NH Audubon

BBW: Pickering Ponds
2025-05-07 07:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York)
One of the top 10 birding spots in New Hampshire, this walk will traverse Rochester city park trails along the Cocheco River and around the former wastewater treatment settling ponds. Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area at 7:00 AM. The entrance is about a mile south of the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on Pickering Road (opposite mailbox #452). Contact: Dan Hubbard or 603-978-0218.
This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

(The NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter will have eight Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) this spring. Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.)

BBW: Piscassic Greenway
2025-05-09 06:30 - 08:30
The Southeast Land Trust’s Piscassic Greenway provides an important link between 4,000 acres of protected land between Newmarket and Exeter. There are approximately 3.5 miles of trails on the property that pass through open fields, ponds, wetlands, and mature forests. Join trip leader Roger Stephenson to look for resident birds and early migrants. Meet at 6:30 am at the parking lot at the end of Halls Mill Rd. Contact: Roger Stephenson.
The trip is limited to 15 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

(The NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter will have eight Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) this spring. Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.)

Pondicherry Migratory Bird Day Walk One
2025-05-10 06:00 - 08:00
The 23rd Annual Pondicherry Migratory Bird Day is Saturday, 10 May 2025. Two consecutive walks are free and open to the public. The first event, which starts at 6 am and ends at 8 am, meets at the overlook at Airport Marsh on Airport Road in Whitefield, NH. Airport Marsh has a mix of water, wetland, shrub, and grassland habitats. Over the past several years, 183 species have been recorded at Airport Marsh, although we will be happy with 40 species.
The second event starts at the Pondicherry Trailhead at 289 Airport Road in Whitefield, NH, at 8 am. We will walk the rail trail to Cherry Pond, a distance of 1.5 miles. We will look and listen for various warblers and other species. From the Tudor Richard Observation Platform at Cherry Pond, guides will lead walks to Little Cherry Pond, searching for black-backed woodpeckers and migrating warblers. We will also visit Moorhen Marsh for wetland species, including marsh wrens and swamp sparrows. We have several expert volunteer guides to help us find and identify species.
We generally finish around 2 pm, although birders can stay longer or leave earlier. The total walking distance for the Cherry and Little Cherry Ponds walk is around 5 miles with an elevation change of only 20 feet. Bring binoculars, lunch, water, and dress for the weather. We may encounter a few black flies. This particular date is often the birdiest weekend of the migration season. The event is free and is sponsored by the Ammonoosuc Chapter of NH Audubon, Friends of Pondicherry, and the Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
The World Migratory Bird Day 2025 theme is “Shared Spaces – Creating Bird-Friendly Communities.” Free educational posters featuring this theme will be available.
Friends of Pondicherry website.
If you have any questions, contact the organizer, David Govatski.
Cover photo by Phil Brown.

BBW: Wiggin Farm
2025-05-10 07:30 - 09:00
Join Juli Tyson for a walk (co-sponsored by the Newmarket Conservation Commission) at Wiggin Farm in Newmarket to celebrate the first TurtleFest. Juli will highlight this beautiful piece of Newmarket conservation land on Grant Road that includes wetland, field, forest, and river habitat. You’ll observe bird species just arriving for spring migration – a very exciting time of year to be out birding! This spot is not highlighted on eBird, so this walk will present a unique opportunity to get Wiggin Farm on the birding map. After the walk, catch up with Juli and others from the Newmarket Conservation Commission at TURTLEFEST25. Registration is not required.

(The NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter will have eight Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) this spring. Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.)

Pondicherry Migratory Bird Day Walk Two
2025-05-10 08:00 - 14:00

BBW: Pickering Ponds
2025-05-11 07:00 - 12:00
An encore of the very popular Pickering Ponds walk on May 7th. Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area at 7:00 AM. Contact: Dan Hubbard or 603-978-0218.
This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

(The NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter will have eight Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) this spring. Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.)

