This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Monday, February 26th, 
2018.



A SANDHILL CRANE continues to be seen in Rollinsford, and was last reported 
from near Main Street on February 24th.



A SNOWY OWL was seen near Rye Harbor State Park on February 21st.



A possible NORTHERN SHRIKE was reported from Black Mountain in Jackson on 
February 25th.



A BLACK VULTURE and 42 TURKEY VULTURES were seen in Exeter on February 19th. 
Several TURKEY VULTURES were reported from as far north as Plymouth, and as 
far west as Keene.



At least 11 DOVEKIES, 5 THICK-BILLED MURRES, 15 RAZORBILLS, and 3 BLACK 
GUILLEMOTS were seen on the coast during the past week..



3 ICELAND GULLS were seen at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on 
February 21st. 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 dark-morph SNOW GOOSE was seen in fields along Trask Brook Road in Sunapee 
on February 24th, and 1 SNOW GOOSE was seen at Hilton Park in Dover on the 
21st. A possible CACKLING GOOSE was reported from the IMPCO pond on Burke 
Street in Nashua on the 26th.



A female HARLEQUIN DUCK continues to be seen in coastal Rye and was last 
reported on February 21st.



An AMERICAN WIGEON was seen at Powwow Pond in East Kingston on February 
21st, and 23 LESSER SCAUP were counted in Exeter on the 24th.



A RED-THROATED LOON was seen from Hilton Park in Dover on the 22nd.



A few RED CROSSBILLS were reported from Lempster, New Hampton, Hancock, 
Penacook, Stoddard, and Cornish during the past week.



6 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along the coast on February 24th.



Single FOX SPARROWS were seen in Warner, Brookline, and Dover during the 
past week, and 3 CHIPPING SPARROWS were seen in Merrimack on February 24th.



3 FISH CROWS were reported from Kingston, and 2 were reported from Hampton, 
all during the past week.



The unseasonably warm weather was accompanied by some early returning 
migrants including 5 KILLDEER, several AMERICAN WOODCOCKS, and some 
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and COMMON GRACKLES. Inland open water has attracted 
some WOOD DUCKS, HOODED MERGANSERS, COMMON GOLDENEYES, and RING-NECKED 
DUCKS.



Raptors are returning to their breeding territories and there have been a 
number of reports of RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, COOPER’S HAWK, 
and NORTHERN GOSHAWK. Several BALD EAGLE pairs are already nesting.



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.


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