Rare Bird Alert, New Hampshire, March 2, 2026
Mark Suomala
-RBA
*New Hampshire
*March 2, 2026
*NHNH0302.26
This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Monday, March 2nd, 2026.
A KING EIDER was seen at Pulpit Rocks in Rye on February 22nd.
A THICK-BILLED MURRE was seen at North Hampton State Beach on February 24th.
5 BRANT were seen in Rye Harbor on March 1st.
A male BARROW’S GOLDENEYE continues to be seen at the Lochmere Dam on Silver Lake in Tilton and another male BARROW’S GOLDENEYE continues to be seen at the Granite Street Bridge, and at Arms Park, on the Merrimack River in Manchester, all during the past week.
1-2 GADWALLS were seen at North Hampton State Beach and coastal Rye on several days during the past week.
A RING-NECKED DUCK, a LESSER SCAUP, and a GREATER SCAUP were seen at Bridge Street Park in Lebanon on several days during the past week.
An ICELAND GULL was seen in coastal Hampton on February 28th.
2 BLACK VULTURES and 20 TURKEY VULTURES were seen soaring over Exeter, and a BLACK VULTURE was seen flying over Keene, all on February 28th.
A MERLIN was seen on Long Island Road in Moultonborough on February 28th.
A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen in Rochester, and 1 was seen Durham, both during the past week.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen on Reed Road in Colebrook on February 27th.
A BALTIMORE ORIOLE continues to be seen in Kingston and was last reported on February 23rd.
A flock of 40 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS was seen on Chellis Road in Plainfield on February 28th.
EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported from Jefferson, Lancaster, Berlin, and Deerfield during the past week.
A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was seen on Mechanic Street in Gorham on February 25th.
A few FISH CROWS have been reported from Concord, Exeter, Dover, Durham, Madbury, Newmarket, and Hampton during the past week. These have been identified mainly by their vocalizations which sound different than AMERICAN CROW vocalizations.
A WINTER WREN was reported from Hanover, and 1 was reported from Durham, both on March 1st.
A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was seen at Mechanic Street in Gorham on February 23rd. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was seen in Durham, and 1 was seen in Dover, both on March 1st. A NORTHERN FLICKER was seen on Proctor Road in Jaffrey on February 26th, and 1 was reported from Concord on the 25th.
A HERMIT THRUSH continues to be seen in Gilford, and was last reported on March 1st.
A few blackbirds were starting to be seen during the past week, typical for this time of year.
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 bird...@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.
Thanks very much and good birding!
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