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NH.Birds for Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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Subject: 12/9 Seacoast Chapter NHA program-Everything You Ever Wanted
to Know About Moose
From: "Dan Hubbard" <danielhubbard(AT)peoplepc.com>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 7:07am
Seacoast Chapter, NH Audubon Program
Seacoast Science Center, Odiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Boulevard, Rye.
Contact: Dan Hubbard, 332-4093, danielhubbard(AT)peoplepc.com
Program: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Moose
Wednesday, December 9
7:00 pm: refreshments; 7:30 pm: meeting
Kristine Rines, the senior moose biologist for NH Fish & Game Department,
will describe the life history of the moose, its history and current status
in the state, and relevant management and research programs. She will
relate stories of things that have happened to her and other biologists
while working with moose.
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Subject: Probable Thayer's Photos
From: Benjamin Griffith <bgriffith(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 9:25am
I've finally gotten around to posting a few of Lauren's photos of the
probable Thayer's Gull in Rochester. Comments on this bird are much
appreciated.
Photos can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bgriffith/sets/72157622919764064/
Ben Griffith
Dover, NH
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Subject: Rochester WWTP - Guidelines and reminders
From: Steve Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 10:42am
Although the Western Kingbird is now gone, we are now entering the
infamous "Sea Gull Season" at the Rochester wastewater treatment plant
where the masses of gulls descend on the plant (if the eagles let
them).....and hopefully we'll turn up a rare one this season. Ben's
Thayer's is now boring and problematic.......we're hoping for Scott's
Glaucous-winged Gull to return, or perhaps another Slaty-backed Gull?
Anyhow, I got a message from the treatment plant manager Dave Green, who
wanted me to remind birders of the guidelines for visiting.
* The plant is gated and only open Mon-Fri. Usually 7:30 to 3:00. It
is NOT OPEN on the weekends. Although a plant operator is sometimes
working briefly in the morning on Saturday, birders should not enter the
gates on Saturday or Sunday, even if they are open!
* Be sure to be out of the plant BEFORE the plant closes to ensure no
worker ever has to wait for a birder to leave.
* Park in designated parking spots in front of the office building.
* Do not drive out on the dikes!!!
* In no way interfere with the operations of the plant or its employees.
* Check in to make sure of the hours of operation and to let plant
operators know you are there.
* The walking trail (Pickering Ponds Trail) is also a great spot for
birding and sometimes just as good for gulls. It is open and accessible
on the weekends and is located
1.0 miles south of the treatment plant entrance.
We have been very lucky that the workers of the treatment plant and the
city of Rochester have allowed for birders to visit. Let's not abuse
the privilege.
Thanks,
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
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Subject: Re: Coastbirding 12/01
From: "Christian Martin" <CMartin(AT)NHAudubon.org>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 11:19am
Regarding the history of this individual peregrine, the only thing it's
really safe to assume is that it is not banded. It could have had any
sort of human interaction, from being too small to band when it's
siblings next to it were banded, to living and raising it's own young in
close proximity to people, or even nesting in a box or tray provided by
people. Just FYI, the 2 adult peregrines in the closest known breeding
territory to Odiorne nest on the I-95 Bridge in Portsmouth/Kittery, and
both of them are unbanded. b Chris
Chris Martin, Senior Biologist, Conservation Department
New Hampshire Audubon, 3 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603/224-9909 x317; Fax: 603/226-0902;
E-mail: cmartin(AT)nhaudubon.org; Web: www.nhaudubon.org
New Hampshire Audubon -- Protecting New Hampshire's natural environment
for wildlife and for people.
>>> Jon Woolf <jsw(AT)jwoolfden.com> 12/01/2009 2:18 PM >>>
I had an errand to run over on the coast this morning, so I took some
time to do a coast run. At Odiorne Pt Park, I walked out to Frost
Point and saw mostly the expected things: GBB, Herring, Ring-billed,
and Bonaparte's gulls, bluejays, chickadees, and so on. A couple of
loons, a few sea ducks, all pretty far offshore. In Little Harbor, I
was able to find a couple of Long-tailed Ducks. Also lots and lots
of crows, seemingly everywhere.
At Sunken Forest cove there were a couple of Great Cormorants on the
rocks. (As a side note, does anyone know what the point is behind
those carefully-constructed rock cairns on the rocks there?) Pulpit
Rocks produced two good looks at Red-necked Grebes, along with a male
Surf Scoter and a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers too. In the cove
north of Ragged Neck was a single duck which I believe was a female
Bufflehead. I looked around along Rte 111 for the Greater
White-fronted Goose, but saw no geese of any kind. Didn't see
anything else interesting until I got down to Hampton Beach State
Park. I pulled into the parking lot there, scanned the grass for
larks or buntings (none found), then turned around and saw a large
bird perched atop the picnic shelter. This bird:
http://www.jwoolfden.com/bird_photos/peregrine01_web.jpg
http://www.jwoolfden.com/bird_photos/peregrine02_web.jpg
Now, I've seen wild Peregrine Falcons before, but always at long
range. In most of those cases someone else had to point it out to
me. In all cases it was so distant that the ID had to be based on
size and shape. The only times I've been close enough to a peregrine
to see markings, they were captive birds. Never before have I been
close enough to a wild Peregrine to really study it and satisfy
myself that yes, it's a peregrine and no, I didn't need any help to
find it or identify it. I've CERTAINLY never been close enough to
get decent pictures. Or any pictures at all, for that matter.
