NH.Birds for Sunday, April 6, 2008

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Time   RE: Palm Warbler, Rusty Blackbirds, Woodcock, B. Waxwings at Pickering Ponds   Dan Hubbard   10:35am   4 Angry Bluejays and 1 Merlin in Newington   Justin    1:28pm   Penacook Birds - April 6   PAMELA HUNT   1:27pm   Coopers Hawk and correction on tanager   Kevin Reid    1:44pm   Monadnock Chapter trip summary: Airport and Krif Rds.   Lance Tanino   1:57pm   Ross's Goose No - Snow Goose Yes   catfishanddwen   3:00pm   More Bohemians (The curse is reversed!)   Steve Mirick    3:42pm   Yellow-rumped Warbler, Osprey, GH Owls in Hampton Falls   Terry Bronson   5:09pm   Lakes Region Pintail, Ruddy Duck, etc   Iain MacLeod   5:08pm   Bohemians in Hanover   Jim Block   5:45pm   Pintail and Vulture photos   Iain MacLeod   5:46pm   Waxwings in Raymond   Phyllis Yaffie   6:22pm   Northern Shrike - Lee   David J. Blezard   6:51pm   Second Capital Chapter WWWW   Stephanie Parkinson   7:49pm   NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter program on Alaska's Pribilof Islands   Terry Bronson   8:25pm   Wilson's Snipes, Lesser Yellowlegs at Krif Rd - Keene NH   hbreder(AT)comcast.net   8:17pm   Hampton/Exeter   Aaronian, Richard S.   9:23pm   Bohemians still in Nashua   Edie (or David)   10:41pm   Durham, Dover   Chet   11:47pm

To use email addresses replace '(AT)' with '@'. This is done to confuse the spam 'bots.

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Subject: RE: Palm Warbler, Rusty Blackbirds, Woodcock, B. Waxwings at
           Pickering Ponds
From: "Dan Hubbard" <danielhubbard(AT)peoplepc.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 10:35am

Terry, The fox sparrow showed up at 6:52.  If you had hung around that long,
I would have had to charge you rent.  Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-NH.Birds(AT)lists.unh.edu
[mailto:owner-NH.Birds(AT)lists.unh.edu]On Behalf Of Terry Bronson
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2008 6:49 PM
To: New Hampshire Birds
Subject: Palm Warbler, Rusty Blackbirds, Woodcock, B. Waxwings at
Pickering Ponds

After a fruitless hour at Dan Hubbard's this morning waiting
for a Fox Sparrow that never appeared, Dan and I met at
Pickering Ponds after lunch and walked most of the trails
there.

At the boundary with the Rochester Wastewater Treatment
Plant, where all the trees between the Plant and Pickering
Ponds were recently cut down, we met Jeremiah Trimble
and Clint and Christy Lapierre (hope I got that right), so we
joined forces.

Beaucoup thanks to Jeremiah, who found all 3 of the
following birds:

A very early Yellow Palm Warbler along the Cocheco River.
I hadn't noted any on this year's composite NH sightings list
to date.

Across the trail, there was a male Rusty Blackbird calling,
and later a second joined it.

The Woodcock was near the end of the trail near where Dan
has seen one before.  It flushed a short distance, but we
were able to scope in on it as it sat motionless among the
leaves.  Such a handsome bird!

All 3 of these were first of the year birds for me.

Other highlights:

Bohemian Waxwing--18 seen flying earlier when we first met,
then found again in groups of 1-5 birds near the Rusties and
Palm.  Good views of a number of them.
American Kestrel--1 female (Dan and me only)
Sharp-shinned Hawk--1
Wood Duck--5 drakes in flight
Hooded Merganser--1 male, 1 female
Common Grackle--250
Brown-headed Cowbird--25
Red-winged Blackbird--25
13 other common species

At the adjacent Wastewater Treatment Plant:

Iceland Gull--1 continues, probably soon to depart

Other sightings on my own on the way to and from Rochester:

