Rare Bird Alert, New Hampshire, September 1, 2025.
Mark Suomala
This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Monday, September 1, 2025.
A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment facility on August 30th and 31st. The facility is closed to the public; however, the bird has been visible from the parking lot. A spotting scope is helpful. Do not trespass.
A family group of SANDHILL CRANES consisting of 2 adults and 1 juvenile was seen in fields along Plains Road in Monroe on August 25th and 30th.
3 MISSISSIPPI KITES (2 adults &1 juvenile) were seen in Dover and another 3 MISSISSIPPI KITES (2 adults & 1 juvenile) were seen in Durham during the past week.
A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was seen at East Inlet in Pittsburg on August 30th, and 2 were seen at Airport Marsh in Whitefield on September 1st.
2 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS were seen at the Isles of Shoals on August 31st.
A HUDSONIAN GODWIT was seen in Hampton Harbor on September 1st.
A LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was reported from the Hampton Salt Marsh Conservation Area on August 31st.
4 WILLETS were seen in “Henry’s Pool” in Hampton Marsh on August 29th.
5 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen at the Pease International Tradeport grasslands, and 1 was seen was seen at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment facility all during the past week. The facility is closed to the public; however, the bird has been visible from the parking lot. A spotting scope is helpful. Do not trespass.
A BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was reported from the tiny pond located next to the “Art Barn” on Star Island on August 31st, and a BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was seen at Surry Mountain Lake on August 29th.
A WESTERN SANDPIPER was seen at Plaice Cove in Hampton on August 29th.
A FORSTER’S TERN was seen in Hampton Harbor on August 31st, and 2 LEAST TERNS were seen in Hampton Harbor on September 1st.
A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen at Airport Marsh in Whitefield, and 1 was reported from Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, both on August 30th.
A LEAST BITTERN and an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER were heard at the Piscassic Marsh in Newfields on August 29th.
A juvenile YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen near the intersection of Cross Beach Road and Route 1A in Seabrook on September 1st, and a juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen at Fields Grove City Park in Nashua on August 25th.
Single LITTLE BLUE HERONS were reported from Parson’s Creek Salt Marsh in Rye, the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, and Meadow Pond in Hampton Marsh, all on several days during the past week.
A SNOWY EGRET continues to be seen on the Merrimack River in Boscawen, and was last reported on September 1st. A GREEN HERON was seen at the Upper Coos Recreational Trail in Colebrook on August 30th.
6 BLACK VULTURES were seen at Woodward Road in Westmoreland on August 25th, 4 were seen along Route 155A in Durham on the 26th, and there were several singles and pairs reported from scattered locations.
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was seen on Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, on August 31st.
A few PHILADELPHIA VIREOS were reported from the Lakes Region and the North Country during the past week.
An ORCHARD ORIOLE was reported from Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson on August 30th.
A DICKCISSEL was seen at Goss Farm in Rye on August 31st.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK southbound migration is underway. Highlights from the past week included: 598 seen from Franklin Falls on the 28th, and 466 from the Storrs Street Parking Garage Concord on the 28th, 1,043 seen from the Storrs Street Parking Garage Concord on the 25th, and 477 on the 31st from the Storrs Street Parking Garage Concord.
A nighthawk watch, led by a NH Audubon volunteer, is held in Concord, NH on the roof of the Capitol Commons Parking Garage on 75 Storrs Street every evening (except in bad weather) from mid-August into the first week of September. Numbers of migrating nighthawks are tallied from 5:30 pm to about 7:30 pm. Visitors are welcome.
Some evenings can be an incredible spectacle, but it is not easy to predict when that might happen.
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 e-mail to: bird...@nhaudubon.org. Please put either "bird sighting" or "Rare Bird Alert" in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number. The RBA is also available on-line at the New Hampshire Audubon web site, www.nhaudubon.org
Thanks very much and good birding.
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