Date: 9/21/26 6:31 am From: 'Steve Mirick' via NHBirds <nhbirds...> Subject: [NHBirds] Add one species - 93!
Correction! Add one more species.
Ben Griffith and Robyn Prieto had
Philadelphia Vireo - 3 together in alder swamp. Likely a continuing
group for the last several days. Jane and I couldn't find them! :-(
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
On 9/21/2026 9:25 AM, Steve Mirick wrote:
> Jane and I helped out with the Odiorne Point State Park Bioblitz
> yesterday. This was the 24rd year for this annual event and we've
> made it every year except one. The event is run by the Seacoast
> Science Center and the goal is to try to record as many species of
> living organisms in the park in one day. The purpose is to educate
> the public and to expose people to the different organisms that can be
> found in such a small area. There were experts in the field all day
> and short field trips every hour during the day.
>
> Jane and I focused on birds, but we have now expanded and (weather
> permitting) spend a large part of the day searching for insects. Our
> track record has been pretty bad for insect weather in the last few
> years and this year continued that trend. Overcast with southerly
> winds shifting to the southeast and strengthening. But the forecast
> of afternoon rain held off and we only had some very light drizzle and
> the visibility offshore was excellent. There weren't lots of migrants
> in the park, but there was good diversity and the overall bird list
> was very good with 92 species well above last year's poor species list
> of only 70. The high is about 100 species from 2021. The insects
> (not surprisingly given the weather) were terrible; however, we
> managed to get a few species. Thanks to help from other birders/insect
> fanatics including Jason Lambert, Jacqui Shuster, Robyn Prieto, Ben
> Griffith, David Blezard, and others.
>
> Birds - 92 species (including several not seen by Jane and I)
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Sep 20, 2026 7:01 AM - 5:01 PM
>
> Canada Goose 12
> Mallard X
> American Black Duck 2
> Northern Pintail 2 Two female type birds flew in and landed on ocean
> near Science Center.
> Common Eider 24
> Surf Scoter 6 Migrating.
> White-winged Scoter 5 Migrating.
> scoter sp. 32 Small groups migrating.
> Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 8 Together at wooden bridge. A new high
> count for me at Odiorne! 🙂
> Mourning Dove 6
> Ruby-throated Hummingbird X
> Black-bellied Plover 2
> American Golden-Plover 2 Two juveniles in pannes south of Odiorne.
> Barely visible from boundary of Odiorne.
> Killdeer 2
> COMMON RINGED PLOVER 1 FIRST STATE RECORD!!!! Bird found by Stuart
> Varney on 9/19, but not relocated that day. Refound at first light by
> Jason Lambert in same spot where Stuart had it the previous day. In
> cove north of the Seacoast Science Center in vicinity of seal carcass.
> Apparently by itself at first, but joined by a few Semipalmated
> Plovers. FANTASTIC WAY to start out the Bioblitz! First bird of the
> day! Close views of toe webbing and recorded vocalizing! Seen
> off-and-on by many other birders over the course of the day.
> Semipalmated Plover 5
> Spotted Sandpiper 3
> Lesser Yellowlegs 6
> Greater Yellowlegs 2
> STILT SANDPIPER 1 Continuing juvenile in Shelduck pools. FIRST RECORD
> FOR BIOBLITZ.
> Least Sandpiper 1
> Pectoral Sandpiper 1 In Shelduck pools.
> WESTERN SANDPIPER X Photographed by Kyle Wilmarth. FIRST RECORD FOR
> BIOBLITZ.
> Semipalmated Sandpiper 14
> Black Guillemot 1 Maybe 2.
> Bonaparte's Gull 42
> Laughing Gull 7
> Ring-billed Gull 37
> American Herring Gull 20
> Great Black-backed Gull 4
> Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 Including "Woody" back in his usual spot.
> Plus 3 flybys late in day.
> CASPIAN TERN 5 Two groups of 2 and a singleton migrating. Now an
> expected/hoped for bird on the Bioblitz. Always migrating by.
> Forster's Tern X Offshore flyby reported by Robyn Prieto
> Common Tern 17
> tern sp. 7 Distant flock in harbor
> Common Loon 6 A couple migrating overhead.
> Great Cormorant X
> Double-crested Cormorant 391 A few flocks migrating. Lots in Little
> Harbor.
> Snowy Egret 4
> Great Egret 3
> Great Blue Heron 4
> Osprey 2 Migrating.
> Bald Eagle X
> Great Horned Owl X. Flyby spotted by Ben Griffith in the middle of
> the afternoon!
> Belted Kingfisher 2
> Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
> Downy Woodpecker 3
> Hairy Woodpecker X
> Pileated Woodpecker X
> Northern Flicker 4
> Merlin 1 Migrating.
> Peregrine Falcon 1 Migrating from offshore.
> Least Flycatcher X
> Eastern Phoebe 6
> Red-eyed Vireo 6
> Blue Jay 16
> American Crow 6
> Black-capped Chickadee 9
> Tufted Titmouse 3
> Tree Swallow 3
> Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
> White-breasted Nuthatch 7
> Red-breasted Nuthatch 9
> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
> Northern House Wren 2
> Carolina Wren 3
> Gray Catbird 6
> Northern Mockingbird 1
> Eastern Bluebird 6
> Swainson's Thrush 2
> American Robin 9
> Cedar Waxwing 13
> House Finch 6
> American Goldfinch 2
> Chipping Sparrow 5
> White-throated Sparrow 7
> Savannah Sparrow 2
> Song Sparrow 4
> Northern Waterthrush X
> Black-and-white Warbler 3
> Tennessee Warbler 1
> Nashville Warbler X
> Common Yellowthroat 3
> American Redstart 3
> Cape May Warbler 2
> Magnolia Warbler 1
> Northern Yellow Warbler 1
> Blackpoll Warbler 8
> Black-throated Blue Warbler X
> Pine Warbler 2
> Black-throated Green Warbler 2
> Wilson's Warbler 2
> Northern Cardinal 2
> Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
>
> Butterflies (5 species)
> -------------------------------
> Mourning Cloak
> Red Admiral
> American Lady
> Clouded Sulphur
> Monarch
>
> Damselflies & Dragonflies (2 species)
> --------------------------------------------------
> Common Green Darner
> Cherry-faced Meadowhawk
>
> Robber Flies (0 species)
> -------------------------------
> :-(
>
> Other fauna of interest
> -------------------------------
> Four-banded Stink Bug Wasp
> https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/402048998 >
> Margined Calligrapher
> https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/402048999 >
>
> Steve Mirick (for group)
> Bradford, MA