Red-bellied Woodpecker--1 male at Stuart Farm in Stratham
Osprey--1 at, but not on, the nest at Chapman's Landing in Stratham
Red-tailed Hawk--2 along Route 101 west of I-95, 3 and maybe 4 in
the Stuart Farm/Chapman's Landing area
American Crow--1 carrying nesting material--a small stick--at
Chapman's Landing
Turkey Vulture--9 circling over Route 125 in Rochester near
Loring Drive
Killdeer--4 in the field just east of Pickering Ponds
Canada Goose--203 in the field below the Cocheco Valley
Humane Society at the Strafford County Government Complex
in Dover
Mallard--165 with the Canadas
American Black Duck--60 with the Canadas
Green-winged Teal--2 with the Canadas
American Kestrel--1 near the Canadas
Common Merganser--26 in the wetlands along County Farm
Road in Dover at the old railroad crossing
Eastern Phoebe--1 at that railroad crossing, singing loudly

--
Terry Bronson
Hampton Falls, NH
tbbirds(AT)comcast.net


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Subject: 4 Angry Bluejays and 1 Merlin in Newington
From: Justin <justin00hay(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 1:28pm

Moments ago:  I could hear 4 bluejays sounding alarms like the world was coming
to an end.  I figured something was around because they were sounding the alarm
buried 3+ ft deep in a tangled thicket of forsythia and grape vines.
   
  After looking up into all the high perches, I noticed a dark form deep in the
same forsythia.  It was hard to make out, other than it was dark gray, larger
than the bluejays and with those characteristic falcon eyes.  After a few
minutes, however, it actually jumped out onto the lawn where it stayed for about
 15 seconds.   It was pretty exciting because it was literally 6 feet from the
window where I was watching from.
   
  Also seen: 1 angry bird-watcher running around the house screaming, where's
the ^$^^^ camera?
   
  It was seen at Old Post Road near the Knight Hill Surveying sign, but it flew
off and there's no sign of it now.  The bluejays are resting peacefull in the
upper limbs.

New Hampshire Birds <NH.Birds(AT)lists.unh.edu> wrote:

       
---------------------------------
You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total
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Subject: Penacook Birds - April 6
From: "PAMELA HUNT" <biodiva(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 1:27pm

Greetings all,

Given what other folks have been seeing this week, I was all set for today's
walk to add a few FOYs, but in the end it was cloudy and a tad windy, so the
only addition was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (and a flicker, which was the
first MIGRANT flicker for me - after one in the neighborhood on Jan 1).
However, although there was nothing else "new," the numbers of Song Sparrows,
phoebes, robins, and juncos are up considerably from last weekend. It also
turned out to be a good day for lingering irruptives, namely 2 Pine Grosbeaks,
2 Bohemians, and a single redpoll.

Looks like a mostly warm and sunny week coming up, so hopefully the Tree
Swallows will make it to the Contoocook by then!

Good Birding,
Pam Hunt
Penacook, NH


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Subject: Coopers Hawk and correction on tanager
From: Kevin Reid <sledge510(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 1:44pm

Last week I posted taht my wife spotted a scarlett tanager. After she described
it some more and the time of year I believe she saw a pine grossbeak. I know its
 a bit early for tanagers but I was a bit tired when she told me. Also had a
beautiful adult coopers hawk buzz my chicks this morning.
  Kevin Reid

Kevin Reid...

       
---------------------------------
You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total
Access, No Cost.

[demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/pjpeg which had a name of
Coopers hawk.jpg]


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Subject: Monadnock Chapter trip summary: Airport and Krif Rds.
From: "Lance Tanino" <Lance_Tanino(AT)antiochne.edu>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 1:57pm

06 April 2008, Sunday
Monadnock Chapter of NH Audubon field trip

Despite the trip leader being a tad tardy for his own field trip (ahem),
eleven participants enjoyed a nippy (high 30s/low 40s) morning bird walk
at Dillant-Hopkins (Keene) Airport.  Under overcast skies and light
easterly winds, we had wonderful views of spring migrants and resident
species.

Location:    Dillant-Hopkins (Keene) Airport, Swanzey; Airport Rd.
Notes:     Monadnock Chapter NH Audubon field trip
Number of participants: 11
Time: 7:00 - 10:10 A.M.