Pawtuckaway State Park Birding
2025-05-17 07:00 - 09:00
Occupying over 5,000 acres, Pawtuckaway State Park is the largest state park in Rockingham County. Join trip leader Ben Griffith to explore this unique natural area which is home to a diverse group of birds including such typically northern nesting species as Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Evening Grosbeaks. At the same time, more southerly species such as Yellow-throated Vireo, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Prairie Warbler are common breeders in the park as well. We’ll hope to find these species and more, along with any migrants that may just be passing through. Be prepared for moderate hiking with limited access to bathrooms or other facilities. We’ll meet at the Dunkin Donuts in Raymond at 7 am to carpool. The trip is expected to last until about noon with the possibility of extending the visit to a few other nearby areas. Contact Ben Griffith.
Limited to 10 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

Odiorne Point State Park Birding
2025-05-17 08:00 - 10:00
With ocean, bay, marsh, beach, woodland and even a bit of old orchard, Odiorne Point can be a magnet for birds during migration. Join trip leader Ethan Ring for a long walk around the many varied habitats of the park to look for spring migrants and resident breeding birds. Meet at the main Odiorne Point parking lot at 8:15 (the park opens at 8:00). A small entrance fee for the park is required. Contact: Ethan Ring.
The trip is limited to 15 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

BBW: Strafford County Farm
2025-05-18 07:00 - 12:00
With habitat for water birds, raptors and song birds, this walk will include the Don Black Trail and the hedgerows around the fields of the conserved property. The walk will last as long as participants choose, but not beyond noon. Meet at 8:00 across from the Strafford County Work Program at 266 County Farm Road; follow County Farm Road and take a left at the stop sign and then an immediate left to continue along behind the jail to the parking lot across from the entrance to the Strafford County Work Program. Contact: Dan Hubbard or 603-978-0218.
This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

(The NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter will have eight Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) this spring. Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.)

BBW: Seabrook Town Forest
2025-05-24 07:00 - 10:00
May 24, 2025 –With diverse habitats of a large pond, mixed deciduous and coniferous woods, open fields, and shrubby thickets, the Seabrook Town Forest and Wellfield supports a wide variety of resident and migrating birds. Join trip leaders Ashton Almeida and Aidan Felch to explore this under-birded area. Meet by the gate at the end of Old New Boston Road. Contact Ashton Almeida or Aidan with any questions.
The trip is limited to 15 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

(The NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter will have eight Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) this spring. Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.)

BBW: Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area
2025-05-25 07:00 - 09:00
May 25, 2025 –Bird the varied habitats of the Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area with trip leader Scott Heron. With 190 species seen on the property, in the spring Deer Hill can be full of migrating passerines and breeding water birds. Meet at the entrance gate on Pine Road in Brentwood. Contact: Scott Heron.
This field trip will be limited to 20 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

(The NH Audubon Seacoast Chapter will have eight Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) this spring. Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.)

Pickering Ponds Nest Walk
2025-06-01 07:00 - 12:00
June 1, 2025 –Join us as we look for nests and other evidence of breeding birds on the trails around the ponds and along the Cocheco River. Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area at 7:00 AM. The entrance is about a mile south of the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on Pickering Road (opposite mailbox #452). Contact: Dan Hubbard or 603-978-0218.
This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

Kennebunk Plains Preserve Birding (Early Trip)
2025-06-04 04:00 - 07:00
Join trip leader Matt Tarr for two trips to the rare fire-managed grassland habitat of the Kennebunk Plains Preserve.
Listen for the calls of Whip-poor wills, Common Nighthawks, and Upland Sandpipers in the early morning hours. As the sun rises, we will then look for the grassland specialties of the area including Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Field Sparrow.
As the trip nears, revisit the Seacoast Audubon website for more information including the meeting place and the link to register.

Kennebunk Plains Preserve Birding (Second Trip)
2025-06-04 07:30 - 10:30
Join trip leader Matt Tarr for two trips to the rare fire-managed grassland habitat of the Kennebunk Plains Preserve.
For those who don’t want to get up in the dark, we will look for grassland and shrubland birds including Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Field Sparrow.
As the trip nears, revisit the Seacoast Audubon website for more information including the meeting place and the link to register.

Piscassic Greenway Birding
2025-06-07 08:00 - 10:00
Join trip leader Juli Tyson to revisit the trail between Newfields and Newmarket and see what changes June has brought to the area. Please see the April 26th trip for a full description.
The trip is limited to 20 participants. As the trip nears, please revisit this website to sign up.

