This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday, April 17th, 
2013.



A male EURASIAN WIGEON was seen at the south end of Great Meadows in 
Charlestown on April 13th, 14th, and 15th, and one was seen in a small pond 
along Route 108 south of Bodwell Farm in East Kingston on April 9th and 
10th.



2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen in fields along Pleasant Street in Loudon on 
April 13th, but have not been relocated.



2 CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS were seen along Western Avenue in Henniker on April 
10th.



A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER has been coming to a birdfeeder on Grafton Road in 
Alexandria since December 13th, and was last reported on April 9th.



A flock of 8 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS was seen on Ossipee Mountain Road in 
Moultonborough on April 13th, and a small flock was reported from Lebanon on 
the 10th.



A large flock of over 600 COMMON REDPOLLS was reported from Strafford on 
April 10th, a flock of 10 was reported from Lempster on the 15th, and a 
flock of 20 was reported from Hancock on the 13th.



2 ICELAND GULLS were seen at Rockingham Park in Salem on April 13th and one 
was seen at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on the 14th.



A SNOW GOOSE was seen at the Rockingham Park racetrack in Salem on April 
17th and a BRANT was seen at Hampton Beach State Park on April 14th.



Reports from the Connecticut River area in Hinsdale during the past week 
included 3 BONAPARTE’S GULLS, 3 RED-NECKED GREBES, and a LONG-TAILED DUCK on 
April 10th, 2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, 1,500 TREE SWALLOWS, 4 BARN SWALLOWS, 
several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a PINE WARBLER, and a PALM WARBLER on the 
11th, and a RED-THROATED LOON on the 13th.



A RED-NECKED GREBE, and a BONAPARTE’S GULL were seen on the Connecticut 
River in the Hanover area on April 13th.



2 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 12 LESSER SCAUP, 3 BUFFLEHEADS, 2 HORNED GREBES, 4 
RED-NECKED GREBES, and a RING-BILLED GULL were seen at Spofford Lake in 
Chesterfield on April 14th.



A pair of NORTHERN SHOVELERS, and a pair of GADWALL were reported from 
Horseshoe Pond in Concord on April 14th.



4 NORTHERN SHOVELERS were seen at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on 
April 16th, and 101 LESSER SCAUP were tallied there on the 14th.



An AMERICAN WIGEON was seen at the Richmond Conservation Land in Orford on 
April 11th.



There was a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL seen at Powderhouse Pond in Exeter on 
April 14th.



3 AMERICAN COOTS were seen in World End Pond in Salem on April 13th.



An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen in Salem on April 15th, and one was reported 
from Lyme on the 16th.



A GLOSSY IBIS was seen at Merrymeeting Marsh in Alton on April 16th, and 1 
was reported from over the ocean from Seabrook on the 14th.



A GREAT EGRET was seen in Reed’s Marsh in Orford on April 10th and 11th, and 
23 SNOWY EGRETS were reported from the coast on April 17th.



Several VIRGINIA RAILS were reported from Portsmouth on April 16th.



4 PIPING PLOVERS were seen at Hampton Beach State Park, and17 PURPLE 
SANDPIPERS, and 63 SANDERLINGS were reported from Rye Harbor State Park, all 
on April 15th.



2 FISH CROWS were seen in Salem on April 15th, and 2 FISH CROWS and a 
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER were seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on the 
17th.



A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was reported from Westmoreland on April 14th, one 
was reported from Epping on the 15th, and a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH and a 
BLUE-HEADED VIREO were reported from Penacook on April 17th.



A VESPER SPARROW was reported from Hancock on April 14th, and 1 was seen in 
Lebanon on the 10th.



Several FOX SPARROWS were reported during the past week.



3 EASTERN TOWHEES were reported from the NH Audubon’s Ponemah Bog Sanctuary 
on April 17th.



5 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were reported from Merrimack on April 14th.



3 MERLINS, over 10 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, and a number of other migrating 
raptors were observed during the past week.



2 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were reported from the Trudeau Road wetlands in 
Bethlehem on April 14th, and 1 was seen at Little Cherry Pond in Jefferson 
on the 16th.



Early returning migrants reported during the past week included: NORTHERN 
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, BARN SWALLOW, TREE SWALLOW, HERMIT THRUSH, PINE 
WARBLER, PALM WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, 
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, WINTER WREN, EASTERN PHOEBE, CHIPPING SPARROW, FIELD 
SPARROW, WILSON’S SNIPE, NORTHERN FLICKER, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, and 
PIED-BILLED GREBE.



This message is also available by phone recording: call (603) 224-9909 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 
recording or send your sightings to the RBA via e-mail at: 
[log in to unmask] 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



Thanks very much and good birding.