This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, December 16th, 2009. A BLACK VULTURE was seen in East Kingston on December 13th and 14th. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen in Portsmouth in the area between the railroad tracks between North Mill Pond and McDonough Street in Portsmouth on December 15th. A male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was seen off of Bicentennial Park in Hampton on December 15th. A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen off of Seal Rocks in Rye on December 16th. 23 NORTHERN FULMARS, 2 ICELAND GULLS, a GLAUCOUS GULL a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, 5 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, 2 BLACK GUILLEMOTS, 23 RAZORBILLS, 6 DOVEKIES, an ATLANTIC PUFFIN, and a COMMON MURRE were tallied by birders on a boat cruise out of Rye to Jeffrey's Ledge on December 13th. 2 RAZORBILLS and 2 BLACK GUILLEMOTS were seen off of the coast in Rye on December 15th. 3 ICELAND GULLS and a NORTHERN PINTAIL were seen at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on December 15th. 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. Birders should not enter the gates on Saturday or Sunday, even if they are open. The Trails at Pickering Ponds, located east of the plant, are not gated, and are always open during daylight hours. 2 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES were seen off of Foss Beach in Rye on December 15th. A single BOHEMIAN WAXWING was reported together with a flock of 20 CEDAR WAXWINGS in North Conway on December 14th. An EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was seen on Route 1A in Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on December 12th. 9 BALD EAGLES, and 30 COMMON RAVENS were seen at an animal carcass in Dummer on December 12th. 6 EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported from Littleton, and 6 were reported from Jefferson, all on December 14th. A FOX SPARROW was reported from Hancock on December 14th. 2 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were seen at Yudicky Farm/Southwest Park in Nashua on December 13th. A KILLDEER was seen off of Jenness Beach in Rye on December 16th. A PIED-BILLED GREBE was seen in Nashua on December 12th. 17 LESSER SCAUP were seen at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on December 14th. A HORNED GREBE and 40 HOODED MERGANSERS were reported from Spofford Lake in Chesterfield on December 13th. A female BLACK SCOTER was reported from Lake Massebesic in Auburn on December 16th. This message is also available by phone recording: call (603) 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 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] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Web based archives and subscription management are available at: http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html ****************************************************************