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News & Events

This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, December 18, 2023

At least 8 DOVEKIES and 5 RAZORBILLS were seen on the Piscataqua River in New Castle and coastal Portsmouth on December 18th.

At least 8 Dovekies and 5 Razorbills were seen on the Piscataqua River in New Castle and coastal Portsmouth on December 18. (Photo by Steve Mirick. Razorbills in Rye, NH. December, 2021.)

A male KING EIDER was seen from Hampton Beach State Park on December 14th.

A male HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen flying off of Great Boar’s Head in Hampton on December 16th.

A male BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was seen near the Granite Street Bridge on the Merrimack River in Manchester on December 16th.

A SNOW GOOSE was seen at Horseshoe Pond in Concord on December 16th.

A REDHEAD, a GREATER SCAUP, and 2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were seen on Spofford Lake on December 17th.

2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were seen flying near Back Lake Road in Pittsburg on December 17th.

A pair of GADWALL was seen at the Ashland Wastewater Treatment Facility, a pair was seen on the Connecticut River in Charlestown, and a pair was seen on Upper Peverly Pond in Newington, all during the past week.

A NORTHERN PINTAIL was seen on Lake Sunapee on December 16th, and a DOUBLE -CRESTED CORMORANT was seen on Lake Winnipesauke in Meredith on the 13th.

A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS and 4 ICELAND GULLS were all seen at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant during the past week. The treatment plant is gated and the hours of operation are 7:30-2:00 on weekdays. If you visit, please park in a designated spot at the main building and be out of the plant by 1:45 so that plant personnel do not have to ask birders to leave. Do not drive on the dikes and do not block the road. The Trails at Pickering Ponds, located east of the plant, are not gated, and are always open during daylight hours.

An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER continued to be seen at Bicentennial Park in Hampton and was last reported on December 13th.

A VIRGINIA’S WARBLER continues to be seen at Bicentennial Park in Hampton and was last reported on December 17th.

3 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were seen at Bicentennial Park in Hampton on several days during the past week. 1 was last reported on December 17th.

2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 2 WILSON’S WARBLERS, a PALM WARBLER, and a YELLOW WARBLER were seen at the Hampton Wastewater Treatment Pland on several days during the past week, and were last reported on December 16th.

A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was seen at a private residence in Durham on December 17th.

A NASHVILLE WARBLER was seen at the UNH Main Campus in Durham on December 13th, and 3 PALM WARBLERS were seen in Stratham on December 16th.

An AMERICAN REDSTART was seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on the 16th.

A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was reported from Wilson Pond in Keene and 1 was reported from Garvin’s Falls Road in Bow, both on December 17th.

2 PINE WARBLERS were seen in Newmarket on December 17th.

A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen at Day Road, in Perry Stream, Pittsburg, on December 16th, 1 was seen at the Thorne Pond Conservation Area in Bartlett on the 16th, and 1 was seen at Ossipee Mountain Road in Moultonborough on the 12th.

A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was reported from the Deerfield Fair Grounds on December 14th.

4 BLACK VULTURES were seen flying over Exeter on December 13th, and 1 was seen flying over Walpole on the 12th.

A flock of 8 EVENING GROSBEAKS was seen at Round Pond Road in Pittsburg on December 17th, and 4 PINE GROSBEAKS were reported from Crawford Notch in the White Mountains on December 16th.

A flock of 16 RED CROSSBILLS was reported from Lamson Farm in Mont Vernon, a flock of 12 was reported from Allenstown, a flock of 18 was reported from Oak Hill Road in Brookline, a flock of 10 was reported from Pleasant Street in Antrim, a flock of 11 was reported from North Pack Monadnock, and a flock of 10 was reported from Peterborough, and smaller numbers were reported from scattered locations, all during the past week. 7 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were reported from the Wapack Trail between Pack Monadnock and North Pack Monadnock on December 16th.

A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was seen at South Mill Pond in Portsmouth on December 16th, and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was reported from Morrill’s Farm in Penacook on December 17th.

A WILSON’S SNIPE was seen in Portsmouth on December 17th.

Additional lingering migrant species reported during the past week included: WOOD DUCK, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, MERLIN, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, HERMIT THRUSH, EASTERN PHOEBE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, AMERICAN PIPIT, MARSH WREN, HOUSE WREN, WINTER WREN, GRAY CATBIRD, BROWN THRASHER, EASTERN TOWHEE, LINCOLN’S SPARROW, FIELD SPARROW, CHIPPING SPARROW, SWAMP SPARROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

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 email. Please put either “bird sighting” or “Rare Bird Alert” in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number.

NEW! Hot off the presses:
Birding Northern New Hampshire by Robert A. Quinn
Boreal birds and dramatic vistas await you most any time of the year in New Hampshire’s North Country. Follow birder and naturalist Robert A. Quinn’s detailed new guide, Birding Northern New Hampshire, to the best birding in northern Coos County. All proceeds go to NH Audubon. For more info and to order a copy, check out this link.

Learn more about birds and birding in New Hampshire with New Hampshire Bird Records (read a free article in each issue). This quarterly publication is produced by NH Audubon thanks to the work of many volunteers. It is available for free in digital format to all NH Audubon members, and also by print for an additional fee.

Thanks very much and good birding.