This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Monday, March 13th, 2017. A GREAT GRAY OWL was discovered in Newport on February 25th, was relocated on March 1st, and has been seen every day since then. To look for the bird, take Route 10 to Haserlet Park on Corbin Road, near the Newport Airport. If the bird is not present, drive to Oak Street and drive about 0.3 miles to the rail trail located on the north side of Oak Street just past Kyle Drive. The bird has sometimes been seen hunting in the fields located on the east side of the rail trail about 0.1-0.2 miles north of Oak Street. The most reliable viewing time is late afternoon. When you park, be sure not to block driveways and respect privacy. Stay off the airport runway, Please do not approach the owl too closely, do not play recordings, and do not disturb it. For more about owl viewing etiquette, open this link (originally written to apply for Snowy Owls, but also applicable to Great Gray Owls): http://www.nhaudubon.org/snowy-owl-viewing-observe-without-disturbing/ A VARIED THRUSH was discovered in Swanzey on December 12th and it has been seen many times since then. It was last reported on March 11th. The bird has been seen visiting a birdfeeder on the side of a house at 117 Westport Village Road and has been visible from the road. The house is very close to the road, which is very busy with little room for parking. The best option may be to park on the southeast side of the road between Depot Road and Sandy Road just south of the feeder location and walk to the feeders. Be sure to leave adequate room for large trucks to get by and do not block any driveways. Please be respectful of the neighbors. The bird has usually been seen very early in the morning. It has also been seen across the street and along Depot Road and Sandy Road. An immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported from a birdfeeder located behind a house in Epping on February 12th, and it has been seen nearly every day since then. It was last reported on March 12th. A EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH was photographed at a birdfeeder in Fremont on March 7th. This is most likely a released cage-bird and not of wild origin. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in fields north of Oak Street in Newport on March 7th. 2 ICELAND GULLS were seen at Rockingham Park in Salem on March 8th. BOHEMIAN WAXWING sightings during the past week included: 200 in Meredith on March 13th, 150 in Moultonborough on the 13th, 50 in Wolfeboro on the 13th, 22 in Plymouth on the 10th, 200 in New London on the 10th, and 1 in Concord on the 9th. 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 1500 CANADA GEESE, 6 GADWALL, and 4 NORTHERN PINTAILS were seen on the Connecticut River in Hinsdale on March 8th, and a male BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was seen here on the 13th. 10 WOOD DUCKS, 110 HOODED MERGANSERS, 90 COMMON MERGANSERS, 11 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 14 AMERICAN WIGEONS, 150 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 300 MALLARDS, a GADWALL, 11 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 120 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 2 GREATER SCAUP, 6 BUFFLEHEADS, and 30 COMMON GOLDENEYES were seen in the Connecticut River valley between Hinsdale and Charlestown on March 10th. A SNOW GOOSE was seen in Charlestown in the Great Meadow area on March 8th and 12th. Also present on the 12th were an AMERICAN WIGEON, a NORTHERN PINTAIL, a GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 6 RING-NECKED DUCKS, and a BUFFLEHEAD. 3 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, and an AMERICAN WIGEON were seen on Horseshoe Pond in Merrimack on March 8th. 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were seen at Dover Point in Dover on March 13th. A GREAT BLUE HERON was seen at Horseshoe Pond in Concord on March 8th. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was seen in Nashua on March 8th. A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen in Pittsfield on March 9th, and 1 was seen in Salem on the 7th. There were several FOX SPARROW sightings during the past week, and an over-wintering CHIPPING SPARROW continues to be seen in Pittsfield. This message is also available by phone recording: call (603) 224-9909 and press 4 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] To unsubscribe: E-mail this command to [log in to unmask] UNSUBSCRIBE UV-Birders To change your e-mail address: E-mail this command from your old address to: [log in to unmask] CHANGE UV-Birders [new e-mail address] Web based archives and subscription management are available at: http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html