Beginner Bird Walk: Pickering Ponds with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-07 08:00 - 12:00
Beginner Bird Walk (BBW): Pickering Ponds with the Seacoast Chapter
One of the top 10 birding spots in New Hampshire, this walk will traverse the Rochester city park trails along the Cocheco River and around the former wastewater treatment settling ponds. Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area at 8:00 AM. Contact: Dan Hubbard at danielhubbard@peoplepc.com or 603-978-0218 with any questions.
This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Hawk Watch at Pack Monadnock with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-12 10:00 - 13:00
Join Phil Brown, the Harris Center’s Bird Conservation Director, for a half day of hawk watching at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory in Peterborough. We will hope for a good migration flight, which, in mid-September, can include several species of hawks and falcons as well as flocks of migrant Canada Geese, songbirds, and even scoters!
Learn hawk watching ID tips from the experts and learn about the different migration strategies and behaviors of up to 15 migratory raptor species. During a visit to the hawk watch, you’ll experience NH’s birding culture and immerse yourself in a long-standing community science project that is a partnership between the Harris Center and NH parks. For more information about the observatory, visit https://harriscenter.org/conservation-research/pack-monadnock-raptor-observatory.
Meet at the Observatory for the 10 am start time, and stay as long as you’d like. Weather conditions may cancel. State park reservations with Miller State Park and a small fee are required for visiting Pack Monadnock. For more information on park fees and reservations, as well as accessibility, visit https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/miller-state-park. For more information on this outing, contact Phil Brown at brown@harriscenter.org.
Registration is limited to 15. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Beginner Bird Walk: Exploring Beaver Brook with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-13 08:00 - 12:00
Beginner Bird Walk (BBW): Exploring Beaver Brook with the Seacoast Chapter
Explore some of the many trails in the 2,200 acres of the Beaver Brook Association with trip leader Susan Wrisley. We will focus in the areas south of Rt 130, including stops at the Brown Lane Barn and Maple Hill Farm, looking for birds in varying habitats including fields, stream, wetlands, deciduous and pine forests. The trip will cover about 2 to 3 miles of mostly easy to slightly moderate trails.
Meet at the Beaver Brook Trailhead parking lot, off of Rt 130 in Hollis, across from Diamond Casting & Machine. (Use Diamond Casting, 95 Proctor Hill Rd as a landmark.) Contact Susan Wrisley at susan@wrisleyart.com with any questions. This field trip will be limited to 15 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Beginner Bird Walk: Strafford County Farm with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-14 08:00 - 12:00
Beginner Bird Walk (BBW): Strafford County Farm with the Seacoast Chapter
With diverse habitats for water birds, raptors and song birds, this walk will include the Don Black Trail and the hedgerows around the fields of the conserved property. The walk will last as long as participants choose, but not beyond noon. Meet at 8:00 across from the Strafford County Work Program at 266 County Farm Road; follow County Farm Road and take a left at the stop sign and then an immediate left to continue along behind the jail to the parking lot across from the entrance to the Strafford County Work Program. Contact: Dan Hubbard at danielhubbard@peoplepc.com or 603-978-0218 with any questions.
This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Beginner Bird Walk: Pickering Ponds with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-17 08:00 - 12:00
Beginner Bird Walk (BBW): Pickering Ponds with the Seacoast Chapter
An encore of the very popular Pickering Ponds walk on September 7th (see description). Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area at 8:00 AM. The entrance is about a mile south of the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on Pickering Road (opposite mailbox #452). Contact: Dan Hubbard at danielhubbard@peoplepc.com or 603-978-0218 with any questions.
This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Beginner Bird Walk: Piscassic Greenway with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-19 08:00 - 12:00
Beginner Bird Walk (BBW): Piscassic Greenway Neal Mill Rd, Newmarket with the Seacoast Chapter
Step into the Piscassic Greenway from the Newmarket side and head through forest, field, wetland and shrubland to see who’s migrating through this year”. Contact trip leader Juli Tyson at jstyson17@gmail.com with any questions.
The trip is limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Beginner Bird Walk: Seabrook Town Forest with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-21 07:00 - 10:00
Beginner Bird Walk (BBW): Seabrook Town Forest with the Seacoast Chapter
With diverse habitats of a large pond, mixed deciduous and coniferous woods, open fields, and shrubby thickets, the Seabrook Town Forest and Wellfield supports a wide variety of birds. Join trip leader Ashton Almeida to explore this under-birded area. Meet by the gate at the end of Old New Boston Road at 7:00 am. Contact Ashton Almeida ashtonipod@gmail.com with any questions.
The trip is limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Birch St Community Gardens with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-09-28 07:30 - 10:30
Join us for a round-up of sparrows and other fall migrants at the Community Gardens off Clinton Street in Concord. Fourteen species of sparrows have been seen here, more than any single location in the state, including both Clay-colored and Vesper Sparrows. Dickcissel, Blue Grosbeak, and Sedge Wren have also made appearances here. Meet at 7:30 at Birch Street. Contact: Zeke Cornell at zekecornell@gmail.com with any questions.
This field trip will be limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Coastal Migration with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-10-04 08:00 - 12:00
The trip will be a long walk around the varied habitats of Odiorne Point State Park, the top birding hotspot in New Hampshire. We will look for the expected fall migrants and perhaps even a rarity or two. Meet at the Odiorne Point parking lot at 8:15 (the park opens at 8:00). A small entrance fee for the park is required. Contact: Steve Mirick at smirick@comcast.net with any questions.
This field trip will be limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Annual Pondicherry Big Sit Birding with the Ammonoosuc Chapter
2025-10-11 05:00 - 19:00 | Pondicherry Wildlife Sanctuary, Presidential Rail Trail, 289 Airport Road, Whitefield, NH, 03598, United States
Join us for the 19th Annual Pondicherry Big Sit Birding Event on Saturday, October 11, 2025. The event will be held from Sunrise to Sunset at the Tudor Richard Platform on Cherry Pond in Jefferson, NH. The Big Sit coincides with the October Birding Big Day and birders will have the opportunity to participate in both events. For more information, or to sign up for a two-hour or longer block of time, contact the event organizer David.Govatski@gmail.com.
Cover image of Pondicherry in Autumn by David Govatski.

