This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, April 16th, 2014. A SPOTTED TOWHEE was spotted in Rye on January 25th, and has been seen many times since then. It was last reported on April 10th. It has been seen foraging on the ground on the corner nearest the traffic island at the intersection of Central Road and Route 1A. 5 SNOWY OWLS were seen in New Hampshire during the past week, including 2 at the Pease International Tradeport, 2 in Hampton, and 1 in Rye. A GOLDEN EAGLE and a BALD EAGLE were seen and photographed in fields near 39 River Road in Boscawen on April 12th, and 10 SNOW GEESE were also seen there. A BLACK VULTURE was seen near French Pond in Haverhill on April 14th. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and a SNOW GOOSE were seen in Sawyer’s Fields along Intervale Road in Gilford several times during the past week. Additional sightings from the same area during the past week included 4 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 2 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 2 AMERICAN WIGEON, 19 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and 2 WILSON’S SNIPE. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, a SNOW GOOSE, and a PIED-BILLED GREBE were seen at Horseshoe Pond in Concord on April 11th. An ICELAND GULL was reported from Salem on April 14th, and 1 was seen in Rye on the 12th. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in Lancaster, and 1 was seen in Greenland, both on April 12th. A EURASIAN WIGEON, 16 AMERICAN WIGEON, 4 GADWALL, and 3 NORTHERN SHOVELERS were reported from Great Bay on April 12th. A BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, 6 AMERICAN WIGEON, 5 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 2 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 190 RING-NECKED DUCKS, an AMERICAN COOT, a HORNED GREBE, a RED-NECKED GREBE, and a PIED-BILLED GREBE were all seen in the Connecticut River in Hinsdale on April 10th. 4 BONAPARTE’S GULLS and a LONG-TAILED DUCK were seen here on the 11th. A male BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was seen with 70 COMMON GOLDENEYE at the Errol Dam on the Androscoggin River in Errol on April 12th. A EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen at Morrill's Farm in Penacook on April 13th and 14th. A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen on Opechee Bay in Laconia on April 13th. 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen on the Merrimack River in Concord on April 11th. 4 NORTHERN PINTAILS and 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL were seen at Bodwell Farm in East Kingston on April 13th. 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 3 LESSER SCAUP, and a PIED-BILLED GREBE were seen on World End Pond in Salem on April 12th. A GREATER SCAUP was seen on the Connecticut River in Hanover on April 11th. A pair of LESSER SCAUP and a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT were seen on the Merrimack River in Concord on April 12th. 60 LESSER SCAUP were tallied at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on April 12th. GLOSSY IBIS sightings during the past week included 1 in Greenland on April 10th, 1 in Concord on the 12th and 14th, 3 in Rye on the 12th, 5 in Rye on the 13th, 2 in Stratham on the 15th, 3 in Stratham on the 16th, and 1 in Rye on the 16th. 2 GREAT EGRETS were seen at Horseshoe Pond in Concord on April 10th. A NORTHERN GANNET was seen off of the coast in Rye on April 11th. 2 PIPING PLOVERS were seen in Seabrook on April 12th, and a LESSER YELLOWLEGS was seen in Stratham on April 13th. 30 PURPLE SANDPIPERS were seen at the Hampton Harbor channel on April 12th. 97 WILSON’S SNIPE were seen along Newington Road in Greenland on April 13th. A VIRGINIA RAIL, 3 MARSH WRENS, and a PIED-BILLED GREBE were reported from Longmarsh Road in Durham on April 12th, and a VIRGINIA RAIL was reported from Geremonty Drive in Salem on the 14th. A VIRGINIA RAIL, 2 WILSON’S SNIPE, and 110 GREEN-WINGED TEAL were reported from the farm along the Merrimack River accessed from Exit 18 on Route 93 in Canterbury on April 12th.. A FISH CROW was reported from Nashua on April 12th. A SNOW BUNTING was seen in Dummer on April 12th and 13th. 5 EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported from Errol, 1 was reported from Concord, and 1 was reported from Laconia, all on April 13th. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen in Nashua on April 14th, 1 was seen in Nashua on the 16th, and 1 was seen in Rye on the 16th. A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was reported from Westmoreland, and a BLUE-HEADED VIREO was reported from Nashua, both on April 13th. A VESPER SPARROW, and about 60 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were reported from the Errol area on April 12th and 13th. 4 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen in Orford on April 11th. A PALM WARBLER, 17 PURPLE FINCHES, 2 FOX SPARROWS and 56 DARK-EYED JUNCOS were seen at a bird feeding station at a private residence in Jefferson on April 16th. There were a few BARN SWALLOWS, several NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, and many TREE SWALLOWS reported from scattered locations during the past week. There were multiple reports of raptors during the past week, including: BALD EAGLES, AMERICAN KESTRELS, MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCONS, NORTHERN HARRIERS, OSPREYS, RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, COOPER’S HAWKS, and TURKEY VULTURES. Early-spring songbird reports during the past week included: EASTERN PHOEBES, PALM and PINE WARBLERS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, HERMIT THRUSHES, EASTERN TOWHEES, BROWN THRASHERS, EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, KILLDEER, AMERICAN WOODCOCKS, WILSON’S SNIPE, FIELD SPARROWS, FOX SPARROWS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS, CHIPPING SPARROWS, NORTHERN FLICKERS, and YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKRS. 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 ****************************************************************