This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Monday, September 27th, 2021.

Birders on a weekend visit to Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, reported the following highlights: a LAZULI BUNTING (seen leaving the island early-on), 2 INDIGO BUNTINGS, 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, 2 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, 4 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, a “heard-only” UPLAND SANDPIPER, 3 CASPIAN TERNS, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, 2 BOBOLINKS, 4 YELLOW WARBLERS, a BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, a “heard-only” BLUE GROSBEAK, and 2 DICKCISSELS.

A male HOODED WARBLER, and a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW were seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on September 25th and 26th.

A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was seen in the Meadow Pond area of Hampton on September 26th.

A BAY-BREASTED WARBLER was seen at Lake Sunapee on September 25th.

A CANADA WARBLER was seen at the Thorne Pond Conservation Area in Bartlett on September 21st, and 1 was reported from Waterville Valley on the 25th.

An AMERICAN COOT was seen on west Lake Massabesic in Manchester on September 25th.

An adult LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen at the Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area in Brentwood on September 21st, and a juvenile LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen at Witch Island in Hampton on the 23rd.

A GREAT EGRET was seen in Monroe on September 25th.

A WESTERN SANDPIPER was seen in coastal Hampton on September 22nd.

Single DICKCISSEL sightings were reported from Goss Farm in Rye, Greeley Park in Nashua, and Woodmont Orchard in Hollis, all during the past week.

A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported from Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on September 21st and 22nd.

A CHIMNEY SWIFT was seen flying over Pack Monadnock on September 21st.

A COMMON NIGHTHAWK was seen in Antrim on September 24th, and 1 was seen in Center Harbor on the 21st.

A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was seen in Portsmouth on September 27th, and 1 was reported from Newfields on the 26th.

A late-migrating EASTERN KINGBIRD, and several late-migrating VEERYS and WOOD THRUSHES were reported, all during the past week.

Hawk migration is under way and observers have already counted over 7,124 raptors from the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory. Be sure to visit and help the official counters!

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.

Thanks very much and good birding.

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