This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, November 26th, 2008. A first-winter THAYER'S GULL, 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS, 3 ICELAND GULLS, and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were all seen at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on November 24th. Also present were a SNOW GOOSE, a PEREGRINE FALCON, a BALD EAGLE, and a MARSH WREN. 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. 2 ICELAND GULLS and a GLAUCOUS GULL were seen at Hampton Beach State Park, 1 ICELAND GULL was seen at Eel Pond in Rye, and 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS were seen in coves south of Odiorne Point State Park, all on November 25th. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Frost Point in Odiorne Point State Park on November 23rd. A SANDHILL CRANE was seen in the fields adjacent to Plains Road in Monroe on November 24th. There has been a SANDHILL CRANE over-summering here for several years running. A SNOWY OWL was seen at Hampton Beach State Park on November 26th. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was reported from Hampton on November 21st. A possible YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was reported from the Great Bay Discovery Center on Depot Road in Greenland on November 24th. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen at the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson on November 24th, and a flock of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS was reported from here on the 22nd. 65 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were reported from Call Road in Webster near Route 127, 20 were reported from Fogg Drive in Durham, 9 were reported from Seabrook, and 8 were reported from Hampton, all on November 23rd. 10 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were reported from Keene on November 21st. Several WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and a PALM WARBLER were reported from the Massabesic Audubon Center in Auburn on November 25th. A breeding-plumaged BLACKPOLL WARBLER was seen at the Seabrook Wastewater Treatment Plant on November 23rd. A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, and a BLACKPOLL WARBLER were seen at the junction of Routes 111 and 1A in North Hampton on November 24th. A PALM WARBLER was seen near Concord Point in Rye on November 23rd. 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen in Hampton Falls on November 22nd. 6 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 2 LESSER SCAUP, and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR were reported from the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on November 25th. A drake NORTHERN PINTAIL was seen on Lake Skatutakee, and 2 COMMON LOONS, 45 COMMON MERGANSERS, and 8 HOODED MERGANSERS were seen on Skatutakee Lake, in Harrisville all on November 21st. 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 4 BUFFLEHEADS, and 15 HOODED MERGANSERS were reported from Lake Massabesic in Auburn on November 21st. 23 NORTHERN GANNETS were seen migrating along the coast on November 25th. There have been scattered sightings of PURPLE SANDPIPERS along the coast during the past week, and there have also been scattered sightings of SNOW BUNTINGS and HORNED LARKS from coastal and inland sites during the past week. 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 For more information about bird sightings in New Hampshire, check the NH Bird Records site at www.nhbirdrecords.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. To contact the list owner: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Web based archives and subscription management are available at: http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html ****************************************************************