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NH.Birds for Saturday, November 7, 2009
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Subject: Last minute Monadnock Chapter hawkwatching trips this
weekend
From: Lance Tanino <lancemanu808(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 8:26am
Apologies for the sending this out so late.
November hawkwatching this weekend:
Saturday - Pitcher Mountain (Route 123 in Stoddard) at 10am
Sunday - Pack Monadnock (Miller State Park); hike up or meet at 9:45am at
the gate if you want to drive up because the gate will be closed once we
head up the road.
The forecast is southerly winds (not great for raptors) and sunny (great for
us).
Lance Tanino
Keene, NH
lancemanu808(AT)gmail.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Greater White-fronted Goose in Rye
From: bgriffith(AT)gmail.com
Date: 7 Nov 2009 8:28am
Steve Mirick found a young Greater White-fronted Goose at the golf course on
Fairway Ave in Rye this morning. It is associating with 44 Canada Geese.
Ben Griffith and Lauren Kras
On location in Rye
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Pitcher Mountain hawkwatch today and Pack tomorrow
From: Lance Tanino <lancemanu808(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 3:15pm
Today, Tom Baillio from MA and Wendy Ward from Keene joined me up at Pitcher
Mountain for some hawkwatching. A total of 4.5 hours were spent starting at
9:30am and ending at 2pm.
Bald Eagle - 4; 2 were migrating between 9:30 and 10am; another two were
non-migrants
Unknown Eagle - 1; possible Golden Eagle with golden back but didn't get a
good enough look as it disappeared behind a hill and never seen again.
Red-tailed Hawk - 12
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Join us at Pack Monadnock tomorrow. Meet at the gate if you want to drive
up at 9:45am. We'll probably stay until 2pm-ish.
Lance Tanino
Keene, NH
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: 7 cackling geese in Ipswich fields, Sat. 11/7
From: "Jim Berry" <jim.berry3(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 3:28pm
Many thanks to Tom Wetmore for calling Doug Chickering to get the word out
on an impossible number of cackling geese this morning. I thought Tom and
Nancy might have been smoking something funny, but when I drove down 133 in
Ipswich this morning about 1115, there they were with the usual flock of
Canadas (550-600), this time in the field along 133 (Essex Rd.) that is
closest to Northgate Rd. (On 133 you now have to pull off on the south side
of the road, away from the pastures, because of the utterly superfluous
curbing the state/town installed on the north side of the road, presumably
to protect the "sidewalk to nowhere" that was also installed. Progress is a
relative term.)
The seven dwarfs were easy enough to pick out from their huge cousins, and,
as on PI, they were together--almost. At first, one of them (Grumpy?) was
separate from the others and grazing while they were resting. Eventually
they got together and all grazed. One of them--I wish I knew whether it was
the one that had been by itself--showed the thin white band I mentioned last
week that divides the black collar from the dingier white of the breast. I
couldn't see this on the others, though all 7 were the same size, about half
that of the Canadas, and all had tiny bills, short necks, and rounder heads,
sometimes appearing a bit squared off at the back of the head.
I mention this slight (apparent) difference because while one bird has been
here a few days, the other six apparently arrived at PI yesterday and
followed the crowd to the Ipswich fields this morning. (The south end of
PI, from the old polio camp to Sandy Point, is also in Ipswich.) My guess
is that the earlier bird may have been the separate one, and also probably
the one with the noticeable white band just above the breast. Most cackling
geese that show up in this area have been determined to be of the hutchinsii
race ("Richardson's goose"), but the white band could signify that the first
bird is of the race leucopareia from the Aleutians, which I have seen on St.
Paul in the Pribilofs. (These two races are the same size, per Madge and
Burn 1988.) Those authors mention this white band as a trademark for
leucopareia and do not mention it for hutchinsii.
HOWEVER, Sibley (2000) and the 06 NGS guide show leucopareia as having a
darker breast than these 7 birds, which all have pale breasts. So perhaps
they are all Richardon's. Maybe if we get enough good close photos the
subspecies can be worked out. I could not see any white bands in Nancy's
photos, nor could I see any through the scope on the six new birds.
Jim Berry
Ipswich, Mass.
jim.berry3(AT)verizon.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Connecticut River, Nov. 7
From: Ken Cox <kencox5(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 3:38pm
This morning (0830-1130) I checked out several Vermont locations along the
Connecticut River between Springfield and Bellows Falls. Overall it was
slow birding with a couple exceptions. The highlight of the morning was a
late Greater Yellowlegs at Herrick's Cove. Total species: 14.
Hoyt's Landing/White's Cove, Springfield.
- Hooded Merganser 41
- Common Merganser 14
- Blue Jay 2
- American Crow 3
Roundee's Cove, Rockingham: nothing!
