This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, February 17, 2025. (There will not be a Rare Bird Alert next week. The next RBA will be on March 3, 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 February 15th. Please view the feeders from the road and stay off the private property.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen near the north end of River Road at the Connecticut River in Plainfield on February 15th.
A THICK-BILLED MURRE was seen at Great Boar’s Head in Hampton on February 15th.
3 BLACK VULTURES were seen roosting with a few solo TURKEY VULTURES at the Exeter Memorial Hospital on February 11th, and another TURKEY VULTURE was seen flying over Hollis on the 16th.
An ICELAND GULL was seen in downtown Dover on February 15th.
A pair of BARROW’S GOLDENEYES was seen south of the Sewall’s Falls Road bridge on the Merrimack River in Concord, and another pair was seen at Arms Park on the Merrimack River in Manchester, all on February 15th.
3 LESSER SCAUP were seen on Opechee Bay in Laconia on February 15th.
A GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen on the Souhegan in Milford on February 13th.
A RED-THROATED LOON was seen from Scammell Bridge in Dover on February 15th.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen along Reed Road in Colebrook on February 15th.
A flock of 20 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS was seen at NHAudubon’s Dahl Wildlife Sanctuary in Conway on February 15th.
A flock of 6 PINE GROSBEAKS was seen in Bartlett on February 15th.
A flock of 38 EVENING GROSBEAKS was seen along Bailey Road in Jefferson on February 13th, and a flock 10 was seen at Trumpet Round Road in Sugar Hill on the 15th.
A PINE WARBLER was seen at a private residence in Somersworth on February 16th.
4 AMERICAN PIPITS and a PALM WARBLER were seen at Plaice Cove in Hampton on several days during the past week, and 3 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen at North Side Park in Hampton on February 10th.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was seen along Old Newport Road in Claremont on February 15th, 1 was seen at a private residence in Auburn on the 16th, and 2 were seen at Hampton Beach on the 15th.
A flock of over 40 SNOW BUNTINGS was seen feeding on the ground under a birdfeeder at a private residence in Somersworth on February 13th.
A female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was seen at 512 Broad Street in Portsmouth on February 16th.
Lingering species reported during the past week included: PEREGRINE FALCON, AMERICAN KESTREL, NORTHERN HARRIER, MERLIN, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, CAROLINA WREN, WINTER WREN, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, HERMIT THRUSH, EASTERN FISHCROW, TOWHEE, SONG SPARROW, SAVANNAH SPARROW, 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.