Wood Duck     12; flying in small flocks and heard calling, 
American Black Duck     2; flying overhead
Ring-necked Duck     3; 2m & 1f at flooded wetland on south end of road
Turkey Vulture     1; flying low headed south over runway
Bald Eagle     1; adult flying south over the runway
American Kestrel     2 (at least); along runways and at the parking lot
Downy Woodpecker     2
Pileated Woodpecker     1; heard calling, drumming, and flying
Eastern Phoebe     2; at parking lot and at After-first-left-turn wetland
NORTHERN SHRIKE     1; adult at After-first-left-turn wetland; seen again
at northwestern end of runway
TREE SWALLOW     75; feeding together over flooded wetland  
Brown Creeper     1; heard singing
Eastern Bluebird     2; male and female
American Robin     X; large flocks flying overhead
EASTERN MEADOWLARK     7; northwestern end of runway
 
Location:    Krif Road, Keene
Notes:     Extension of Monadnock Chapter field trip from the airport
Number of participants: 8
Time: 10:20 - 11:00 A.M.

Wood Duck     2
American Black Duck     5
BLUE-WINGED TEAL     1m; flew as soon as we arrived
Green-winged Teal     8
Killdeer     X
Wilson's Snipe     11
 
UPCOMING MONADNOCK CHAPTER EVENTS:
Thu. April 10, 7pm Evening program: Ashuelot Valley Environmental
Observatory at Keene Public Library
Sat. & Sun. April 19-20, 9am Trail Restoration: Willard Pond Audubon
Sanctuary (contact Rachael 525-4096)
Wed. April 23, 7-8:30am Bird Walk: Contoocook Lake & Rail Trail, Jaffrey
(contact Gwen 562-8747)
Wed. April 30, 7-8:30am Bird Walk: MacDowell Lake, Peterborough (contact
Gwen 562-8747)

Lance Tanino
Keene, NH


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Subject: Ross's Goose No - Snow Goose Yes
From: "catfishanddwen" <catfishanddwen(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 3:00pm

Visited Moore Fields at 1- 1:30 this afternoon. No Ross's Goose, but present
was a single Snow Goose, with a report of a second being seen earlier.

Mark Hatfield
Lee, NH


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Subject: More Bohemians  (The curse is reversed!)
From: Steve Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 3:42pm

After having relatively bad luck in this tremendous winter for 
Bohemians, Jane and I had more luck today.  Just poking around a bit 
along the coast:

Sunset Farm in Greenland
--------------------------
American Wigeon - 35
EURASIAN WIGEON - 1
NORTHERN SHOVELER - 1 male
Cedar Waxwing - 16
BOHEMIAN WAXWING - 2

Caswell Drive in Greenland (thanks to a call from Denny!)
------------------------------------------------------------
BOHEMIAN WAXWING - 35
Cedar Waxwing - 18

Pond off Tidewater Farm Road
--------------------------------
Ring-necked Duck - 30

NH Coast
-----------
Brant - 19 in one flock flying south
Green-winged Teal - 45 in Little River marsh
Wilson's Snipe - 35 continue at Runnymede Farm
Seemed like a few scoters and eiders may have been moving north.  
Otherwise, still no egrets for us along the coast and Tree Swallows have 
been certainly lacking as well.

and back in Bradford, MA
---------------------------
BOHEMIAN WAXWING - 55 continue at the Dunkin Donuts!
Cedar Waxwing - 1

Steve & Jane Mirick
Bradford, MA


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Subject: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Osprey, GH Owls in Hampton Falls
From: tbbirds(AT)comcast.net (Terry Bronson)
Date: 6 Apr 2008 5:09pm

I took a walk around my new neighborhood this afternoon
to see what might be about, and was pleasantly surprised
by the good habitat nearby--lots of thickets, wetlands, woods,
a large field, and Dodge Pond.

The neighborhood encompasses Woodlawn Ave.,
Janvrin Rd., Crestview Dr., Glenwood Rd., Maple St.,
and a stretch of Route 84, backing up to I-95--just across
Dodge Pond from Route 1.

Highlights:

Yellow-rumped Warbler--1, first of year, still in brownish
non-breeding plumage, along Rt. 84
Osprey--1 flying over Dodge Pond
Red-bellied Woodpecker--1 male along Rt. 84
Cedar Waxwing--3 along Crestview Dr. in fruit tree

Great Horned Owl--2 hooting at each other on March 27
back behind the field behind our house

I will be checking that field for Woodcocks one of these
nights.