Herrick's Cove, Rockingham. Spoke with one of a pair duck hunters coming
off the water, who had seen several Wood Ducks, a Mallard, and a
Green-winged Teal. He said, it was tough hunting because without any wind
when the ducks flushed the flew high out of shot range. So, I assumed they
were leaving with empty bags.
- Mallard 3
- Greater Yellowlegs 1
- Blue Jay 2
- Common Crow 3
- Black-capped Chickadee 3
- White-breasted Nuthatch 3
- American Goldfinch 2
Lower Williams River, Rockingham.
- Great Blue Heron 1
Albee's Cove, Bellows Falls.
- Common Merganser 4
Minard's Pond, Bellows Falls.
- Canada Goose 130
- American Black Duck 11
- Mallard 11
- Ring-necked Duck 6
- Hooded Merganser 4
- Common Merganser 1
- American Crow 4
- Dark-eyed Junco 20+
- American Goldfinch 6
TransCanada Hydro Station tailwater, Bellows Falls.
- Hooded Merganser 5
- Common Merganser 1
---
Kenneth Cox
South Reading, VT
http://northernwingsbirder.blogspot.com/
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Robin hanged by fishing line/Tyngsborough but it could be
anywhere..
From: Chris Sheridan <cmsbirds(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 4:21pm
I stopped by Flint's Pond in Tyngsborough this morning where I'd seen some
Grebes diving yesterday, hoping for better looks. (I wasn't sure what grebes
they were; they were too far out.) I didn't see any grebes, but I did see this:
a beautiful, healthy looking American Robin hanging by its neck from a noose of
fishing line.
(Graphic photo warning)
www.pbase.com/cmsbirds/image/119140506
www.pbase.com/cmsbirds/image/119140549
In this case, the line had (ironically) also been incorporated into a Robin's
nest, along with lots of other human-produced junk.
www.pbase.com/cmsbirds/image/119140557
I've often seen fishing line used in bird's nests and wondered how (or if) the
babies survived.
Googling for biodegradable fishing line seems to turn up mostly products that
degrade in five years, long enough to do a lot of damage.
I wonder if there are programs Mass/NH to educate anglers about the danger to
birds and other wildlife? I know I've seen monofilament collection boxes at
Great Meadows. It would seem impossible to cover every fishing spot, so
education seems to be key....
Chris Sheridan
cmsbirds at comcast net
Nashua NH
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Spruce Grouse, Crossbills, Waxwings at Shoal Pond
From: "David Govatski" <pondicherry(AT)wildblue.net>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 5:42pm
A Saturday 12 mile hike to Shoal Pond in the Pemigewasset Wilderness near
Crawford Notch was very productive for boreal bird species. We started our
walk on the Zealand Trail and then the Ethan Pond Trail through Zealand
Notch and finally to the Shoal Pond Trail which has almost magic qualities
for having boreal birds and mammals. The weather was in the 30's with a
dusting of snow and ice on both Zealand and Shoal Ponds. Beaver are very
active around Zealand Pond but the trail is dry and no sign of the bull
moose that was giving hikers trouble this summer. The Zealand Trail had few
birds and the Ethan Pond Trail was little better until we hit the Shoal Pond
Trail and started the sweep of boreal species including:
Spruce Grouse: 1 male near the start of the Shoal Pond Trail.
Bohemian Waxwings: 35 at outlet of Shoal Pond and 14 near Zealand Pond
feeding on Mountain Ash berries.
White-winged Crossbills: Approximately 40 in the black spruce around Shoal
Pond. Singing from tree tops and feeding on abundant cones.
Boreal Chickadees: 4 at fen on Ethan Pond Trail.
Gray Jay: 2 near outlet of Shoal Pond.
Pine Siskins: Approximately 60 around Shoal Pond and the Ethan Pond Trail.
Purple Finch: 3 near Shoal Pond.
American Robin: 9 near Shoal Pond but could not tell if they were the black
backed sub-species due to backlighting.
Dark-eyed Junco: Approximately 80 and ubiquitous.
American Goldfinch: 25 near Shoal Pond.
Tree Sparrows: 2 at a fen along the Ethan Pond Trail.
Brown Creeper: 3 along Ethan Pond Trail.
Golden-crowned Kinglets: 40 and ubiquitous in softwoods.
Red-breasted Nuthatch: 8 on Shoal Pond Trail.
Hairy Woodpecker: 1 in dead birch near Zealand Pond.
Black-capped Chickadees: 3 near Zealand Trailhead.
We saw two red squirrels and a set of American Marten tracks in the fresh
snow on a trail bridge chasing a red squirrel. We also saw numerous moose
tracks and browsing but no views of the moose. We did not see any
black-backed woodpeckers on this trip. I can send a photo of the spruce
grouse if you request it off line. The bird was backlit so they are not
great shots. Weather was perfect for hiking. The dusting of snow allowed you
to see the depressions where the old railroad ties dating back from 1890
used to be.
