[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Tue, 19 Oct 1999 23:58:37 -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 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 (Oct. 19th - 9am-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-6:00pm (Oct.), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 10/19 SEASON 1998 1997
TV+ 13 145 525 362
BV 1 10 49 13
GE 0 0 1 3
BE (7 ad. & 16 imm.) 1 23* 22 9
NH+ 2 29 48 25
SS+ 21 237 260 106
CH+ 10 148 153 82
NG (male) 0 1 1 2
RS+ 7 77 108 51
BW+ 0 12,062* 11,782 4,324
RT+ 15 85 526 339
RL 0 0 7 14
OS+ 0 84* 48 20
AK+ 1 125* 64 23
ML 0 34* 15 7
PG 0 2 4 2
SW - - 1 n/a
UA+ 0 2 3 4
UB 0 3 3 3
UF 0 2 1 n/a
UR 0 1 n/a n/a
71 13,250 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 10/19 SEASON 1998
Common Loon 0 2 21
Red-throated Loon 2 2 2
Double-cr. Cormorant 2 92 141
Great Blue Heron 0 11* 4
Canada Goose 12 1,936 2,934
Snow Goose 0 68 230
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 9 77 467
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 13* 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 3 130* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 35 n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0 5 n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 8 25* 11
Golden-crowned Kinglet 6 12* 7
Gray Catbird 0 8 ?
N. Mockingbird 0 2 n/a
Hermit Thrush 0 2 4
Am. Robin+ 12 222 866
Blue Jay+ 8 2,868* 576
Cedar Waxwing 0 53* 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 4 ?
Song Sparrow 0 15 ?
White-throated Sparrow 6 18 63
Swamp Sparrow 0 1 n/a
"Slate-colored" Junco 5 7 51
Unid. sparrow sp. 9 153 ?
Common Grackle 0 53 n/a
Pine Siskin 1 1 n/a (new yardlist)
Am. Goldfinch+ 2 66* 50
Scarlet Tanager+ 0 1 (female) n/a
Purple Finch 3 3 3
Unid. non-raptor sp. 40 433 4,283 (including sparrow)
128 8,683 14,539 (33 species)
Butterfly 10/19 SEASON 1998
Monarch+ 1 6,585 7,399
American Lady 0 4 n/a
1 6,589 7,399
+ reported by other observers
Weather: am= PC/MC pm= PC :Temp in the upper 50's. Wind from
the SW.
Raptor Migration Highlight: An 1st winter Bald Eagle seen at 11:43am
headed S and is the new season record. Ad. male N. Harrier at 11:31am
headed SW and ad. female at 11:53am headed SWS. Only kettle of TV was 9
birds with single Black Vulture at 11:34am headed SW. Accipiters and
Buteos are picking up well today.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: New record and new yardlist for Pine
Siskin flyby at 12:36pm and season first Pueple Finch at 12:37pm. More
juncos flyby and got 4 in my yard today. Good day for kinglets and new
season record for Golden-crowned. Season first Red-throated Loons at
12:36pm headed SE. 2 cormorants at 11:28am headed SE. Slow day for geese
with a flock of 11 at 11:01am and 1 at 11:40am and both headed SE.
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