A look back in Rockingham County

[Roger Stephenson]

After entering Evening Grosbeak into ebird this month, tally for my Rockingham Co. species clicked on 300.  Thinking this was an interesting milestone, I asked myself -- didn't I have this bird in the county before???

Out came the paper checklist records 1977-1982.  Stored first in my dorm room in Durham, then in several apartments in downtown Portsmouth and later Newcastle, accompanying me to our house in South Berwick, then to DC, they are now in my office here in Stratham. 

Sure enough, Evening Grosbeaks turned up on a number of Rockingham checklists including a high count of 30 at my feeders in Newcastle on December 7, 1980.

I can/will soon  add to the Rockingham bird list several other species accounted for on checklists-

• Red-necked Phalarope 5-10-77, Rye observed with Art Borror's ZOO 542 class
• Goshawk 5-5-80 Odiorne and across 1A
• Golden-winged Warbler 5-16-80 Little Harbor Road
• Vesper Sparrow 5-10-80  Little Harbor Road
• Little Gull 11-9-80 NH Seacoast
• Ring-necked Pheasant 5-15-77 Odiorne (escapee from the Brentwood farm?)

And my first Curlew Sandpiper 11-9-80 with E Phinney - here is what documentation used to look like!

Already in ebird, here is my photo of the Ivory Gull Portsmouth 1983.

 

What I may not add to Rockingham Co. are Long-billed Dowitcher (recorded on a year list, but with no location or accompanying checklist; I could have been in Salisbury or Plum Island), and several species seen on Appledore: Mourning Warbler 5-24-30 1979 and 5/23-6/16 1980, Olive-sided Flycatcher 5/23-6/16 1980,  and Seaside Sparrow 5-17-77 with ACB and ZOO 542.

The checklists notes bring back very nice memories of birding with many folks including Denny Abbott, Betty Phinney, Sandy Mallett, and of course Dr. Borror.  

Tucked in the folder among the checklists is also a copy of NH Bird Records Vol 1 No. 1 (December 1982); seasonal editors then were George and Andrea Robbins (Winter); Sue Gonzalez and Wavell Fogleman (Spring); Bob Quinn (Summer); and Kimball Elkins (Fall). 

Now, on to Strafford and York Counties!  Happy birding all.

Roger Stephenson, Stratham