David and Kathi Govatski
Jefferson, NH
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Robin hanged by fishing line/Tyngsborough but it could
be anywhere..
From: Lynn Roberge <lynn4020081996(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 5:53pm
How can people be so HEARTLESS as to leave their trash and other things behind
that would be and could be potentially dangerous to other living creatures?
Poor little birdie.
--- On Sat, 11/7/09, Chris Sheridan <cmsbirds(AT)comcast.net> wrote:
From: Chris Sheridan <cmsbirds(AT)comcast.net>
Subject: Robin hanged by fishing line/Tyngsborough but it could be anywhere..
To: "New Hampshire Birds" <NH.Birds(AT)lists.unh.edu>
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009, 1:20 PM
I stopped by Flint's Pond in Tyngsborough this morning where I'd seen some
Grebes diving yesterday, hoping for better looks. (I wasn't sure what grebes
they were; they were too far out.) I didn't see any grebes, but I did see
this: a beautiful, healthy looking American Robin hanging by its neck from a
noose of fishing line.
(Graphic photo warning)
www.pbase.com/cmsbirds/image/119140506
www.pbase.com/cmsbirds/image/119140549
In this case, the line had (ironically) also been incorporated into a Robin's
nest, along with lots of other human-produced junk.
www.pbase.com/cmsbirds/image/119140557
I've often seen fishing line used in bird's nests and wondered how (or if) the
babies survived.
Googling for biodegradable fishing line seems to turn up mostly products that
degrade in five years, long enough to do a lot of damage.
I wonder if there are programs Mass/NH to educate anglers about the danger to
birds and other wildlife? I know I've seen monofilament collection boxes at
Great Meadows. It would seem impossible to cover every fishing spot, so
education seems to be key....
Chris Sheridan
cmsbirds at comcast net
Nashua NH
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Eurasian Wigeon on Great Bay
From: Steve Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 6:36pm
After a fun morning of working for "Team Rye" (more on this to follow in
separate post by "Coach Kras), Jane and I hit Great Bay and the "Kurk
Dorsey Buzzard Roost". Missed on the Black Vulture again (now 0 for 5),
but got the Eurasian Wigeon. Highlights:
Eurasian Wigeon - 1 adult male picked out by Jane from Sunset Farm in
Greenland. Mixed in with the scaup flock not far out.
American Wigeon - 8 with scaup flock from Sunset Farm.
Long-tailed Duck - 1 male from Sunset Farm
Black Scoter - 1 adult male from Great Bay Discovery Center.
Horned Grebe - 4 from Sunset Farm
Turkey Vulture - 18 in Newmarket in roost trees off Nichols Ave.. We
left a bit early, but I don't think others got the Black Vulture either.
The Eurasian Wigeon and the Greater White-fronted Goose seen earlier in
the day were both new year birds for Jane who now has 283 for the year.
My list stands at 292. Still far behind Lauren, who has about 301(?),
but well ahead of the previous NH record of 280.
Steve & Jane Mirick
Bradford, MA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: young red tail encounter
From: s42yth(AT)comcast.net
Date: 7 Nov 2009 6:54pm
i finally saw what has been giving the blue jays fits the past few days. there
is a young red tailed hawk cruising my field and yard. it was on the ground 3'
from the house, trying for the chipmunk that lives in the woodpile. the hawk
flew up onto a low branch and was not disturbed by my moving around in the
yard . it eventually flew right toward me andB cleared me by 2'......very
neat!
sylvia hartmannB B B B B B B B B manchester nh B
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Cackling Goose, Turner's Falls, MA, photos
From: Don and Lillian Stokes <stokesbirds(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 9:44pm
Today we visited the Cackling Goose at Turner's Falls power canal, first spotted
by James Smith on Nov. 5th. Here are 20 photos, showing goose from many angles,
http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/cackling-goose-from-every-angle.html
Lillian and don Stokes
Powdermill Pond
Hancock, NH
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Team Rye update - 90 species (GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE,
etc.)
From: Lauren Kras <lauren.kras(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 10:21pm
Today "Team Rye" got kicked off to a great start for the "Town Birding
Challenge" racking up a total of 90 species in a single day! This is
more than Concord had over the whole weekend last year an entire week
earlier (89 according to the email sent last year)! Additionally of
note is that the "coverable" area of Rye is approximately 1/4 the size
of Concord as we cannot hitch a boat out and check the Isles of Shoals
that fall within Rye or the waters surrounding them.
