NH Audubon and the Shoals Marine Laboratory hosted a terrific trip to Appledore Island September 3-5. The group saw 72 species of bird including a Western Tanager and American Oystercatcher. A highlight for all participants was a chance to see songbirds up close at the bird banding station. A boat trip around the islands gave us a chance to see and learn about the Tern Restoration effort started by NH Audubon and managed now by the Shoals Marine Lab. There were also programs on gull research, Appledore history, tide pools, and island sustainability. Watch for a future offering of this popular trip!

Download pdf of trip in review, bird list and photos.

Complete bird list:

Sept. 3-5, 2018
Canada Goose
Mallard
Common Eider –large flock of 400+ birds at Duck Is.
White-winged Scoter – 2 flybys off White/Seavey Is.
Black Scoter – 1 in the swimming pool area all three days
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rock Pigeon – at the dock
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER – 3 on Duck Is., 4 flew by Appledore
Black-bellied Plover – 1 heard by Becky, 1 on Duck Is.
Semipalmated Plover
Ruddy Turnstone – 2 seen by a few of us at the north end of the island; 1 on Lunging Is.; 1 on Duck Is.
Sanderling – 1 flyby on the boat trip near Lunging Is.
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet – 1 on Duck Is.
Lesser Yellowlegs
Black Guillemot – 3 at Duck Is.
Bonaparte’s Gull – 6 in the river on the boat trip to the islands
Laughing Gull – 1 seen briefly off Duck Is.
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern – 1 sitting on the top of the antenna on Seavey Is.; identified from Victor’s photos
Northern Gannet – 4 adults sitting on Square Rock
Great Cormorant – 1 on Lunging and 1 on Seavey Is.
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron 1 standing on a small rock at dawn
Great Egret – 1 flying upriver on the boat out
Belted Kingfisher – 1 at Crystal Lake
Northern Flicker
Merlin – some close flybys from Kiggins Commons deck
Empidonax sp. – one of the small flycatchers that are usually identified by song
Eastern Phoebe
WESTERN KINGBIRD – 1 on 9/3 flew by the deck as Alexa presented Fire & Water introduction; landed on the lilac bush at the north end of the island and seen in the scope.
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo – 1 by Bartels
Red-eyed Vireo
Common Raven – 1 flew over the river on the boat out
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch – several climbing on the buildings
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher – 2, calling back to Becky’s imitation, seen by a few at Crystal Lake
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing – flocks flying everywhere
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
LARK SPARROW – discovered by Victor when he was reviewing his photos after the trip
Dark-eyed Junco – 1 amazingly early migrant
Song Sparrow – 1 carrying food, very late to be feeding young
Yellow-breasted Chat – a nice treat at the banding station (at least 2)
Bobolink – heard and one finally seen on the north end of the island
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler – at the banding station
Common Yellowthroat
Cape May Warbler – great views from the deck of Kiggins Commons
Magnolia Warbler – 1 glimpsed by a few
Yellow Warbler – 1 seen by a few of us at the north end of the island.
Blackpoll Warbler – 1 at the banding station, their first for the fall
Bay-breasted Warbler – brought up to dinner by David Holmes from the banding station.
Wilson’s Warbler – 1 male at the banding station
Northern Cardinal
DICKCISSEL – 1 at the north end of the island
House Sparrow – at the dock

Total = 72 species (plus Empidonax sp.)