-RBA
*New Hampshire
*April 13, 2007
*NHNH1304.07
-Birds Mentioned
Black Vulture
King Eider
Barrow's Goldeneye
Piping Plover
Black-headed Gull
-Transcript
This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Friday, April
13th, 2007.
A BLACK VULTURE was seen on the 10th with 2 TURKEY VULTURES near the
Post Office off Rt. 108 in Stratham. The 3 birds gained altitude and
wandered toward the east.
An immature male KING EIDER continues to be seen just north of
Bicentennial Park in Hampton and was reported on the 7th. Also
reported that day was the female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE that has been
seen regularly in Rye from the Rt. 1A pull-off opposite the stone-
angel statue.
Other reports from the coast include 100 PURPLE SANDPIPERS along the
river at Hampton Beach State Park on the 12th, a PIPING PLOVER at the
state park on the 11th, 7 BRANT off North Hampton State Beach on the
7th, a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON in Seabrook on the 7th, a few SNOWY
and GREAT EGRETS, TREE SWALLOWS, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS in the
Hampton and Seabrook area on the 11th, and 43 WILSON’S SNIPE, 40
KILLDEER, and 5 HORNED LARK near Runnymede Farm on Rt. 111 in North
Hampton on the 11th.
Several “COMMON TEAL”, which is the Eurasian race of GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, have been reported recently. A male has been seen on the
southern section of the Connecticut River in the Herrick’s Cove area
since the 7th and was still present on the 10th. Good numbers of
waterfowl also continue to be seen on the Connecticut River in
Hinsdale with 250 RING-NECKED DUCKS on the 11th along with 16
AMERICAN WIGEON, 25 COMMON MERGANSER, 12 HOODED MERGANSER, 2 AMERICAN
COOT, 2 PIED-BILLED GREBE, 15 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and 2 BUFFLEHEAD.
There were also 2 immature Bald Eagles in addition to the local
breeding pair.
At least 2 COMMON TEAL were reported in Keene in the corn stubble
field at the end of Krif Road. They were seen on the 9th and at least
one was still present on the 12th with a couple of typical GREEN-
WINGED TEAL, many MALLARDS and CANADA GEESE, and a handful of
WILSON’S SNIPE.
It has been a good spring for NORTHERN SHOVELOR reports. Six have
been present at the Exeter wastewater treatment plant and were still
there on the 9th along with a male LESSER SCAUP and good numbers of
RING-NECKED DUCKS. Three NORTHERN SHOVELORS were seen at the
Charlestown Great Meadows on the 9th along with 56 SNOW GEESE. A
single NORTHERN SHOVELOR continues in the small pond along Rt. 108 in
East Kingston south of Bodwell Farm as of the 11th.
Another 2 NORTHERN SHOVELORS were present at the Morrill Farm fields
in Penacook along with a good selection of waterfowl including 1 male
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 60 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, a pair of AMERICAN WIGEON, 17
RING-NECKED DUCKS, 35 WOOD DUCKS, 38 COMMON MERGANSERS, 3 HOODED
MERGANSERS, 80 MALLARDS, 60 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, a MUTE SWAN, and
200 CANADA GEESE. There were also 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, a PALM WARBLER,
2 FISH CROWS and a NORTHERN HARRIER. The birds were in fields and
wetlands along the railroad tracks and the best way to view them is
to park at the Hannah Dustin Park & Ride on route 4 at Exit 17 off
Route 93 and walk south along the railroad tracks past the Hannah
Dustin Memorial.
Many other waterfowl were reported at lakes and ponds throughout at
least the southern half of the state. A few additional highlights
include a RED-NECKED GREBE and 5 COMMON LOON on Lake Massabesic in
Auburn on the 10th, 50 SNOW GEESE still present at Moore Fields on
Route 155A in Durham as of the 9th, hundreds of GREATER SCAUP still
present on Great Bay on the 11th, and 110 RING-NECKED DUCKS and 20
GREEN-WINGED TEAL at Pickering Ponds in Rochester on the 11th.