I didn't see any bands on either leg. I have other photos that show
both legs, and I don't see bands in any of them. Is it safe to
conclude this is a completely wild bird, hatched and raised and grown
without any human interaction at all?
I snapped the second photo just as it launched itself, and flew away
toward the north. I waited a couple of minutes, looked around a bit
more, then went back to my car. As I was pulling out, I saw the
gulls in the north-side lot scatter, and a black shape plunging down
from above them. It wasn't one bird; it was two. After a moment the
two untangled themselves and took off south across the parking
lot. The two flight silhouettes were virtually identical but for
size: long tail, small head, falcon wings, fast flapping flight. I
believe one was the Peregrine, and the other was a Merlin that I've
seen before in that area several times. The Peregrine was in the
lead and the Merlin was chasing it, which leads me to think the
Merlin had just caught something, and the Peregrine stole it.
-- Jon W
oolf
Manchester, NH
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Subject: Field and Fox Sparrows, Nashua
From: Chris Sheridan <cmsbirds(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 5:38pm
On the south side of Rte. 111A in Nashua is an old road that leads into the land
of the Dunstable Land Trust.
I spent some time this afternoon meandering around looking for birds in the
sandy and scrubby land north of the state line.
Highlights were a Red FOX SPARROW and four FIELD SPARROWS, a juvenile
Sharp-shinned hawk, and two Common Ravens who joined in with the crows in
harrassing two Red-tailed Hawks. (The Fox and one of the Field Sparrows:
www.flickr.com/photos/42971731@N03)
A Great Blue Heron and I were mutually startled when I came upon it inspecting a
large puddle adjacent to a sandpit.
A quick stop at the Route 111A parking lot at Yudicky Park yielded two more
Ravens and an adult Sharpie.
In both places White-throated Sparrows and (especially)State-colored Juncos are
extremely abundant.
A Great Blue Heron is still hanging around Field's Grove, and I heard but didn't
see a Belted Kingfisher.
I'm one of those with little traffic at my feeders--the sight a couple of
chicadees this morning was worth celebrating!
Chris Sheridan
cmsbirds at comcast.net
Nashua
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Subject: Grouse "Attack"
From: Bruce Boyer <brumyster(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 6:15pm
I came home to find lots of glass fragments scattered around a room.
Further investigation found a freshly-killed Ruffed Grouse near the
broken window. I put the grouse in the freezer, available for Audubon
or other deserving recipient.
Bruce Boyer
Jaffrey
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Subject: Rochester WWTF (Glaucous and probable Thayer's Gull)
From: Lauren Kras <lauren.kras(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 6:37pm
Today I spent some time at the Rochester Waste Water Treatment Facility
before heading off to work. The probable THAYER'S GULL continues but I was
unable to get close enough when I had my camera to get any new photos.
Details and highlights below:
Iceland Gull - 2, both juveniles
Probable THAYER'S GULL - 1 same bird as Ben described on Monday (
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bgriffith/sets/72157622919764064/ ) appeared
less dark today with ample lighting and with the sun at my back, was
difficult to approach for any new photos due to the large number of birds at
the treatment facility. Oh well! There's always tomorrow.
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 second winter bird - yet ANOTHER new Lesser
Black-backed Gull there this fall - at least 8 different individuals have
been noted at the treatment plant this fall/winter so far.
Glaucous Gull - 1 juvenile, first of season at Rochester
Lauren Kras
Dover, NH
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Subject: Boreal Chickadees on Mount Pierce
From: "David Govatski" <pondicherry(AT)wildblue.net>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 7:08pm
Five Boreal Chickadees, 2 Gray Jays, 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches and 2 Brown
Creepers were seen on a morning walk to Mizpah Hut on Mount Pierce in
Crawford Notch on Wednesday. Snow depths on the Crawford Path ranged from
8" at the start to almost 18" at Mizpah Hut which is at 3,800 feet in
elevation. Walking conditions were good on the crusty snow and snowshoes
were not used. Numerous blowdowns were encountered in the first mile of
trail from last weekends wet snow fall and have also been noted on other
trails affected by that storm. Also observed were American marten, snowshoe
hare, red squirrel and mouse tracks in some freshly fallen snow.
David Govatski
Jefferson, NH
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Subject: Grouse Attack
From: Bruce Boyer <brumyster(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 2 Dec 2009 7:21pm
I came home to find broken glass all over the interior of a room near
a smashed double-glazed window. On the ground outside
near (but not underneath) the broken window was a freshly-killed
Ruffed Grouse, still warm. I put the dead bird in the freezer and
offer it to Audubon or any other worthy organization who want an
immaculate dead grouse.
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