Maine Coast with the Seacoast Chapter
2025-11-05 09:00 - 13:00
Join trip leaders Linda Maley and Ann Ablowich looking for seabirds, raptors, and late migrating songbirds along the southern Maine coast. Meet at the Perkins Cove parking lot at 9 AM. From Perkins Cove we will bird Marginal Way, Nubble Light and Seapoint Beach. Dress warmly in layers and bring water and lunch or snack. For more information, contact Ann Ablowich at napap@comcast.net.
Registration is limited to 20. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

Birds of the Winter Coast with the Seacoast Chapter
2026-01-10 08:30 - 12:30
Join veteran birder and former ornithology instructor Rich Aaronian to look for the birds that make the New Hampshire coast their home during the winter. The trip will start at Hampton Beach State Park and proceed north up the coast as we look for loons, scoters, mergansers, grebes, shorebirds, and perhaps other specialties such as “white-winged gulls”, Horned Larks, and Snow Buntings. Dress warmly in layers and bring water and a snack. Contact Rich Aaronian for more information at raaronian@exeter.edu.
Registration is limited to 20. As the event nears, please visit this site to sign-up.

North Country Winter Finch Trip with the Seacoast Chapter
2026-02-24 08:00 - 11:00
The seacoast chapter heads north again this year with leader Lori Charron to look for winter finches. Meet at the McDonald’s in Gorham, 214 Main Street, at 8:00 am. Contact: Lori Charron lpcharron@gmail.com. We will follow the birds north, ending at mid-afternoon. You can bring a lunch or there will be an opportunity to buy something for lunch in Errol. The trip is limited to 16 participants and carpooling is encouraged.

Odiorne Point State Park field trip with the Seacoast Chapter
2026-04-11 08:00 - 10:00
Odiorne Point State Park – Saturday, April 11, 8:15 am
With ocean, bay, marsh, beach, woodland and even a bit of old orchard, Odiorne Point is a magnet for birds. Join trip leader Stuart Varney for a walk around the varied habitats of the park to look for waterfowl, migrating ducks and shorebirds, and early spring passerines. Meet at the main Odiorne Point parking lot at 8:15 (the park opens at 8:00). The walk is expected to last for a couple of hours. A small entrance fee for the park is required. Contact: Stuart Varney at stuart.varney@lonza.com with questions. The trip is limited to 20 participants.
As the trip nears, please visit this website to sign up.

Piscassic Greenway field trip with the Seacoast Chapter
2026-04-17 08:00 - 10:00
Piscassic Greenway, Neal Mill Rd, Newmarket – Friday, April 17th 8:00 AM
Return to Newmarket with Juli Tyson to see who’s arriving for spring. We’ll walk from Newmarket to Newfields on this beautifully diverse trail. From forest, to wetland, to well-managed successional habitat, there’s a vast range of species to be found. Tree Swallows, Belted Kingfishers, herons, warblers, birds of prey, and many more! The walk will be 2 miles or less on flat terrain with a very slow pace, stopping as long as we would like along the wildlife viewing platform at the wetland.
Contact Juli Tyson with questions jstyson17@gmail.com. The trip is limited to 20 participants.
As the trip nears, please visit this website to sign up.