A first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL was seen at the Rochester wastewater
treatment plant on the 11th along with the first-winter BLACK-HEADED
GULL that has been seen there all winter. There were also 42 WOOD
DUCKS and a NORTHERN HARRIER. The treatment plant is gated and the
hours of operation are 7:30-3:00 on weekdays. If you visit, please
check in at the office and be out of the plant by 2:45 so that plant
personnel do not have to ask birders to leave. Do not drive on the
dikes and do not block the road. The Trails at Pickering Ponds,
located east of the plant, are not gated, and are always open during
daylight hours.
Birders watched a light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK hunting on the 11th
at the north end of the Pease International Tradeport runways off
Arboretum Drive towards the entrance to Great Bay National Wildlife
Refuge.
A red-morph EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was still being seen regularly in
Greenland as of the 11th. It has been seen near a driveway at 109
Portsmouth Avenue just north of the intersection with Newington Road.
It roosts in a large tree on the south side of the road, and can
sometimes be seen when looking northeast from southwest of the
driveway. Be careful of the traffic here.
A good number of WILSON’S SNIPE has been gathered in the fields
relatively nearby with a high of 53 tallied on the 11th in the
vicinity of Great Bay Farm on Newington Road.
Spring migration seems nearly ground to a halt with the cold weather
and storms but a few things are still appearing. There are many
reports of large DARK-EYED JUNCO flocks at feeders with FOX SPARROWS
and SONG SPARROWS, a few WHITE-THROATED, FIELD and CHIPPPING
SPARROWS. EASTERN PHOEBES are still hanging in there although it has
been hard on these early returnees. There are still only a few TREE
SWALLOWS, a few PINE WARBLERS, and the first reports of single YELLOW-
RUMPED and PALM WARBLERS and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. FISH CROW has
returned to Durham and OSPREY are back at nest sites in the
southeastern part of the state.
This message is also available by phone recording: call 224-9900 and
press 2 as directed or ask to be transferred. If you have seen any
interesting birds recently, you can leave a message at the end of the
tape or send your sightings to the RBA via e-mail at:
birdsetc@nhaudubon.org. Please put either "bird sighting" or "Rare
Bird Alert" in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing
address and phone number. The RBA is also available on-line at the
New Hampshire Audubon web site, www.nhaudubon.org
*New Hampshire
*April 13, 2007
*NHNH1304.07
-Birds Mentioned
Black Vulture
King Eider
Barrow's Goldeneye
Piping Plover
Black-headed Gull
-Transcript
This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Friday, April
13th, 2007.
A BLACK VULTURE was seen on the 10th with 2 TURKEY VULTURES near the
Post Office off Rt. 108 in Stratham. The 3 birds gained altitude and
wandered toward the east.
An immature male KING EIDER continues to be seen just north of
Bicentennial Park in Hampton and was reported on the 7th. Also
reported that day was the female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE that has been
seen regularly in Rye from the Rt. 1A pull-off opposite the stone-
angel statue.
Other reports from the coast include 100 PURPLE SANDPIPERS along the
river at Hampton Beach State Park on the 12th, a PIPING PLOVER at the
state park on the 11th, 7 BRANT off North Hampton State Beach on the
7th, a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON in Seabrook on the 7th, a few SNOWY
and GREAT EGRETS, TREE SWALLOWS, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS in the
Hampton and Seabrook area on the 11th, and 43 WILSON’S SNIPE, 40
KILLDEER, and 5 HORNED LARK near Runnymede Farm on Rt. 111 in North
Hampton on the 11th.
Several “COMMON TEAL”, which is the Eurasian race of GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, have been reported recently. A male has been seen on the
southern section of the Connecticut River in the Herrick’s Cove area
since the 7th and was still present on the 10th. Good numbers of
waterfowl also continue to be seen on the Connecticut River in
Hinsdale with 250 RING-NECKED DUCKS on the 11th along with 16
AMERICAN WIGEON, 25 COMMON MERGANSER, 12 HOODED MERGANSER, 2 AMERICAN
COOT, 2 PIED-BILLED GREBE, 15 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and 2 BUFFLEHEAD.
There were also 2 immature Bald Eagles in addition to the local
breeding pair.
At least 2 COMMON TEAL were reported in Keene in the corn stubble
field at the end of Krif Road. They were seen on the 9th and at least
one was still present on the 12th with a couple of typical GREEN-
WINGED TEAL, many MALLARDS and CANADA GEESE, and a handful of
WILSON’S SNIPE.
