Upcoming Activities

Field Trip:  Woodcock Walk
Thursday, April 19, 7:30 pm
Meet Rob Woodward for his annual EVENING walk in search of American Woodcock. If you’ve never witnessed the mating displays of this bird, you’re in for treat! Bring a flashlight and meet at the McLane Center at Silk Farm. Contact: Rob Woodward at 224-0889 (evenings)

Field Trip: Early Songbirds Along the Merrimack
Saturday, April 28, 7 am to noon.
The Merrimack River Valley is more than a corridor for waterfowl in spring. For this trip we’ll travel south to the southernmost tip of Merrimack County in Hooksett to see what passerines are just starting to arrive in central NH. Meet at the Park-n-Ride at Bow Junction (end of I-89). Contact: Pam Hunt at biodiva@myfairpoint.net or 753-9137 (evenings)

Field Trip:  “Before Work Walk”– Horseshoe Pond
Friday, May 11, 6:30 am
Get your fill of spring migrants before heading off to work (or not!). Join Rob Woodward for what has become a surprisingly popular annual trip to see new spring migrants.  Trip ends by 8:00 a.m. Contact:  Rob Woodward at 224-0889 (evenings)

Field Trip: Spring Migrants in the Outer Reaches of Merrimack County
Sunday, May 13, 2012. 7 am to Noon or so.
Join Bob Quinn at a new spot and spend the morning searching for migrants in an area with lots of habitats and birds. We will be birding the edge of Danbury Bog on foot and exploring the untapped birding region of Andover & Danbury, for water birds and warblers in an area that has great potential.  Be prepared for some wet walking but on mostly flat and easy terrain.  Meet at the junction of Routes 4 and 11 in Andover.  Contact Bob Quinn at 746-2535 (daytimes) or RAQbirds@aol.com.

Field Trip:  Clough State Park, Weare
Saturday, May 19,  7 am
Follow Rob Woodward in search of Spring migrants. With its variety of habitats, this popular location should provide us with many species of warblers and other birds.  Meet at the end of Sugar Hill Road off Rt. 77 in Weare. Contact Rob Woodward, 224-0889 (evenings)

Field Trip:  Pawtuckaway State Park
Saturday, June 2, 7 am
Search for common and uncommon breeding species in a beautiful woodland setting. Meet Rob Wooodward under the powerlines on Reservation Road off Route 107. Contact: Rob Woodward at 224-0889 (evenings)

Field Trip: Morning Canoeing/Birding on the Merrimack River
Saturday, June 9, 6:30 am to noon.
Bring your canoe or kayak and join us for a morning of drifting down the Merrimack River from Boscawen to Penacook as we look for birds along the way. We’ll stop at a beach or sandbar for a swim. Bring snacks or a light meal, as we will be on the river until midday. Pre-registration is required for this trip (but no cost). Meet at the Hannah Dustin Park ’N Ride on Route 4 West, off I-93 Exit 17. Contact Bob Quinn at raqbirds@aol.com.

Field Trip: Concord Airport
Saturday, June 16, 7:30 am
Join Dave Howe in search of Grasshopper Sparrows and other grassland species.Meet at the north end of the Concord Airport parking lot on Airport Road, Concord. For more information call Dave Howe at 224-9298 or email him at dmahowe@comcast.net.

Field Trip: Exploring Henniker
Saturday, June 30, 7am to noon.
Henniker is another largely underbirded area of Merrimack County, although new birder Aiden Moser is starting to change that. Aiden will co-lead this trip with Pam Hunt, and we’ll visit sites largely within the Army Corps flood control lands in search of local breeding birds. Meet at Amy Brook Park (off Old Concord Road in Henniker) at 7:00 or the McLane Center at 6:30. For more info contact Lynnea Koester @ 428-8313.

Field Trip: Hike up Mt. Sunapee, including Lake Solitude.
Sunday, July 8, Hike starts at 7:00 am, see below for meeting options.
At 2700 feet, Mt. Sunapee is the second highest peak in Merrimack County, and historically had potential breeding records of species like Bicknell’s Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, and Rusty Blackbird. It’s very rarely visited by birders however, so who knows what species occur there today. The goal of this trip is to find out. This is a 5-6 mile (round trip) hike with a vertical gain of 1500′. Bring a lunch and expect to return early-mid afternoon. Hike will depart from the Andrews Brook trailhead along Mountain Road in Newbury, about 1.25 miles south of Route 103. People coming from Concord can carpool from the McLane center: meet a 6:00. Contact Pam Hunt at biodiva@myfairpoint.net or 753-9137. Advance notice requested – we don’t want to leave anyone behind!

Field Trip: Afternoon Canoeing/birding on the Merrimack River
Saturday, July 14, 1:00 pm – Ends at dusk.
Bring your canoe or kayak and join us for an afternoon of drifting down the Merrimack River from Boscawen to Penacook as we look for birds along the way. We’ll stop at a beach or sandbar for a swim. Bring snacks or a light meal, as we will be on the river until evening. Pre-registration is required for this trip (but no cost). Meet at the Hannah Dustin Park ’N Ride on Route 4 West, off I-93 Exit 17. Contact Bob Quinn at raqbirds@aol.com.

Field Trip: Horseshoe Pond
Saturday, August 18, 8:00 am
August is one of the quieter times of year for birding, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t birds to be found and as we head into the end of August early migrants are on the move. Join Dave Howe for a morning of birding at this popular spot for both water and land birds. Meet at the parking lot at Horseshoe Pond Place at 26-28 Commercial Street, Concord. For more information call Dave Howe at 224-9298 or email him at dmahowe@comcast.net.

Field Trip(s): Common Nighthawk Migration
Late August, pm (days TBD)
Witness hundreds of nighthawks migrating past Concord. Rob Woodward will spearhead the Nighthawk Migration Count in late August. Watch for Details on the NH Birds listserv. Contact: Rob Woodward 224-0889 (evenings)