This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen at Morrill's Farm in Penacook, and one was seen on the Strafford County Farm in Dover, both on March 20th. A male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was seen at Great Boar's Head in Hampton on March 20th. 7 BRANT, 2 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, and a BLACK GUILLEMOT were reported from coastal Rye on March 16th, and 9 BRANT were seen in Rye on the 17th. A flock of over 60 SNOW GEESE was seen on West Portsmouth Street in Concord on March 20th, a flock of 60 were reported from Sherman's Farm in East Conway on the 19th, 50 were seen in Hinsdale on the 20th, 19 were seen in Holderness on the 18th, 3 were seen in Charlestown on the 21st, 2 were seen in Hampton on the 19th, and 1 was reported from Hopkinton on the 20th. A male CANVASBACK was seen on the Connecticut River in Hinsdale on March 20th. 10 NORTHERN PINTAILS were seen on the Merrimack River in Boscawen on March 20th, a pair was seen in Dover on the 20th, and a female NORTHERN PINTAIL was seen in Walpole on March 17th. A female LESSER SCAUP was reported from Cornwell Drive in Keene on March 17th. 2 female HOARY REDPOLLS were reported from Diamond Ledge Road in Sandwich on March 20th. Over 1,200 COMMON REDPOLLS were again reported during the past week, including: 400 in Sandwich, 275 in Lyme, 150 in Jefferson, 100 in Hancock, 100 in Wolfeboro, 100 in Laconia, 45 in Penacook, 20 in Derry, and 15 in Durham. A RED CROSSBILL was reported from a feeder in Portsmouth on March 16th. BOHEMIAN WAXWING sightings during the past week included a flock of over 165 in Epping, a flock of over 165 in West Lebanon, a flock of 50 in Lancaster, and an estimated flock of 50 in Plymouth. A GLAUCOUS GULL was seen in Hampton Harbor on March 20th. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, a GLAUCOUS GULL, and 2 ICELAND GULLS were seen at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on March 19th. 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. FISH CROWS were heard calling in Tilton, Concord, Nashua, and Durham during the past week. 2 GRAY JAYS were reported from the Mizpah Cut-off Trail, and 2 GRAY JAYS were seen on Mount Avalon, all in Crawford Notch during the past week. EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported from Lyme, Surry, and Jefferson during the past week. An EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was reported from Hinsdale on March 20th. A WINTER WREN was reported from Penacook on March 20th. 8 FOX SPARROWS were seen at a house in Durham on March 22nd. A GREAT EGRET was seen in Rye on March 20th. A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen in Westmoreland, and one was seen in Hinsdale, both on March 20th. An AMERICAN KESTREL was seen in Dover, and one was seen in Durham, both on March 20th. A NORTHERN HARRIER was seen in Dover on March 20th. Inland sightings of waterfowl are on the increase as the ice melts, including AMERICAN WIGEONS, WOOD DUCKS, HOODED MERGANSERS, COMMON MERGANSERS, RING-NECKED DUCKS, BUFFLEHEADS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and GREEN-WINGED TEAL. There were reports of TREE SWALLOWS, EASTERN PHOEBES, FOX SPARROWS, GREAT BLUE HERONS, AMERICAN WOODCOCKS, KILLDEER, HORNED LARKS, COMMON GRACKLES, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, and TURKEY VULTURES, during the past week. A CHUKAR, an exotic bird species native to Asia was seen in Fremont on March 16th. The pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS that nest in Manchester have produced their first egg of the 2011-breeding season. Watch live camera feed for at least 30-seconds to see views from both cameras at the Brady-Sullivan Tower. See for yourself at: http://www.spectraaccess.com/falcon2/ 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 ****************************************************************