[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Thu, 23 Sep 1999 23:04:22 -0400
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 hawkatch 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 (Sept. 23rd - 9am-2pm including 5 minutes break)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-7pm (Sept.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 9/23 SEASON 1998 1997
TV 0 25 525 362
BV 0 3 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (3 ad. & 9 imm.) 0 12 22 9
NH 1 8 48 25
SS 9 48 260 106
CH 2 19 153 82
NG 0 0 1 2
RS 1 9 108 51
BW 415 10,384 11,782 4,324
RT 0 10 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS 1 35 48 20
AK 5 49 64 23
ML 0 7 15 7
PG 0 0 4 2
SW 0 0 1 n/a
UA 0 0 3 4
UB 0 1 3 3
UF 0 0 1 n/a
UR 0 1 n/a n/a
434 10,792 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 9/23 SEASON 1998
Great Blue Heron 0 1 4
Canada Goose 0 183 2,934
Short-billed Dowitcher 0 9 n/a
Ring-billed Gull 0 15 467
Common Nighthawk 0 51 188
Chimney Swift 38 381 4,486
Ruby-th. Hummingbird 0 7* 1
Belted Kingfisher 0 1 (male) n/a
Norther Flicker 3 7* 5
Eastern Phoebe 0 2 ?
Least Flycatcher 0 1 n/a
Eastern Kingbird 0 3 n/a
Purple Martin 0 5 n/a
Barn Swallow 1 171* 3
Tree Swallow 0 92* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 34 n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0 2 n/a
Am. Robin 5 37 866
Blue Jay 13 34 576
Cedar Waxwing 0 53* 30
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 8 ?
Swamp Sparrow 0 1 n/a
Unid. sparrow sp. 6 83 ?
Common Grackle 0 45 n/a
Am. Goldfinch 1 10 50
Unid. non-raptor sp. 41 135 4,283 (including sparrow)
108 1,382 14,539 (33 species)
Butterfly 9/23 SEASON 1998
Monarch 60 3,947 7,399
Weather: am=S pm=S :Temp in the mid 70's. Mostly clear blue sky
all day with wind from the WNW in early am and changed to W rest of the
day.
Raptor Migration Highlight: More Broadwings, better than yesterday. Many
of them are in close up view. Largest kettle today was 58 birds at
12:27pm headed SWW. Need 1,398 BW's to break a season record. Good day
for sharpies and kestrels. Kestrels are moving in well this month with
49 birds compare to 26 same time last year and sharpies at 48 compare to
26 same time last year and Osprey tie same record as last year. Just a
reminder, Peregrine Falcon and Swainson's hawk codes are changed to PG
and SW, because Prairie Falcon code was PF and Short-tailed Hawk code
was SH.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Forgot to add flickers yesterday with 4
birds, and a single Ring-billed Gull, yesterday was seen with a flock of
Canada Geese. Blue Jay are picking up today with a single flock of 12
birds in am.
Butterfly Migration Highlight: Monarch are in for lowest record this
season, due to several days missed because of work.
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 comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com