This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010. A BLACK SKIMMER was seen in Hampton Harbor on September 20th. A LITTLE GULL, a BLACK SKIMMER, a CASPIAN TERN, a FORSTER'S TERN, and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen in and around Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on September 18th. Also reported were a VIRGINIA RAIL, 2 BLACK GUILLEMOTS, a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, 2 EASTERN SCREECH-OWLS, 3 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, and a MOURNING WARBLER. A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen over the Piscataqua River from New Castle on September 18th. 3 CASPIAN TERNS were reported from along the coast on September 20th. 5 FORSTER'S TERNS, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, and 4 RED KNOTS were seen in Hampton Harbor on September 21st. Birders on a whale-watch cruise out of Rye on the Granite State reported a NORTHERN FULMAR, 20 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, 11 GREAT SHEARWATERS, a MANX SHEARWATER, 3 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, 200 NORTHERN GANNETS, a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 3 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 2 RUDDY TURNSTONES, 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 23 LAUGHING GULLS, and a BLACKPOLL WARBLER all while in New Hampshire waters on September 20th. A DICKCISSEL was seen on River Road in Stratham on September 21st, and one was reported from Warren Farm in Barrington on the 16th. A CONNECTICUT WARBLER was seen in Hinsdale, one was seen in Durham, and one was seen in Pittsfield, all on September 20th. A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER and 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on September 22nd. Also present were 2 AMERICAN WIGEON, 11 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, a NORTHERN SHOVELER, a NORTHERN PINTAIL, 2 BARN SWALLOWS, and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW. 63 BLUE-WINGED TEAL were seen at Powderhouse Pond in Exeter, also on the 22nd. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, a LAUGHING GULL, 8 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, a RUDDY DUCK, 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and a LEAST SANDPIPER were seen at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on September 10th. 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. A WESTERN SANDPIPER and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER were seen on Seabrook Beach, and a WESTERN SANDPIPER was seen at Plaice Cove in Hampton, all on September 21st. RAPTOR migration is under way with many raptors already reported from the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory in Peterborough since August 24th. The peak flight days were on September 18th, with over 3,400 raptors seen on that day, and September 19th, with nearly 1,800 raptors seen then. Observers have also been counting migrating raptors from the Carter Hill Raptor Observatory in Concord with over 900 reported on September 18th. Be sure to visit these observatories this fall season to help out with the count and participate in the excitement! A COMMON NIGHTHAWK was seen from Carter Hill in Concord on September 19th. 12 PIED-BILLED GREBES, 2 TENNESSEE WARBLERS, 2 WILSON'S WARBLERS, a PHILADELPHIA VIREO, and 4 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were reported from the Connecticut River area in Hinsdale on September 22nd, and 17 PIED-BILLED GREBES were reported from here on the 16th. A CAPE MAY WARBLER and an AMERICAN PIPIT were reported from Krif Road in Keene on September 15th, and a VESPER SPARROW was seen here on the 20th. 8 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were reported from Hampton Marsh on September 16th. 10 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen migrating from Pack Monadnock in Peterborough on September 15th. An EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was reported from Derry on September 18th. 3 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen along the coast on September 21st, and 2 were seen at Hampton Beach State Park on the 16th. A RING-BILLED GULL was seen on Lake Umbagog in Errol on September 19th. 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 ****************************************************************