Date: 4/25/26 3:11 pm From: 'Steve Mirick' via NHBirds <nhbirds...> Subject: [NHBirds] Seacoast Chapter Dawn Walk - 40 species
Jane and I led the annual "Dawn Walk" field trip today for the Seacoast
Chapter of NH Audubon. We starting bright and (very) early, meeting at
4:00 AM in Durham! The weather was clear and cold with temps starting
out near freezing, but no wind and a very nice morning. About 20
participants joined us for the trip which was over by 7:30.
We walked out to the beautifully quiet forests of Durham Point off
Longmarsh Road in Durham. We covered just a small area near the end of
the Sweet Trail in a huge area of land that has been protected by
development and owned by a group of several organizations including the
town of Durham, the Nature Conservancy, and the Forest Society. As
always, a beautiful walk in the woods in one of the most beautiful spots
in southeastern NH.
We were greeted by Barred Owls as soon as we arrived and probably heard
at least 4 birds. The last one flew in after dawn and we got some
obscured scope views of it. Colby Marsh had Wood Ducks and Green-winged
Teals; however, the old tree snags that used to hold an Osprey and a few
Great Blue Heron nests have fallen down and no nests are now visible.
Spring migrants were in short supply with only a single Yellow-rumped
Warbler and no Palm Warblers. Just a tad too early for them. The last
bird was likely one of the highlights when we were able to coax a
Virginia Rail out of the cattail marsh at the end of the trip.
Canada Goose 5
Wood Duck 7
Mallard 4
Green-winged Teal 2
Wild Turkey 4
Mourning Dove 3
Virginia Rail 1
Great Blue Heron 6
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 0
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Barred Owl 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 3
Tree Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Brown Creeper 2
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 1
American Goldfinch 2
Chipping Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Red-winged Blackbird 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 2
