(by Lindsay Herlihy)
Following Becky Suomala’s retirement from NH Audubon in the fall of 2024, I was honored to step in to coordinate Project Nighthawk in May of 2025. With the help of a dedicated team of volunteers, we continued to monitor breeding activity and behaviors for Common Nighthawks in NH with a special focus on the Steeplegate Mall in Concord. The Mall has a large stone roof ideal for Common Nighthawk nesting, and it has been one of the few reliable locations for nighthawk breeding success in the state. However, the Mall is slated for demolition starting in September 2025. Given the importance of this site for NH’s nighthawks, it remains critical for NH Audubon to monitor how this state-endangered species utilizes the Mall, and how they respond to changes related to demolition and future construction. The following are highlights from the 2025 Project Nighthawk season:
- Two territorial male Common Nighthawks consistently displayed at the Steeplegate Mall from early June through late August.
- One of the Mall males successfully courted a female; after an initial nest failure in June following heavy downpours, they re-nested and successfully raised one chick.
- The fledgling from the Steeplegate Mall nest was observed on 8/6 attempting to hunt insects by making short, sallying flights from the ground up to the lights around the entrance to the Zoo Health Club. This behavior was a treat to see!
- A coordinated watch held in Concord in mid-June yielded a second confirmed nest on a rooftop along Chenell Drive, along with at least two suspected nests in local gravel pits. Unfortunately, the Chenell Drive nest failed in mid-July and the adults were not spotted again.
- A coordinated watch in Ossipee yielded several probable Common Nighthawk nests throughout the Ossipee Pine Barrens.
- An additional nighthawk nest with eggs was spotted on Black Cap Mountain and reported to NH Audubon in July. While we were unable to monitor this nest due to its remote location and distance from Concord, we hope that the Black Cap pair was able to successfully raise its young.
Common Nighthawk migration is now underway! We will continue to monitor the nighthawk family at the Steeplegate Mall until they depart the area for fall migration. A robust breeding population of Common Nighthawks in Canada provides an awe-inspiring migration spectacle in the evening skies over NH. Efforts to observe and count migrating nighthawks from the roof of the Capitol Commons Parking Garage will run every night (weather permitting) from August 17 through approximately September 14.
Project Nighthawk is funded entirely by private donations. Contributions may be made online here (under Gift Designation, select Project Nighthawk.)