[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Mon, 08 Nov 1999 23:36:40 -0500
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 (Nov. 8th - 9am-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-4:30pm (Nov.), except
Mon.-Fri. 8am-2pm and Sat. 8am-12pm)
SPECIES 11/08 SEASON 1998 1997
TV+ 25 537* 525 362
BV+ 14* 31 49 13
GE (imm.) 0 1 1 3
BE (11 ad. & 21 imm.) 2 32* 22 9
NH+ 0 34 48 25
SS+ 5 344* 260 106
CH+ 4 214* 153 82
NG (2 ad. males & 1 imm.) 0 3* 1 2
RS+ 20 178* 108 51
BW+ 0 12,113* 11,782 4,324
RT+ 122* 714* 526 339
RL 0 4 7 14
OS+ 0 84* 48 20
AK+ 0 136* 64 23
ML 0 36* 15 7
PG 0 5* 4 2
SW - - 1 n/a
UA+ 0 2 3 4
UB 2 8 3 3
UF 0 2 1 n/a
UR 0 2 n/a n/a
194 14,480* 13,621 5,338
Non-Raptor 11/08 SEASON 1998
Common Loon 0 32* 21
Red-throated Loon 0 3* 2
Double-cr. Cormorant 0 92 141
Great Blue Heron 0 11* 4
Canada Goose 67 2,117 2,934
Snow Goose 0 143 230
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 0 135 467
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 16* 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+ 0 149* 5
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 35 n/a
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0 6 n/a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7 77* 11
Golden-crowned Kinglet 0 39* 7
Gray Catbird 0 8 ?
N. Mockingbird 0 2 n/a
Hermit Thrush 0 3 4
Am. Robin+ 0 1,256* 866
Blue Jay+ 0 2,914* 576
Cedar Waxwing 0 161* 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 7 ?
Song Sparrow 0 26 ?
White-throated Sparrow 0 93* 63
Swamp Sparrow 0 1 n/a
"Slate-colored" Junco 3 67* 51
Unid. sparrow sp. 5 241 ?
Red-winged Blackbird 0 60 n/a
Common Grackle+ 0 84 n/a
Pine Siskin 0 3 n/a
Am. Goldfinch+ 23 118* 50
Evening Grosbeak 1 1 n/a
Scarlet Tanager+ 0 1 (female) n/a
House Finch+ 0 26 n/a
Purple Finch 0 3 3
Unid. non-raptor sp.+ 19 991 4,283 (including sparrow)
125 11,302 14,539 (33 species)
Butterfly 11/08 SEASON 1998
Monarch+ 0 6,595 7,399
Question Mark 0 1 n/a
Mourning Cloak 0 5 n/a
Red Admiral 0 4 n/a
American Lady 0 11 n/a
0 6,616 7,399
+ reported by other observers
Weather: am= S/PC pm= PC/S :Temp in the mid 50's. Wind from the
NW all day. Cold and light wind.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Bang!! Another incredible day for Redtails
and Red-shouldered Hawks. More than half of a total hawks today and
yesterday seen flying far east side of the ridge. New season record for
Turkey Vultures and new single day record for Black Vulture, the
previous record was 10 on Oct. 24, 1998. The Redtails total for the
season is incredible and the best in the history of Backyard Hawk Watch.
The hawk totals for 11/7 and 11/8 is 475.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: A big day for goldfinches with a flock
of 9 around noon and a flock of 14 at 12;16pm and season first grosbeak
flyby, but never visit the feeders. 3 flocks of Canada Geese including
30 at 9:31am headed SE, 29 at 9:35am headed SE and 8 at 9:59am 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