Date: 4/6/26 12:27 pm From: Mark Suomala <suomalamark...> Subject: [NHBirds] Rare Bird Alert, New Hampshire, April 6, 2026
This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for April 6th, 2026.
A male KING EIDER that had been seen at Four Tree Island and at Peirce
Island in Portsmouth was last reported on March 30th.
4 BARROW’S GOLDENEYES were reported from Horseshoe Pond in Concord on April
1st.
A BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen at Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on
April 1st.
A SNOW GOOSE was seen at Horseshoe Pond in Concord on April 6th.
A SANDHILL CRANE was seen at Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill on April
1st, 2 were seen along Deerfield Road in Nottingham on April 5th, 2 were
seen in a cornfield along Langley Parkway in Concord on March 30th, and 2
were seen in fields at Lackie Farm in Bath on April 3rd.
2 CASPIAN TERNS were seen at Wilder Dam Reservoir in Lebanon on April 4th.
There was a north-bound flight of BONAPARTE’S GULLS seen mainly on April 3rd,
including over 100 tallied from the Ferry Landing Boat Launch on the
Connecticut River in Claremont, 60 seen at Elm Brook Recreation Area in
Hopkinton, 28 seen at the Wilder Dam Reservoir in Lebanon, 4 seen at Post
Pond in Lyme, 2 seen at Wi1son Pond in Swanzey, and 1 seen at King Hill
Road in New London
An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Huckleberry Lane in Hampton on April 5th
and 6th, and 1 was seen at Airport Road in Swanzey on April 1st.
A GLOSSY IBIS was seen flying over Pickering Ponds in Rochester on March 30
th.
At least 8 SNOWY EGRETS and 4 GREAT EGRETS were seen along the coast during
the past week
More north-bound GREATER YELLOWLEGS were seen during the past week,
including at 4 in Durham, 3 in Hampton, and 3 in Rye.
A DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT was seen at Horseshoe Pond in Concord on March 31
st.
2 MERLINS was seen in Bartlett, 1 was seen in Conway, 1 was in Errol, and 1
was seen Colebrook, all during the past week.
2 BLACK VULTURES were seen Claremont, 1 was seen in Portsmouth, and 1 was
seen in Hopkinton, all on April 4th.
There were several unconfirmed reports of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS during the
past week. Note - this is earlier than usual but it is not unheard of.
Also, BLUE JAYS are known to mimic BROAD-WINGED HAWKS vocalizations.
A flock of nearly 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS was seen in Durham on March 31st
26 EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported from Deerfield on April 1st.
A BALTIMORE ORIOLE continues to be seen in Kingston and was last reported
on April 1st.
A GRAY CATBIRD was reported from Concord on April 4th.
A BROWN THRASHER was seen in Rye on April 5th, and 1 was seen in Hudson on
the 1st.
2 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS were seen at Front Park on Lake Massabesic
in Auburn on April 3rd, and 1 was seen at Pickering Ponds in Rochester on
April 5th.
A BARN SWALLOW was seen at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth on April
4th.
At least 7 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were reported from scattered locations
during the past week.
A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was reported from Hollis on April 4th.
PINE WARBLERS and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS have trickled-in and at least 10
PALM WARBLERS were seen in scattered locations during the past week.
At least 7 HERMIT THRUSHES were reported during the past week.
AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were reported from numerous locations during the past
week. PEENT!
A VIRGINIA RAIL was reported from a marsh along Airport Road in Swanzey on
March 31st.
2 FISH CROWS were reported from Wharf Road in Moultonborough on March 30th.
A DICKCISSEL was seen at the UNH Dairy Barn and the Spinney Lane and Durham
Reservoir during the past week.
EASTERN TOWHEES, CHIPPING SPARROWS, SAVANNAH. SPARROWS, and SWAMP SPARROWS
are all arriving regularly
The warming weather should open-up bodies of water, which will attract
water birds of all sorts – so keep your eyes and ears alert and please
share your sightings!
An archive of rare bird alerts is available at nhaudubon.org/rba. If you
have seen any rare birds recently you can leave a voicemail at (603)
224-9909, following the prompts on how to report a rare bird. You can also
send your sightings via email to <birdsetc...> Please put “Rare
Bird” in the subject line and include the location of the sighting and your
phone number.
*What is the Rare Bird Alert?*
The New Hampshire Rare Bird Alert is a list of birds that is posted,
usually on a weekly basis on NH Audubon’s website, and several public
websites. The primary goal of the list is to help bird watchers find
uncommon or rare birds that occur within the geographical boundaries of NH.
*What makes a bird rare?*
A bird may be considered rare if it’s outside its usual range, present at
an unusual time of year, or found in an unexpected part of the state. For
example, a Red-bellied Woodpecker in southern NH is expected, but one in
Coos County would be unusual. A Black-throated Blue Warbler in summer is
normal but in winter it would be rare. While a Roseate Spoonbill would be
rare in any season. To learn more, read “So You Think You Found a Rare
Bird? A Quick Guide to What Counts and How to Report It”
<https://joyofbirding.nhaudubon.org/what-is-a-rare-bird-and-how-to-report-it/> on the *Joy of Birding.*
Thanks very much and good birding!
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