Loggerhead Shrike sightings in NH

[Iain MacLeod]

I'm glad lots of people got to see the shrike in Laconia yesterday. And, hopefully more will see it today. I did a little digging in ebird on previous sightings in the state, and in the breeding bird atlas for some additional records that haven't made it to ebird. Most of the modern-day records have been one-day (or actually one-minute) wonders and  single observer records. Apparently only one has been photographed in the state prior to yesterday. Thousands of photographs were taken of the bird yesterday.

Loggerheads used to breed in the state until about 1910. After that it became a rare vagrant.

The following records are in ebird:

One is East Conway in 1951

Two records from Dublin – in 1957, 1970.

Monroe ("nesting pair"!) in 1961

Strafford County (seen by George Robbins only) in 1974

Newington (seen by Steve Mirick only) in 1997

Hillsborough (photographed by Robin Feustel only) 2020

The Atlas of Breeding Birds in NH lists the following records that are not in ebird:

Lancaster 1963

Shelbourne 1971

Canterbury 1974

Hebron 1980

Sunapee 1982

Bridgewater 1983

Carroll 1986

So, enjoy this very cooperative bird now. It may be a while before we see one again in NH.

Iain MacLeod

Executive Director

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

PO Box 173, 23 Science Center Road,

Holderness, NH 03245

603-968-7194 x123

www.nhnature.org

[A. Robbins]

Thanks for the great find, Ian. 

We were able to see the Loggerhead Shrike today. 

A little history of George Robbins' Loggerhead Shrike....

He was a college student at UNH when he found it in Durham in 1974. 

He was all excited to see a shrike in NH, since he was hoping it was a Northern Shrike, 

which would have been a life bird for him.....

 

But, he was actually a bit disappointed !!! 

to discover that, instead, it was JUST a Loggerhead, since he had seen plenty of them 

while growing up in Maryland. 

George had no clue how rare a Loggerhead Shrike was in NH until 

he got back to Ornithology class and his professor, Art Borror, told him 

how amazing the record was. 

So, this is his second Loggerhead Shrike for the state, with his first only 50 years ago....

Andrea and George Robbins