This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday, December 29th, 2009. 4 DOVEKIES, 2 BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, 22 BLACK SCOTERS, and 44 COMMON LOONS were seen from Great Boar's Head in Hampton on December 27th. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen on Love Lane in Hollis on December 27th, but has not been relocated. A light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen perched on a tree-branch along the runway at the Keene (Dillant-Hopkins) Airport on December 24th by an observer looking from the main parking lot on Airport Road. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in Barnstead on December 29th. 2 ICELAND GULLS were reported from the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on December 25th. An EASTERN SCREECH-OWL has been seen regularly along Route 1A in Rye, roosting in a tree about 100-yards north of the entrance to Odiorne Point State Park, and was last reported on December 25th. An AMERICAN KESTREL was seen in Seabrook on December 25th. A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen along Route 125 in Barrington on December 29th. A CHIPPING SPARROW was reported from Litchfield on December 24th. A BELTED KINGFISHER was reported from Lyme Center on December 24th, and one was reported from Etna on the 26th. 7 HOODED MERGANSERS were seen on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith on December 28th. The annual Christmas Bird Count period has started. The count period continues until January 3rd. Check the NH Audubon website for additional count dates, and to find out how to participate - the count is open to all. www.nhaudubon.org Highlights from three counts that have already taken place are listed below. The Lee/Durham Christmas Bird Count was held during continuous snowfall on December 26th. Highlights, including a few that were seen earlier in the week, were: 2 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 164 WILD TURKEYS, 2 GREAT BLUE HERONS, 9 BALD EAGLES, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, a MERLIN, a PEREGRINE FALCON, a BONAPARTE'S GULL, 4 ICELAND GULLS, 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, 27 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 6 NORTHERN SHRIKES, 2 WINTER WRENS, 28 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, a HERMIT THRUSH, 3 AMERICAN PIPITS, 452 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a FOX SPARROW, a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, a BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and 2 RED CROSSBILLS. The Nashua/Hollis Christmas Bird Count was held in the rain on December 27th. Preliminary highlights were: a SHORT-EARED OWL (mentioned earlier), a BROWN THRASHER, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, a PIED-BILLED GREBE, 2 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, a MERLIN, a BLUE-WINGED TEAL, and 2 BALD EAGLES. The Sandwich Christmas Bird Count was held in the rain on December 27th. Preliminary highlights were: several HOODED and COMMON MERGANSERS, several HERRING, RING-BILLED, and GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, 6 RUFFED GROUSE, 105 WILD TURKEYS, a BARRED OWL, 2 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 45 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 2 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, 24 AMERICAN ROBINS, 25 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, 1 NORTHERN CARDINAL, 3 SNOW BUNTINGS, 8 PURPLE FINCHES, 3 PINE SISKINS, and over 500 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES. 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. **************************************************************** 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 ****************************************************************