This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Friday, April 6th, 2007. The SANDHILL CRANE that has been spending the past few summers in Monroe has returned. Traditionally, it has been seen in fields near Plains Road, and along the CT River. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen at the Junction of Routes 12 and 12a in Charlestown on March 31st. About 50 SNOW GEESE were reported here on April 4th. 4 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 2 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 4 AMERICAN WIGEON, 30 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and numerous MALLARDS, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, and CANADA GEESE were seen at the Charlestown Great Meadows on Route 12 on April 3rd. A EURASIAN COMMON TEAL was seen here on March 31st. Please restrict your viewing here to the roadside and do not venture on to this private land. The area above and below the dam on the Connecticut River in Hinsdale has been a roost site for waterfowl during the past few weeks. The most recent sightings have included 140 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 2 GADWALL, 10 AMERICAN WIGEON, 40 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, a LESSER SCAUP, 2 GREATER SCAUP, and 60 TREE SWALLOWS on April 3rd, and 62 COMMON GOLDENEYE on April 1st. The best way to view the roost is from the bluff above the Connecticut River at the Vernon dam. To reach the area, coming from Brattleboro on Rt. 119, make a sharp right onto River Road 6.7 miles from the bridge. Follow River Rd. to the end. Park on the right where the road ends and there is a gate for the shooting range. Walk under the railroad trestle and up onto the shooting range then scramble down the bank opposite the river to the old railbed. Heading north along the railbed, watch for a gate on your left after about 2 tenths of a mile. There's a gate on the right too. Take the left at the gate and follow that road for about 8 tenths of a mile. This road leads you right out onto the bluff. A telescope is almost a necessity. At about 6:30 pm waterfowl usually begin flying in from the fields to the south, increasing in numbers until dark. The numbers have been diminishing as the ice has melted on the river. 6 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 90 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 6 GREEN-WINGED TEALS, and an ICELAND GULL were reported from the Exeter Waste Water Treatment Plant on April 5th. A female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE continues to be seen in the ocean opposite the stone-angel statue pull-off in Rye, and was last reported on March 31st. About 150 SNOW GEESE were reported from a cow pasture on Route 28 in Epsom near Webster Park on April 3rd. The first winter BLACK-HEADED GULL that has been frequenting the Rochester Wastewater Treatment plant was seen again on April 4th, along with 2 ICELAND GULLS, and 35 WOOD DUCKS. 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen among a large gathering of over 2,000 HERRING and GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS in fields east of the plant on Pickering Road, also on April 4th. 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 ICELAND GULL was seen in Seabrook in a parking lot near the Yankee Fisherman's Coop on April 4th. 17 BRANT were seen on rocks off of Great Boars Head in Hampton on April 3rd. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was reported from Warren Farm in Barrington on March 31st, and again on April 5th. A red-morph EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was discovered in Greenland on March 30th, and was last reported on April 4th. It has been seen near a driveway at 109 Portsmouth Avenue just north of the intersection with Newington Road. It roosts in an oak tree on the south side of road, and can sometimes be seen when looking northeast from southwest of the driveway. Be careful of the traffic here. 24 WILSON'S SNIPE were seen on Krif Road in Keene on April 5th, 36 were seen in fields off Newington Road in Greenland on April 4th, and 14 were seen in fields south of Great Bay farm on Newington Road in Greenland on March 31st. A MERLIN was reported from Goose Pond Forest in Keene on April 2nd. 9 EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen visiting a feeder in Warner on April 4th. Over 100 TREE SWALLOWS were seen at the Granite Street Bridge in Manchester on March 31st. A PINE WARBLER was seen in Concord on April 1st, and one was reported from Madbury on April 3rd. An early returning EASTERN KINGBIRD was reported from Gilmanton on April 4th. Good numbers of waterfowl have continued to be reported from many ponds, lakes and rivers around the state, including RING-NECKED DUCKS, COMMON and HOODED MERGANSERS, WOOD DUCKS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and BUFFLEHEADS. Other sightings of early returning migrants during the past week included OSPREY, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, TURKEY VULTURE, KILLDEER, EASTERN PHOEBE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, NORTHERN FLICKER, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, HERMIT THRUSH, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, EASTERN TOWHEE, FOX SPARROW, and CHIPPING SPARROW. 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 ****************************************************************