(Reprinted from the Fall 2023 issue of New Hampshire Bird Records)
August marks the beginning of fall in the bird world. Migration starts with an influx of shorebirds and swirls of tree swallows staging for migration. Many birds continue to feed their now-fledged young. Late nesters like American Goldfinch may still be caring for nestlings and early migrants are on the move. Here are a few birding highlights to watch for in August:
- Post-breeding dispersal can bring Great Egrets to inland sites anytime during the month.
- Shorebird migration is a highlight in August. Adults come through first – watch for them to be in molt with new feathers mixed in with the older, worn ones. Aging shorebirds help with identification of species. Some of the first species to come through are Least Sandpipers and both yellowlegs.
- Male hummingbirds depart first, usually in early August; females and young linger into mid-September.
- Louisiana Waterthrush depart early and are gone by mid-August.
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Staging Tree Swallows by Grace McCulloch. Look for large flocks of Tree Swallows along the coast in Seabrook near Cross Beach Road and the Seabrook Back Dunes. Some roost at Plum Island and stream north in the morning. Tree Swallows are most numerous and Barn Swallows will linger into October, but Bank Swallows are few in number and Northern Rough-wingeds are the first to leave, departing by early August.
- Common Nighthawk migration peaks August 21- September 1. The best places to watch are along major rivers such as the Merrimack and the Connecticut, on warm evenings with a south wind.
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