This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, July 20, 2026.
There was an unconfirmed report of a BROWN PELICAN seen flying at Hampton Beach on July 17th.
A CORY’S SHEARWATER and a SOOTY SHEARWATER were seen at Jeffreys Ledge on July 13th.
A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Sawyers Beach in Rye on July 18th.
A BONAPARTE’S GULL was seen at Moore Reservoir in Littleton on July 12th.
The BRIDLED TERN that had been seen at the Isles of Shoals during the past several weeks was not reported from New Hampshire during the past week.
4 SANDHILL CRANES were seen flying over Wheeler Road in Hollis on July 18th.
2 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS were seen at the Linderhof Pond in Glen on July 12th.
A LEAST BITTERN was heard at World End Pond in Salem on July 12th.
2 juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen at the Moore Reservoir dam in Littleton on July 15th, and 1 juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen at a pond along Riverfront Drive in Lincoln on the 16th.
2 SNOWY EGRETS were seen at Adams Point WMA in Durham on July 16th.
A BLACK VULTURE was seen in Durham on July 16th, and 1 was seen in Rochester on the 17th.
Nesting MISSISSIPPI KITES continued to be reported from Dover and Durham during the past week.
A breeding colony of 12 PURPLE MARTINS continued to be seen in Lee during the past week.
There were several reports of YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS during the past week.
2 WILLOW FLYCATCHERS were seen at the Upper Coos Recreational Trail in Colebrook on July 15th.
2 HORNED LARKS were seen at Pease International Tradeport from Short Street in Newington on July 17th.
A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen at Lake Umbagog in Errol on July 18th, and 1 was seen at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown on the 16th.
RED CROSSBILLS were heard in Lempster during the past week.
An archive of rare bird alerts is available at nhaudubon.org/rba. If you have seen any rare birds recently you can leave a voicemail at (603) 224-9909, following the prompts on how to report a rare bird. You can also send your sightings via email to birdsetc@nhaudubon.org. Please put “Rare Bird” in the subject line and include the location of the sighting and your phone number.
What is the Rare Bird Alert?
The New Hampshire Rare Bird Alert is a list of birds that is posted, usually on a weekly basis on NH Audubon’s website, and several public websites. The primary goal of the list is to help bird watchers find uncommon or rare birds that occur within the geographical boundaries of NH.
What makes a bird rare?
A bird may be considered rare if it’s outside its usual range, present at an unusual time of year, or found in an unexpected part of the state. For example, a Red-bellied Woodpecker in southern NH is expected, but one in Coos County would be unusual. A Black-throated Blue Warbler in summer is normal but in winter it would be rare. While a Roseate Spoonbill would be rare in any season. To learn more, read “So You Think You Found a Rare Bird? A Quick Guide to What Counts and How to Report It” on the Joy of Birding.
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Thanks very much and good birding.