Other local sightings in the last 10 days since I moved in:

Common Grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
American Robin
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
House Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch
Mourning Dove
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker
Tufted Titmouse
Blue Jay
Gull species--frequent flyovers of what are almost
certainly Ring-billed Gulls

--
Terry Bronson
Hampton Falls, NH
tbbirds(AT)comcast.net


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Subject: Lakes Region Pintail, Ruddy Duck, etc
From: "Iain MacLeod" <pandiain(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 5:08pm

Spent the day looking for signs of spring around the Lakes Region -- a few
highlights

Laconia Airport (Gilford)
Horned Lark -- 25
Snow Bunting -- 4
American Pipit -- 1

Lake Winnesquam (Belmont/Tilton)
Common Goldeneye -- 36
Common Merganser -- 14
RUDDY DUCK -- 1
Hooded Merganser -- 1
Ring-billed Gull -- 8

Silver Lake (Belmont)
Bohemian Waxwing -- 89
Tree Swallow -- 2
Bufflehead -- 3

Winnesquam River marsh/Rt. 140 (south of Tilton)
NORTHERN PINTAIL -- 2 (pair)
Wood Duck -- 14+
Hooded Merganser -- 8+
Black Duck -- 4
Mallard -- 2
Canada Goose -- 6
Eastern Bluebird -- 1
Eastern Phoebe -- 3

Also:
American Kestrel -- 2 (1 at Bridgewater Power Plant/1 on Belmont)
Brown-headed Cowbirds -- several large flocks
Grackles -- many all over
Red-winged Blackbirds -- in every wetland
Killdeer -- in every flooded field
Robins -- EVERYWHERE
Purple Finch -- 7 (on my feeders) First of the spring -- I had none all
winter
Common Redpoll -- 10 (on my feeders yesterday and today) first in several
weeks
Song Sparrow -- several singing
Cooper's Hawk -- 1 in Ashland
Red-tailed Hawk -- several

Also checked six Lakes Region Osprey nests this weekend with no signs of any
Ospreys yet (most lakes still frozen)

Really (finally) starting to look and sound like spring up here.

Iain MacLeod
Ashland, NH
pandiain(AT)verizon.net
603-968-7287


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Subject: Bohemians in Hanover
From: "Jim Block" <jab(AT)valley.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 5:45pm

This afternoon, right in the middle to Hanover, there was mixed flock of 50+
Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings.  They would visit the ground for a short time
once every 15 minutes or so pretty oblivious to the Dartmouth students
walking by a few feet away.  The Dartmouth students pretty much ignored them
too.

 

Photos are at

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzes1eww/jimblockphotography/id35.html

 

Jim Block

Etna, NH


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Subject: Pintail and Vulture photos
From: "Iain MacLeod" <pandiain(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 5:46pm

A couple digiscope shots from today:

http://pandiainpics.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/Pintail_web.jpg

http://pandiainpics.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/TV_04-06-08.jpg

Iain MacLeod
Ashland, NH
pandiain(AT)verizon.net
603-968-7287


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Subject: Waxwings in Raymond
From: "Phyllis Yaffie" <pyaffie(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 6:22pm

At the Irving Gas station in Raymond, we observed 40-50 Bohemia Waxwings 
sitting in two small trees on the edge of the station parking lot.  They 
would get startled and hide in the big pine there and then return to the 
trees.  So beautiful !

Not sure we are supposed to report on Plum Island since it's in MA, but we 
were there on Saturday and saw at least 20 Common Mergansers doing what I 
called the Merganser Dance.  We had never seen this before, and assume it is 
a mating ritual where they stretch their necks and heads as far up as they 
can and bob up and down.  There also appeared to be some territorial 
squabbles going on.  So much fun to watch.  Other unusual sightings were one 
snow goose and a gorgeous Common Flicker (yellow shafted) sitting in a tree 
right on the edge of the road.

Phyllis and Irwin Yaffie
Deerfield


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Subject: Northern Shrike - Lee
From: "David J. Blezard" <djb1(AT)cisunix.unh.edu>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 6:51pm

A yard first this morning - I had a Northern Shrike visiting.