It has been a good spring for NORTHERN SHOVELOR reports. Six have
been present at the Exeter wastewater treatment plant and were still
there on the 9th along with a male LESSER SCAUP and good numbers of
RING-NECKED DUCKS. Three NORTHERN SHOVELORS were seen at the
Charlestown Great Meadows on the 9th along with 56 SNOW GEESE. A
single NORTHERN SHOVELOR continues in the small pond along Rt. 108 in
East Kingston south of Bodwell Farm as of the 11th.
Another 2 NORTHERN SHOVELORS were present at the Morrill Farm fields
in Penacook along with a good selection of waterfowl including 1 male
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 60 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, a pair of AMERICAN WIGEON, 17
RING-NECKED DUCKS, 35 WOOD DUCKS, 38 COMMON MERGANSERS, 3 HOODED
MERGANSERS, 80 MALLARDS, 60 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, a MUTE SWAN, and
200 CANADA GEESE. There were also 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, a PALM WARBLER,
2 FISH CROWS and a NORTHERN HARRIER. The birds were in fields and
wetlands along the railroad tracks and the best way to view them is
to park at the Hannah Dustin Park & Ride on route 4 at Exit 17 off
Route 93 and walk south along the railroad tracks past the Hannah
Dustin Memorial.
Many other waterfowl were reported at lakes and ponds throughout at
least the southern half of the state. A few additional highlights
include a RED-NECKED GREBE and 5 COMMON LOON on Lake Massabesic in
Auburn on the 10th, 50 SNOW GEESE still present at Moore Fields on
Route 155A in Durham as of the 9th, hundreds of GREATER SCAUP still
present on Great Bay on the 11th, and 110 RING-NECKED DUCKS and 20
GREEN-WINGED TEAL at Pickering Ponds in Rochester on the 11th.
A first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL was seen at the Rochester wastewater
treatment plant on the 11th along with the first-winter BLACK-HEADED
GULL that has been seen there all winter. There were also 42 WOOD
DUCKS and a NORTHERN HARRIER. The treatment plant is gated and the
hours of operation are 7:30-3:00 on weekdays. If you visit, please
check in at the office and be out of the plant by 2:45 so that plant
personnel do not have to ask birders to leave. Do not drive on the
dikes and do not block the road. The Trails at Pickering Ponds,
located east of the plant, are not gated, and are always open during
daylight hours.
Birders watched a light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK hunting on the 11th
at the north end of the Pease International Tradeport runways off
Arboretum Drive towards the entrance to Great Bay National Wildlife
Refuge.
A red-morph EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was still being seen regularly in
Greenland as of the 11th. It has been seen near a driveway at 109
Portsmouth Avenue just north of the intersection with Newington Road.
It roosts in a large tree on the south side of the road, and can
sometimes be seen when looking northeast from southwest of the
driveway. Be careful of the traffic here.
A good number of WILSON’S SNIPE has been gathered in the fields
relatively nearby with a high of 53 tallied on the 11th in the
vicinity of Great Bay Farm on Newington Road.
Spring migration seems nearly ground to a halt with the cold weather
and storms but a few things are still appearing. There are many
reports of large DARK-EYED JUNCO flocks at feeders with FOX SPARROWS
and SONG SPARROWS, a few WHITE-THROATED, FIELD and CHIPPPING
SPARROWS. EASTERN PHOEBES are still hanging in there although it has
been hard on these early returnees. There are still only a few TREE
SWALLOWS, a few PINE WARBLERS, and the first reports of single YELLOW-
RUMPED and PALM WARBLERS and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. FISH CROW has
returned to Durham and OSPREY are back at nest sites in the
southeastern part of the state.
This message is also available by phone recording: call 224-9900 and
press 2 as directed or ask to be transferred. If you have seen any
interesting birds recently, you can leave a message at the end of the
tape or send your sightings to the RBA via e-mail at:
birdsetc@nhaudubon.org. Please put either "bird sighting" or "Rare
Bird Alert" in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing
address and phone number. The RBA is also available on-line at the
New Hampshire Audubon web site, www.nhaudubon.org