This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, August 18, 2025.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen soaring over Mill Pond in Durham on August 18th.
There was an unconfirmed report of a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE seen at Highland Lake in Andover on August 10th, and it was reported again on the 16th.
2 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS were seen at Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, on August 12th.
An ATLANTIC PUFFIN was seen from a Whale Watch boat in offshore waters on August 15th.
4 COMMON EIDERS were seen at Hilton Park in Dover on August 12th.
A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and a LAUGHING GULL were seen at Pickering Ponds in Rochester on August 14th, and another WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at Surry Mountain Lake on August 17th.
A BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was seen in the pools south of Odiorne Point State Park along the coast in Rye on August 13th and 1 was seen at Marsh Road Pond in Rye on the 18th.
A CASPIAN TERN was seen at Plaice Cove in Hampton on August 17th.
There was an unconfirmed report of 2 ARCTIC TERNS from the Piscataqua River near Prescott Park in Portsmouth on August 14th.
A FORSTER’S TERN was seen in Hampton Harbor on August 16th, and 2 were reported from the Piscataqua River near Prescott Park in Portsmouth on August 14th.
A juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen at Fields Grove City Park in Nashua on August 10th.
2 LITTLE BLUE HERONS were seen in pools and marshes south of Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on August 17th, 2 were seen at Parson’s Creek Salt Marsh in Rye on August 13th, and 1 was seen in Hampton Marsh on the 13th.
A BLACK VULTURE was reported from Center Ossipee on August 10th.
There was an unconfirmed report of a CONNECTICUT WARBLER from MacDowell Reservoir in Peterborough on August 13th.
A CAPE MAY WARBLER was seen at Duck Pond in Lempster on August 18th.
Keene, Madbury, Hooksett, and Durham during the past week.
An ORCHARD ORIOLE was seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on August 14th.
An adult FOX SPARROW was seen feeding a juvenile FOX SPARROW on Cannon Mountain on August 15th.
Several YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS and BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS were reported from scattered locations during the past week.
5 RED CROSSBILLS were seen at Long Pond in Lempster on August 16th.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK southbound migration is underway. Highlights from the past week included: 143 from Franklin Falls on August 16th, and 37 from Concord on the 17th.
A nighthawk watch, led by a NH Audubon volunteer, is held in Concord, NH on the roof of the Capitol Commons Parking Garage on 75 Storrs Street every evening (except in bad weather) from mid-August into the first week of September. Numbers of migrating nighthawks are tallied from 5:30 pm to about 7:30 pm. Visitors are welcome.
Some evenings can be an incredible spectacle, but it is not easy to predict when that might happen.
This message is also available by phone recording: call (603) 224-9909 and press 4 as directed or ask to be transferred. To leave a message about a rare bird without listening to the recording first, press 2.
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 email. Please put either “bird sighting” or “Rare Bird Alert” in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number.
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Learn more about birds and birding in New Hampshire with New Hampshire Bird Records (read a free article in each issue). This quarterly publication is produced by NH Audubon thanks to the work of many volunteers. It is available for free in digital format to all NH Audubon members.
Thanks very much and good birding.