sprinkling of 
warblers.

Our birding posse was Gail Frantz, Paul Noell, Pete Webb, and me, 
Steve Sanford, joined later by John Dennehy. We also heard about the 
Juncos from a passing birder who John tells us is named Froda from 
Norway. (Hello, if you're reading.)

Note we have a regularly scheduled walk at Cylburn Sunday morning at 
8:30. See http://www.baltimorebirdclub.org/schedule.html . The 
predicted SE winds would seem less favorable, but who knows? It 
appears the hawks there are aided by winds from the east pushing up 
the slope from the Jones Falls valley.

A list:

Canada Goose
Osprey - 3
Bald Eagle - 1 imm.
Sharp-shinned Hawk ~2
Cooper's Hawk - ~3
Red-shouldered Hawk - ~3
*** Broad-winged Hawk ~850  ***
Red-tailed Hawk - ~3
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker *
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker - lots! ~20
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch ~5-10
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren * (John D, on his own)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler * (heard by Pete)
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow *
Dark-eyed Junco *  (Reported by birding passerby Froda)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird - lots
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Steve Sanford
Randallstown MD (Balto Co)
scartanATverizonDOTnet