The day started off with Jason Lambert, Len Medlock, Ben Griffith, and
myself heading out for some serious owling. We quickly picked up
Northern Saw-whet and Barred Owls to start the day off on the right
foot. After owling we split up to cover ground faster but were
quickly re-united as the Mirick duo found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE within our territory. The goose was at Abenaqui Country Club on
Fairway Dr. We all zipped down and watched the bird for a bit while
Jane dutifully searched for additional species along nearby roads.
Meanwhile JoAnn O'Shaughnessy was racking up tough to find species in
Rye such as HERMIT THRUSH, PILEATED WOODPECKER, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.
Jason pitched in a VERY LATE RED-EYED VIREO on the backside of Eel
Pond while Steve found a beautiful ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER just south
of the Angel pull-off on the west side of 1A.
After quickly seeing the Orange-crowned Warbler, Ben and I pitched in
and turned up SORA, MARSH WREN, BLACK GUILLEMOT and "Frosty" the
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL all at odiorne!
The day was capped off after taking a break to look for Black Vultures
by a return trip to Rye where Great Horned and Eastern-screech Owls
were added to the day.
We patiently wait to hear Concord's day 1 results and look forward to
tomorrow. If anyone wants to join us for tomorrow let me know via
email. A complete list of species seen today by "Team Rye" members is
below:
Location: Rye, Rockingham County, NH, US
Observation date: 11/7/09
Number of species: 90
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE 1 Found by Steve Mirick seen by J.
Mirick, B. Griffith (his state bird), L. Kras, L. Medlock, J. Lambert,
and J. O'Shaughnessy. Location: Abenaqui Country Club on Fairway Dr
Very bad phone-scoped photo (better photos to come later):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37030739@N05/4084220780/
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Mallard
Lesser Scaup 1 Found by B. Griffith and seen by L. Kras.
Location: Rye Ledge on the ocean!
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter 1 Female found by S & J Mirick and L. Medlock, J.
Lambert. Location: Seal Rocks.
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser 10 including 4 in Little Harbor!
Red-breasted Merganser
Wild Turkey Found by J. O'Shaughnessy - the last non-owl of the day.
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
SORA Found by L. Kras and B. Griffith. Location: Odiorne
American Coot 2 Life bird for J. Mora. Eel Pond
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Sanderling
White-rumped Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper 2 at Rye Ledge
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL "Frosty" Location: Odiorne
Great Black-backed Gull
Black Guillemot 1 Found by L. Kras, also seen by B. Griffith.
Location: Little Harbor - seen from Odiorne
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Heard only by B. Griffith, L. Kras, J.
Lambert, J. Mora, and Y. Garner
Great Horned Owl 2 Heard only by B. Griffith, L. Kras, J.
Lambert, J. Mora, and Y. Garner.
Barred Owl 1 Heard only by B. Griffith, L. Kras, and J. Lambert.
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 Heard and seen by L. Medlock, B.
Griffith, L. Kras, and J. Lambert.
Belted Kingfisher 1 Found by L. Kras off Wooden Bridge.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker Found by J. O'Shaughnessy.
RED-EYED VIREO 1 Found by J. Lambert. Location: Back side of Eel Pond
Blue Jay
American Crow First bird of the day!
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
MARSH WREN Found B. Griffith and L. Kras. Location: Odiorne
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush Found by J. O'Shaughnessy.
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER 1 Found by Steve Mirick seen by J.
Mirick, B. Griffith, L. Kras, L. Medlock, and J. Lambert. Location:
just south of the Angel pull-off on the west side of 1A.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow Found by L. Medlock and J. Lambert.
Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich) 2
Nelson's/Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow 1 Seen By Jason
Lambert and Len Medlock briefly.
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow Found by J. O'Shaughnessy.
Dark-eyed Junco
Snow Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
--
Lauren "Coach/Capitan" Kras
on behalf of: B. Griffith, J. Lambert, L. Medlock, J. and S. Mirick,
J. Mora, and J. O'Shaughnessy... aka "Team Rye"
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Adam's Point/Durham
From: "sayoung" <sayoung(AT)metrocast.net>
Date: 7 Nov 2009 11:19pm
I was coming back to the parking lot after hiking when the first flock of
blackbirds passed a few hundred feet overhead. By 4 pm it turned into a steady
stream and then a river and then a huge pulse the width of the point passed
over. These early flocks had a mix of birds up to 40 % non grackle. About 4%
were of the type posted in the pic. Remaining mix Red wings, Starlings and
Robins. I think its a Rusty Blackbird, but I'll entertain anyone's
considerations.
Then for the next half hour it was 99 percent grackle, flying at an
accelerating pace in the dwindling light. The tail end of the river finished
at 4:45. All birds followed the point across the bay. Conservatively a 100,000
birds. 600 - 1000 of the small brown ones.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sa_young/
Scott Young/Strafford
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