This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, December 20th, 2007. A BLACK-HEADED GULL, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, 3 GLAUCOUS GULLS, 9 ICELAND GULLS, and a NORTHERN PINTAIL were seen at the Rochester Wasterwater Treatment Plant on December 18th. 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 HOARY REDPOLL was seen during the Errol Christmas Bird Count on Route 26 in Millsfield on December 19th, and one was seen on Diamond Ledge Road in Sandwich on December 17th. COMMON REDPOLL sightings during the past week, separate from the Christmas Bird Counts, included 50 in Sandwich, and 12 in Jefferson, all on December 17th, 40 in Concord on the 14th, and 30 in Barnstead on the 13th. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS sightings during the past week, separate from the Christmas Bird Counts, included 4 in Walpole on December 19th, and 5 in Barrington on the 18th. NORTHERN SHRIKE sightings during the past week, separate from the Christmas Bird Counts, included 1 in Brentwood on December 19th, and 1 in Sandwich on the 16th. PINE GROSBEAKS sightings during the past week, separate from the Christmas Bird Counts, included 7 in Warner, and 2 in Walpole, all on December 19th, 12 in Barrington, and 6 in Hanover Center, all on the 18th, 11 in Jefferson on the 17th, 3 in Concord on the 15th, 36 in Peterborough, 4 in Epsom, and 4 in Newmarket, all on the 14th, and 5 in Fitzwilliam on the 13th. EVENING GROSBEAK sightings during the past week, separate from the Christmas Bird Counts, included a flock of 45 in Jefferson on December 17th, and over 30 in Hanover Center on the 18th. SNOW BUNTING sightings during the past week, separate from the Christmas Bird Counts, included over 40 in Webster on December 17th, 32 in Plymouth on the 19th, and 20 in East Grafton on the 18th. The Errol Christmas Bird Count was held on December 19th. Highlights included: an adult GOLDEN EAGLE, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES, and a HOARY REDPOLL. There were good numbers of PINE GROSBEAKS, some COMMON REDPOLLS, and a single SNOW BUNTING. The Pittsburg Christmas Bird Count was held on December 18th. Highlights included: a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 5 WILD TURKEYS, a number of GRAY JAYS and BOREAL CHICKADEES, nearly 800 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES which was a count record, good numbers of PINE GROSBEAKS, some COMMON REDPOLLS, and a single SNOW BUNTING. The Seacoast Christmas Bird Count was held on December 15th. Highlights included: 2 SNOW GEESE, 2 GADWALL, and 3 EURASIAN WIGEONS all on Great Bay, 3 NORTHERN SHOVELERS at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant, a NORTHERN PINTAIL in Greenland, 3 BARROW'S GOLDENEYES on the coast, 18 RUDDY DUCKS on Great Bay, the recurring EARED GREBE in Rye, 2 NORTHERN GANNETS on the coast, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK along Route 1A in Rye. 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS on the coast, single GLAUCOUS GULLS in Portsmouth and Hampton, 2 RAZORBILLS along the coast, 6 EASTERN SCREECH-OWLS (Newfields, Greenland, and Exeter), a SHORT-EARED OWL along Route 1A in Rye, a LONG-EARED OWL in North Hampton, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL in Portsmouth, 18 NORTHERN SHRIKES, 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, 105 SNOW BUNTINGS, a RUSTY BLACKBIRD in Hampton, 35 PINE GROSBEAKS, and 121 COMMON REDPOLLS. The Keene Christmas Bird Count was held on December 15th. Highlights included: 36 HOODED MERGANSERS, 4 COMMON LOONS, 105 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES, 60 PINE GROSBEAKS, and 112 COMMON REDPOLLS. The Crawford Notch Christmas Bird Count was held on December 15th. Highlights included: 15 GRAY JAYS, 5 BOREAL CHICKADEES, 16 PINE GROSBEAKS, and 5 COMMON REDPOLLS. This message is also available by phone recording: call 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 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 ****************************************************************