It didn't stay around too long, but I did have enough time to get my  
binocs and get a good look.

Other recent sightings at our place in the south part of Lee:

Woodcock - most any evening I take a moment to listen for them
Killdeer - returned within the past week
Eastern Pheobe - first of the year this weekend
Blackbirds - a large (100-150) mixed flock has made several passes  
through the fields and overhead this weekend.

-David J. Blezard
NH.BIRDS List Owner
nh.birds-request(AT)lists.unh.edu


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Subject: Second Capital Chapter WWWW
From: "Stephanie Parkinson" <steph(AT)ttlc.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 7:49pm

Rob Woodward will be leading the second of NH Audubon Capital Area Chapter's
Weekly Wednesday Woodcock Walks.  

Meet at 7:00 p.m. this Wednesday, April 9th at the McLane Audubon Center.
Contact Rob at 224-0889 (evenings).

 

For a schedule of Capital Area Chapter field trips through June, Check the
Chapter website at: 

 http://www.nhaudubon.org/capital/calendar.htm


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Subject: NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter program on Alaska's Pribilof
         Islands
From: tbbirds(AT)comcast.net (Terry Bronson)
Date: 6 Apr 2008 8:25pm

NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter April meeting will be
Wednesday, April 9, 7:00 pm for refreshments,
7:30 pm for the program at the Seacoast Science Center,
Odiorne Point State Park, Route 1A, Rye, NH.

Derek Lovitch owner of the Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth,
ME, who worked in Alaska's Pribilof Islands for 3 years,
will be our guide to the wildlife and other interesting aspects
of the Pribilofs, which are located in the Bering Sea between
Alaska and Russia.

This is your chance to experience the wonder of the remote
Pribilofs, which most of us will never be able to visit.
It should be an exciting evening.  Please join us.

Free of charge.  For more information please contact me.

--
Terry Bronson
Hampton Falls, NH
tbbirds(AT)comcast.net
603-929-1745


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Subject: Wilson's Snipes, Lesser Yellowlegs at Krif Rd - Keene NH
From: hbreder(AT)comcast.net
Date: 6 Apr 2008 8:17pm

I too had to check out Krif Rd today, saw 8 or 9 Wilson's snipes (another birder
 was kind
enough to point them out to me - they are so small and hard to see!), also
several green-
winged teals and blue-winged teals, in addition to many American black ducks and
 mallards.
I took photos and discovered, when I looked at them at home, a lesser yellowlegs
 in the
background. The weather was overcast grey, not great for taking photos - all of
mine turned
out pretty fuzzy and grainy; here are a few:

http://www.onejackdaw.com/Birds_7_0408.html

Hilke Breder
Brattleboro, VT


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Subject: Hampton/Exeter
From: "Aaronian, Richard S." <raaronian(AT)exeter.edu>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 9:23pm

4 Greater Yellowlegs (FOY) at Henry's Pool in Hampton on Sunday late
afternoon

Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk and Great Blue Heron all flying over PEA
baseball field during JV baseball game late Saturday afternoon. Saw them while
I coached 3rd base. They were much more interesting than watching our team
play while losing 12-0 in the cold.

Rich Aaronian


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Subject: Bohemians still in Nashua
From: "Edie (or David)" <erh-drh(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 10:41pm

Bohemian Waxwings reported earlier in downtown Nashua are still there. About 70
of them near the Nashua library Sunday afternoon.

David and Edie Harris


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Subject: Durham, Dover
From: "Chet" <c_farwell(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2008 11:47pm

    Moore Fields - AM

    Several Canadian Geese
    2 Snow Geese
    1 Goshawk in "attack the Gull" mode but gave it a second thought. Flew 
off and disappeared into the woods at far end of field.
    3 Killdeer

Also saw a Gull that was obviously used to nose diving into deep water from 
40 feet up. Had to hurt when it found out that the puddle in the middle of 
the field was only a couple inches deep.

___________________________

    Willand Pond, Dover

    1 Red Winged Blackbird
    5 Mallards - Male
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc_5150/2393778350/
    2 Mallards - Female
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc_5150/2392949947/
    1 Ring Billed Gull
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc_5150/2392947109/

Chet
Dover, NH

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc_5150