After work today (Wednesday the 19th) I had another good late day flight of migrant Red-tailed Hawks at Cromwell Valley Park.  Arriving at 3:00 pm,  I immediately saw several RTs above the BGE ridge and thought they may just be locals.  Looking closer revealed several more above them, and a couple more even higher.  They quickly formed a kettle of nine RTs before moving off singly in a WSW direction.  Within twenty minutes another kettle formed and moved off in the same manner, this time totaling thirteen hawks.  Then another group-seven RTs and one Red-shouldered Hawk this time.
I've seen this type of flight regularly over the past several years, with the birds going in a more westerly direction instead of a southerly direction as one might suppose. I believe the sight of a large metropolis looming in front of them forces many migrating hawks to turn west as they fly down the 95 corridor and seek out suitable roosting sites,  as these late day flights have demonstrated.  Fortunately for us here in the Parkville-Towson area, Cromwell Valley Park seems to be one spot where the hawks make their turn, with many of the birds flying directly over the watch-site.
By 4:45 pm the flight was pretty much over today, with a total of 38 Red-tails and 5 Red-shouldered Hawks counted in just under one hour!

Jim Meyers
Parkville Md