[BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Fri, 06 Nov 1998 20:54:09 -0500
Backyard Hawk Watch (est. 1992), Fall 1998
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. From the west side of the ridge, going west
past my site, the topography continues to rise for about 6/10 mile to a
height even higher than 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 (9am-4:30pm, including 15 min. lunch break)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 9am-5pm through Dec. 15th)
SPECIES 11/06 SEASON 1997
Turkey Vulture 10 459* 362
Black Vulture 0 43* 13
Golden Eagle 0 1 3
Bald Eagle 0 22* (9 ad. & 13 imm.) 9
N. Harrier 0 46* 25
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 222* 106
Cooper's Hawk 1 125* 82
N. Goshawk 0 1 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 91* 51
Broad-winged Hawk 0 11,782* 4,324
Red-tailed Hawk 17 308 339
Rough-legged Hawk 0 5 13
Osprey 0 48* 20
Am. Kestrel 0 63* 23
Merlin 0 14* 7
Peregrine Falcon 0 3* 2
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 (imm. light phase - 9/16) n/a
Unidentified Accipiter 0 3 4
Unidentified Buteo 0 2 3
Unidentified Falcon 0 1 0
Unidentified Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 30 13,240* 5,338
Weather: Another cold and windy day with clear sky and cloud cover mix,
with few sun all day. Wind from the NWN.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Another slow day. Where have all the
Sharp-shinned have gone, and I'm still waiting for more Rough-legged
Hawks, they are getting slow this year.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: A nice several flocks of 263 Am. Robin
and 5 White-throated Sparrows and another late single Am. Goldfinch.
Note: I left early at 4:30pm because of a doctor appt. And also I won't
be doing any hawkwatching this weekend, because I have a 18th century
camping at Hope Lodge in northeast PA. I'm a living history member
during Revoluntary time with Maryland Company Wayne's Light Infantry. I
will do some birding up there because, Hope Lodge has a good winter
resident Rough-legged Hawks and some nice winter sparrows. Will give
reports on Sun. night when I get back and will return to hawkwatching on
Mon.
Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com