Date: 2/14/26 12:40 pm From: Tom Momeyer <tom...> Subject: [NHBirds] Re: Snow buntings in Peterborough
Fyi, a friend reported 24 snow buntings today at the same location. Best
view is to drive on Evans Road, Peterborough, to the end and continue into
the circular drive leading to Evans Flats trailhead. When halfway around
the circle look to the large plowed grassy area with lage pushed up snow at
the right side of the cleared area. The snow buntings have been foraging in
the exposed grass and soil areas for the past two days - may be hit or miss
as to when they're present. They sometimes fly up as a group, circle the
clearing, landscapes on utility wires, and go back to the ground to forage.
Someone emailed me and said that the reason they don't show up in an eBird
Species maps search is due to Hillsborough County having an eBird filter
set to allow 20 or fewer numbers 'go through' for this time of year and for
higher than 20 (I had 21 yesterday, someone else had 24 today) it triggers
an eBird reviewer requirement. They noted backlogs in review work lasting
quite long in some cases. So, apparently any number count higher than the
filter setting sits quietly, hidden, and unknown to the general eBird user
and may be accessible to people with higher levels of access to eBird data.
Tom Momeyer
Peterborough, NH
On Friday, February 13, 2026 at 10:07:50 PM UTC-5 Tom Momeyer wrote:
> Fyi... 21 snow buntings today at/adjacent to Evans Flats trailhead, Evans
> Road, Peterborough today, in a large grassed area where the town plows the
> snow (some exposed soil). Reported to eBird right away, on site. Using
> eBird species maps this evening, they don't show, but other species
> reported do. I counted carefully by binoculars on the ground and on a
> nearby utility wire scanning carefully and there were no horned larks or
> lapland longspurs.
>
> Someone told me there is a filter on eBird for anything over 20 that a
> reviewer has to approve. That sounds 'fishy' to me, as there was no alert
> of high count using the mobile app. Sibley shows our area as normal winter
> range. I've counted over 100 in a previous year a Rt Hampton Beach SP and a
> lot higher than 20 at Pinnacle Equipment near the CT River.
>
> Why would the snow buntings report of snow buntings not show on eBird
> species maps?
>
> Tom Momeyer
> PPeterborough, NH
>
>
