What to Watch for in June

Summer is a busy season for birds. Many are nesting and working hard to feed hungry young. Watch for nesting activity in your own backyard and consider heading north for some rewarding boreal birding. Northern New Hampshire offers the chance to spot specialties like Blackpoll Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Bicknell’s Thrush, and Spruce Grouse.

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  Common Eider chicks appear in numbers in late May and early June at the coast. There is still no documented breeding on the New Hampshire mainland, only on the Isles of Shoals.

• Common and Roseate Terns nest at the Isles of Shoals and feed on the coast, especially at Hampton Harbor and the Piscataqua River off New Castle.
• American Oystercatchers recently began nesting at the Isles of Shoals and can be seen on Star Island. The best way to look for them is to take a boat tour around the islands and/or land on Star Island. They can also be seen occasionally on the coast, especially in the cove south of Odiorne Point State Park in Rye.
• The first Wilson’s Storm-Petrels arrive in northern waters after breeding in the southern hemisphere. Numbers build during the summer and peak in July. They can sometimes be seen from the coast, but are more reliable offshore, such as on a whale watch.
• Bicknell’s Thrushes are on their breeding territories in the high elevations of the White Mountains and northern Coos County. They are easier to hear rather than see, especially their “veer” call.
• The boreal bird song chorus is in full voice in early June. Birds can be difficult to see in the dense spruce-fir of northern forests in Coos County, but this is the time to look for them, especially in the early morning during peak singing.

Discover what to watch every month on the Joy of Birding, the new online home of New Hampshire Bird Records. Learn about new places to bird, rare bird sightings, and level up on your birding skills. Visit: https://joyofbirding.nhaudubon.org/.

If you are interested in birding Coos County, Bob Quinn’s book, Birding in Northern New Hampshire, is your new favorite guide. Whether you are an experienced birder looking for specific species or a beginner just trying to figure out the best spots to go, this full-color guide has the information you need. The book contains maps and specific directions to the many bird species that can be found and the best times of the year to look for them. It provides details on how to get to marshes, ponds, lakes, wetlands, bogs, rivers, and back roads, as well as paddling sites and amazing vistas. It can be ordered online through the NH Audubon Nature Store.