This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Friday, February 2nd, 2007. An adult male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen in fields near Squamscott Road in Stratham, together with a large group of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDs and EUROPEAN STARLINGS, on January 27th. A second YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen coming to a feeder in East Kingston, also on the 27th. An EARED GREBE has regularly been seen off of Seal Rocks in Rye since November, and was last reported, along with 18 PURPLE SANDPIPERS, on January 30th. Seal Rocks is located just north of Wallis Sands. An immature male KING EIDER, and a female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE were seen at Plaice Cove, just north of Bicentennial Park in Hampton, on January 27th. 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were observed on the east end of Fabyan Point Road in Newington, just south of Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and one was seen at Great Bog in Portsmouth, all on January 27th. An adult SLATY-BACKED GULL was discovered at the Rochester Waste Water Treatment Plant on January 2nd, and has been seen there intermittently since then. It was most recently reported on the 22nd. It has been seen standing on the ice in the second-largest pond. A second SLATY-BACKED GULL, identified as a third-year bird, was last reported on January 19th. Also seen in January were a BLACK-HEADED GULL, 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS, over 15 ICELAND GULLS, 4 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, and 2 "NELSON'S" GULLS, which are hybrids of HERRING and GLAUCOUS GULLS. 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. An adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Frost Point at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on January 28th. A first-year ICELAND GULL was seen at Bicentennial Park in Hampton, and a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen in Hampton, both on January 27th. A NORTHERN SHRIKE continues to be seen on Martin Road in Fremont, next to the cemetery, and was most recently reported on January 28th. 3 dark-morph "BLUE" SNOW GEESE continue to be intermittently seen in the fields at Winnicunnet High School in Hampton, and were last reported on January 29th. A lone LAPLAND LONGSPUR, and 26 HORNED LARKS were reported from Hampton Beach State Park on January 30th. Moderate numbers of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS continued to be reported from the White Mountains area during the past week. A NORTHERN SHOVELER, a SNOW GOOSE, 4 NORTHERN PINTAIL, a WOOD DUCK, a RING-NECKED DUCK, 60 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 70 HOODED MERGANSERS, 40 COMMON MERGANSERS, 250 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 400 MALLARDS, 1500 CANADA GEESE, a BALD EAGLE, an EASTERN SCREECH OWL, and a GREAT HORNED OWL were all seen at Lake Wantastiquet in Hinsdale on January 31st. 2 GADWALL were seen in the Back Channel in Portsmouth on January 27th. 2 NORTHERN PINTAILS were seen in Wheelwright Creek in Exeter on January 27th. An OVENBIRD was reported from Westmoreland on January 26th, and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was seen in East Kingston on January 27th. An AMERICAN PIPIT was seen at Bicentennial Park in Hampton on January 27th. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was seen in Kingston, a LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen in Stratham, and a FOX SPARROW was seen at a feeder in Derry, all on January 27th. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was seen at a feeder in Atkinson on January 27th. A BROWN THRASHER has been seen intermittently on Canterbury Road in Chichester since December. A HERMIT THRUSH was reported from Strafford on January 27th. 3 FISH CROWS were reported from Hampton on January 27th. 10 TURKEY VULTURES were seen at the end of Bass Street in Newmarket on January 27th. An EASTERN SCREECH OWL was heard off of Bayridge Road in Greenland on January 27th. 50 NORTHERN GANNETS were seen from Hampton on January 30th. 50 HORNED LARKS were seen at Morrill's Farm in Penacook on January 28th. There have been scattered reports of several RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, CAROLINA WRENS, and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS during the past week. This message is also available by phone recording: call 224-9900 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 tape 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 ****************************************************************