This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, April 7, 2025.

A HARRIS’ SPARROW was found at the New Hampshire Fish & Game Bellamy River Wildlife Management Area in Dover on January 13th. It was first seen next to the entrance road and then across the street on the ground below a birdfeeder in the front yard of a private residence and was last reported on April 4th. Please view the feeders from the road and stay off the private property.

There was an unconfirmed report of a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD from River Road in Lyme on April 1st.

3 SANDHILL CRANES were seen in fields along Route 135 in Monroe on April 2nd, and 2 were seen at Sherman’s Farm in Conway on the 5th.

An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on April 5th.

A CASPIAN TERN was seen at Horseshoe Pond in Concord on April 4th, and 2 were seen along the Connecticut River from Bellows Falls Road in Charlestown on the 4th.

A FORSTER’S TERN was seen at Powder Mill Pond in Hillsborough on April 3rd.

A COMMON EIDER was seen at the Wilder Dam in Lebanon on April 4th.

3 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen at Spofford Lake in Chesterfield on April 3rd, and 1 was seen at Lower Baker Pond in Orford on the 3rd.

A BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen at Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on April 2nd, and a GADWALL was seen near the Connecticut River in Colebrook on the 4th.

2 RUDDY DUCKS were seen at Adams Point in Durham on April 2nd.

A RED-THROATED LOON was seen at Hilton Park in Dover on April 5th, and 1 was seen at Adams Point in Durham on the 2nd.

A LESSER YELLOWLEGS was seen at pools south of Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on April 3rd.

At least 12 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were reported during the past week, mainly from Rockingham and Strafford Counties.

A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was seen at Smith Fields in Greenland on April 5th, and 2 were seen at Krif Road in Keene on April 1st.

An ICELAND GULL and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Pickering Ponds in Rochester on April 4th.

A GLAUCOUS GULL was seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on April 5th.

There was an influx of inland BONAPARTE’S GULL sightings during the past week, including 30 at the Hinsdale Setbacks on the Connecticut River, 24 on the Connecticut River in Hanover, and 28 at Jackson’s Landing in Durham. These birds are headed to their breeding grounds in Canada.

At least 9 SNOWY EGRETS and 3 GREAT EGRETS were seen along the coast during the past week.

3 BLACK VULTURES were seen from Bullard Drive in Lyndeborough on April 2nd and 3 were seen along Collins Way in Pelham on the 4th.

A few NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS (2 in Nashua, 4 in Concord, 2 in Hampton, and 1 in Rochester) and BARN SWALLOWS (4 in Hampton, 3 in Salem, 2 in Epping, 1 in Bedford, and 1 in Madbury) trickled into the state during the past week.

14 CHIMNEY SWIFTS were seen in downtown Exeter on April 5th.

Lingering and/or returning species reported during the past week included: KILLDEER, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, AMERICAN KESTREL, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, EASTERN PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, AMERICAN PIPIT, PINE WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, FISH CROW, EASTERN TOWHEE, SWAMP SPARROW, CHIPPING SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, and FIELD SPARROW.

This message is also available by phone recording: call (603) 224-9909 and press 4 as directed or ask to be transferred. To leave a message about a rare bird without listening to the recording first, press 2.

If you have seen any interesting birds recently, you can leave a message at the end of the recording or send your sightings to the RBA via email. Please put either “bird sighting” or “Rare Bird Alert” in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number.

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Learn more about birds and birding in New Hampshire with New Hampshire Bird Records (read a free article in each issue). This quarterly publication is produced by NH Audubon thanks to the work of many volunteers. It is available for free in digital format to all NH Audubon members, and also by print for an additional fee.

Thanks very much and good birding.