This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, April 20, 2026.
A WHITE-FACED IBIS and 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen from Huckleberry Lane in Hampton on April 20th.
A GLOSSY IBIS was seen along Birch Street in Concord on several days and was last reported on April 20th.
A LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on April 18th.
A SANDHILL CRANE was seen at Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on April 18th, and 1 was seen flying over the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness on the 17th.
A COMMON MURRE and 2 LAUGHING GULLS were seen at Jeffrey’s Ledge in NH waters on April 14th. An ICELAND GULL was seen in coastal Hampton on April 18th.
26 BONAPARTE’S GULLS were tallied at the Hinsdale Setbacks at the Connecticut River, and 32 were seen in Wilson Pond in Swanzey, all on the 19th. Single BONAPARTE’S GULLS were reported from Walpole, Charlestown, Rochester, and Durham during the past week.
A CASPIAN TERN was seen at Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on April 15th, and 3 were seen at Surry Mountain Lake in Surry on the 16th.
10 COMMON TERNS were seen at the Hinsdale Setbacks on April 19th.
An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was seen along the coast at Rye Ledge on April 20th.
2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen from Huckleberry Lane on April 20th.A LESSER YELLOWLEGS was reported from coastal Hampton on April 15th. A WILLET was seen at Goss Farm in Rye on April 17th.
There was an unconfirmed report of SOLITARY SANDPIPER from Pleasant Lake in New London on April 15th. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was seen in Sugar Hill, 1 was seen in Concord, 2 were seen in Benton, 3 were seen in Rochester, and 2 were seen in Salem, all during the past week.
A GREATER SCAUP was seen at Lake Massabesic in Manchester on April 17th.
4 COMMON GOLDENEYE were seen at the Hinsdale Setbacks on April 20th, 1 was seen at Lake Sunapee on the 19th, and 6 were seen at Rye Ledge on the 20th.
A RUDDY DUCK was seen at the Elm Brook Recreation Area in Hopkinton on April 17th.
3 BLACK VULTURES were seen in Concord, 2 were seen in New Boston, and single birds were seen in Exeter, Dover, Newmarket, and Rochester
An AMERICAN GOSHAWK was seen at Hoit Road Marsh in Concord on April 18th.
A WHITE-EYED VIREO was seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on April 18th.
A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was seen in Conway on April 17th, 1 was seen Hampton on the 16th, and 1 was seen in New London on the 16th.
A flock of 14 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in Pinkham Notch in the White Mountains on April 18th.
An EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL was heard along Bullard Drive in Lyndeborough on April 18th.
26 EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported from Deerfield on April 19th.
There were several reports of BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, NORTHERN YELLOW WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, NORTHERN HOUSE WREN, and BROWN THRASHER, all during the past week.
A WOOD THRUSH was reported from Bedford on April 19th.
A BLUE-HEADED VIREO was seen in Newbury on April 13th.
An OVENBIRD was reported from New London on April 18th.
There were unconfirmed reports of a CHIMNEY SWIFT, a BANK SWALLOW, and 2 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS all during the past week. This is early for these species.
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.