A CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR was seen at Otter Brook Lake in Keene/Roxbury on May 19th and 20th. The park is closed for the season, but open to foot-travel. The LONGSPUR has been seen in short grass at the north end of the lake, near a row of boulders. Normally found in upland prairies of the Midwest from Canada to Mexico, rare elsewhere.

At least 16 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were reported from the Concord Airport, 2 were reported from the Cemetery Fields in Amherst, 1 was reported from the Pease International Tradeport in Newington, 1 was reported from the old raceway in Hinsdale, and 1 was reported from Tecce’s Fields on Route 155A in Durham, all during the past week.

2 NELSON’S SPARROWS were seen and/or heard in the salt marshes located off the end of Pollock Drive in Rye on May 17th.

A HOODED WARBLER was seen along Lake View Drive in Strafford on May 14th.

A CERULEAN WARBLER was seen at the Mount Wantastiquet Natural Area in Chesterfield/Hinsdale on May 13th and continued to be seen there during the past week. It was last reported on the 19th. It has been consistently seen and heard along the trail about 1-mile from the trailhead parking area. Be aware that there are BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS in the area that sound similar, so a “heard only” identification is probably insufficient, and a visual sighting will be needed to confirm your identification for NH Bird Records or eBird.

A LAWRENCE’S WARBLER, which is a hybrid between a BLUE-WINGED WARBLER and a GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, was seen at the Seabrook Town Forest and Wellfield on several days during the past week. This is the rarest form of this hybrid.

A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen flying overhead at Stratham Hill Park, and 2 were seen in the Woodridge Park area in Durham, all on May 15th. In the past, this species has nested in small numbers in Newmarket, Stratham, and Durham.

2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on May 16th.

A TRICOLORED HERON, and 2 LITTLE BLUE HERONS (adult and immature), were seen along the coast in Rye and North Hampton several times during the past week.

A LEAST BITTERN was reported from Cranberry Pond wetlands behind the Price Chopper in West Lebanon, and 1 was reported from the Piscassic River WMA along Cuba Road and Trails East in Newfields and Exeter, both on several days during the past week.

2 CASPIAN TERNS were seen flying east-north-east in Sandwich on May 14th.

A BLACK TERN and 3 ATLANTIC PUFFINS were seen at White and Seavey Islands at the Isles of Shoals on May 16th.

Many COMMON TERNS and ROSEATE TERNS are at nesting sites on White and Seavey Islands at the Isles of Shoals, and some of them were seen along the coast during the past week.

An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was seen from Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, and 1 was seen along the coast, both during the past week.

A BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was seen at Bartlett Beach in Laconia on May 19th.

6 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were seen along Cross Beach Road in Seabrook on May 13th, and a RUDDY TURNSTONE was seen at Rye Harbor State Park on the 15th.

2 BUFFLEHEADS were seen at the Panorama Golf Course in Colebrook on May 15th, 2 were seen at Akers Pond in Errol on the 14th, 5 were seen at Lake Umbagog NWR on the 15th, and 2 were seen in Londonderry on the 19th.

A COMMON GOLDENEYE was seen at coastal Hampton on May 18th.

A flock of 14 RED CROSSBILLS was seen in Keene on May 18th, and a few were reported from scattered locations during the past week.

At least 2 PHILADELPHIA VIREOS were seen on Star Island, one of the Isles Shoals, during the past week. Note: Be aware that RED-EYED VIREOS sound similar to PHILADELPHIA VIREOS, so a “heard only” PHILADELPHIA VIREO identification is probably insufficient, and a visual sighting will be needed to confirm your identification for NH Bird Records or eBird.

2 ORCHARD ORIOLES was seen at Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on May 17th.

A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was seen in Sandwich on May 17th, 1 was seen in Alexandria on the 17th, and 2 were seen at Mud Pond in the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson on the 18th.

A HORNED LARK was seen at the Concord Airport, where they nest, on May 17th.

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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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Thanks very much and good birding.