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This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, May 27, 2024

This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, May 27, 2024

A PACIFIC LOON and 2 RED-THROATED LOONS were seen off of Pulpit Rocks in Rye on May 25th.

4 WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS were seen along the coast between the Isles of Shoals and coastal Rye on May 24th, and a SOOTY SHEARWATER was seen offshore on the 27th.

An American Oystercatcher was seen from Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, on May 25th. (Photo by Jim Sparrell. American Oystercatcher at Odiorne State Park in NH, June 2022.)

An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was seen from Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, on May 25th.

A flock of 40 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS was seen on mudflats on The Nature Conservancy’s Lubberland Creek Preserve in Newmarket on May 25th.

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. A few LEAST TERNS and PIPING PLOVERS are nesting at Hampton Beach and Seabrook Beach. Please be aware of these birds and give them space to forage and raise their families.

A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen at Magill Bay on the Androscoggin River in Dummer on May 27th.

2 MISSISSIPPI KITES were seen flying overhead at Stratham Hill Park on May 26th, and 1 was seen in the Woodridge Park area in Durham on the 24th. In the past, this species has nested in small numbers in Newmarket, Stratham, and Durham.

A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen in Lancaster on May 26th.

A BLACK VULTURE was seen in the Connecticut River Valley in North Haverhill on May 25th, and 1 was seen in Newmarket on the 26th.

2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen in fields along Route 13 in New Boston on May 24th, and 1 was seen flying overhead from Trudeau Road in Bethlehem on the 25th.

A LEAST BITTERN was reported from Cranberry Pond wetlands behind the Price Chopper in West Lebanon on May 25th.

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 May 22nd and 23rd. This is the rarest form of this hybrid. A HOODED WARBLER was seen at the Seabrook Town Forest and Wellfield on May 22nd.

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 27th. (One observer reported seeing 2 on the 25th.) 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 WHITE-EYED VIREO was seen found in the thickets at the end of Friesian Street (35 Arch Street) in Dover on May 22nd.

A PHILADELPHIA VIREO was reported at Spinney Lane and Durham Reservoir on May 22nd. 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.

At least 2 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were reported from the Concord Airport, 2 were reported from the Cemetery Fields in Amherst, 5 were reported from Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Swanzey, 1 was reported from the Haynes Dairy in Claremont, 3 were reported from the old raceway in Hinsdale, and 2 were reported from Notch View Farm in Chatham, all during the past week.

4 RED CROSSBILLS were seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on May 21st, and a few were reported from scattered locations during the past week. A few WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were also reported from scattered locations.

A GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH was reported from Deerfield on May 21st, and 4 BICKNELL’S THRUSHES were reported from the Mt Washington Auto Road on the 26th.

An ORCHARD ORIOLE was seen at 20 Mechanic Street in Gorham on May 23rd, and 1 was seen in Hanover on the 27th.

A WILLOW FLYCATCHER was seen in Whitefield and 1 was seen in Jefferson, both during the past week.

A RUDDY DUCK was seen at Nutts Pond in Manchester on May 23rd and 25th.

2 BUFFLEHEADS were seen in Londonderry on the May 21st.

A COMMON GOLDENEYE was seen at coastal Rye on May 23rd.

7 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen on the Connecticut River in Lebanon on May 22nd.

This message is also available by phone recording: call (603) 224-9909 and press 4 as directed or ask to be transferred.

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.

Available NOW:
Birding Northern New Hampshire by Robert A. Quinn
Boreal birds and dramatic vistas await you most any time of the year in New Hampshire’s North Country. Follow birder and naturalist Robert A. Quinn’s detailed new guide, Birding Northern New Hampshire, to the best birding in northern Coos County. All proceeds go to NH Audubon. For more info and to order a copy, check out this link.

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.