This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, January 3rd, 2008. A DOVEKIE was seen from Great Island Common in New Castle, and 2 RAZORBILLS and a BLACK GUILLEMOT were seen from Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, all on December 31st A KING EIDER and a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE were seen off of North Side Park in Hampton on January 1st. An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on December 28th. 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. 3 ICELAND GULLS were seen at the parking lot of the Yankee Fisherman's Cooperative in Seabrook on December 31st. A dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen near Rye Harbor State Park on January 1st. A MERLIN was seen in Seabrook on January 2nd. PEREGRINE FALCON sightings during the past week included 1 in Manchester on January 2nd, 1 in Hampton on December 30th, and 1 in Dover on December 27th. An EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was seen at Park Street Common in Exeter on January 2nd. COMMON REDPOLL sightings during the past week included 75 in Etna on December 31st, 70 in Strafford on December 30th, 50 in Croyden on December 30th, 80 in Hancock on December 29th, and 20 in Pittsfield on January 1st. BOHEMIAN WAXWING sightings during the past week included over 800 near a farm at 388 Upper City Road in Pittsfield on January 1st, and 2 flocks totaling about 150 birds in Strafford on December 30th. NORTHERN SHRIKE sightings during the past week included 1 in Ashland on December 27th, 1 in Newton on December 28th, 1 in Centerra Park in Lebanon on December 28th, 1 at Kendal in Hanover on December 31st, 1 in Pittsfield and 1 in Jefferson, both on January 1st, and 1 on Island Path in Hampton on January 2nd. PINE GROSBEAKS sightings during the past week included 23 at Hatch Plaza in Plymouth on December 27th, 16 in Strafford on December 30th, 12 in Pittsfield on January 1st, and 5 in Etna on January 2nd. EVENING GROSBEAK sightings during the past week included a flock of 70 in Jefferson on January 1st, and 18 in Mont Vernon on December 30th. SNOW BUNTING sightings during the past week included 40 in Hancock on December 29th, 25 in Hampton on December 31st, 3 in Seabrook on January 1st, and 4 on Seabrook on January 2nd. A RUDDY DUCK, 5 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 2 LESSER SCAUP, 7 COMMON GOLDENEYES, 2 WOOD DUCKS, 20 HOODED MERGANSERS and 2 Bald EAGLES were seen on the Connecticut River in Hinsdale on December 30th. The Laconia Christmas Bird Count was held on December 29th. Highlights included: 3 BALD EAGLES, 1 RING-NECKED DUCK, 14 GREATER SCAUP, 1 LONG-TAILED DUCK, 2 BUFFLEHEADS, a BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, 315 COMMON GOLDENEYES, 92 HOODED MERGANSERS, 86 COMMON MERGANSERS, 24 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 163 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, a CAROLINA WREN, 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES, 7 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS 85 COMMON REDPOLLS, and 108 PINE GROSBEAKS. The Grafton/Bristol Christmas Bird Count was held on December 29th. Highlights included: 5 COMMON GOLDENEYES, 6 COMMON MERGANSERS, 2 HOODED MERGANSERS, 54 WILD TURKEYS, 7 COMMON LOONS, a COOPER'S HAWK, a BALD EAGLE, 3 BARRED OWLS, a BELTED KINGFISHER, 19 COMMON RAVENS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, 42 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 4 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 141 COMMON REDPOLLS, 37 PINE GROSBEAKS, and 10 EVENING GROSBEAKS. The Concord Christmas Bird Count was held on December 30th. Highlights included: 2 GREAT CORMORANTS, 5 HOODED MERGANSERS, 4 BALD EAGLES, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, a BELTED KINGFISHER, 2 NORTHERN FLICKERS, 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES, 6 CAROLINA WRENS, a WINTER WREN, 13 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, 565 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 4 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, a SAVANNAH SPARROW, 21 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 35 SNOW BUNTINGS, 35 PINE GROSBEAKS, 271 COMMON REDPOLLS, and 28 EVENING GROSBEAKS. The Sandwich Christmas Bird Count was held on December 30th. Highlights included: 140 WILD TURKEYS, 4 BARRED OWLS, 134 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 4 NORTHERN SHRIKES, a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, 53 PINE GROSBEAKS, 35 SNOW BUNTINGS, and 461 COMMON REDPOLLS. The Hanover/Norwich Christmas Bird Count was held on January 1st, 2008. Highlights included: 2 BALD EAGLES, 190 WILD TURKEYS, 3,000 AMERICAN CROWS, 1,246 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 714 BOHEMIAN WAXWING, over 400 COMMON REDPOLLS, 229 PINE GROSBEAKS, 4 SNOW BUNTINGS, 6 CAROLINA WRENS, and 1 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. This message is also available by phone recording: call 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 tape 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. **************************************************************** To post messages, send e-mail to: [log in to unmask] Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages. 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