New Hampshire Bird Records Fall 2017 Vol. 36, No. 3 IN MEMORY OF T erri Ellen Donsker NH AUDUBON his issue of New Hampshire Bird Records Protecting our environment since 1914 Twith its color cover is dedicated to the memory of Terri Ellen Donsker by her loving husband, David Donsker. Terri was a force of NEW HAMPSHIRE BIRD RECORDS nature who thoroughly enjoyed all that life, VOLUME 36, NUMBER 3 FALL 2017 with its infinite variety and beauty, provided. She was an award winning photographer, avid MANAGING EDITOR gardener, enthusiastic traveler and a student of Rebecca Suomala 603-224-9909 X309, many subjects from succulent plants to German [email protected] literature. Her love for New Hampshire’s forests, Windy sailor. mountains, lakes and seashore made her adopted TEXT EDITOR Dan Hubbard state her enduring home. SEASON EDITORS Eric Masterson, Spring In This Issue Chad Witko, Summer Ben Griffith, Fall From the Editor ........................................................................................................................1 Jim Sparrell/Katherine Towler, Winter Photo Quiz ...............................................................................................................................1 LAYOUT Fall Season: August 1 through November 30, 2017 by Ben Griffith ...........................................2 Dyanna Smith Fall 2017 New Hampshire Raptor Migration Report by Iain MacLeod ...................................24 Western Wood-Pewee on Star Island! by Greg Tillman ............................................................28 P UBLICATION ASSISTANT Common Shelduck in New Hampshire by Ben Griffith ..........................................................29 Kathryn Frieden Field Notes compiled by Kathryn Frieden ...............................................................................31 ASSISTANTS Return of the Leucistic Chipping Sparrow by Dylan Jackson ...........................................31 Jeannine Ayer, Zeke Cornell, One Bird Leads to Another – Birding by Behavior by Susan Wrisley ................................31 David Deifik, Elizabeth Levy, Susan MacLeod, Marie Nickerson, Wood Duck Who Thinks He’s a Mallard by Kathryn Frieden ..........................................31 Carol Plato, Tony Vazzano Dark-eyed Junco with Wing Bars ....................................................................................32 Peregrine Attack! .............................................................................................................32 PHOTO QUIZ Hermit Thrush Nests Two Feet Apart! by Phil Brown ......................................................32 David Donsker Pondicherry Experiences Bombogenesis by Kathryn Frieden ...........................................33 PHOTO EDITOR Construction at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant by Kathryn Frieden ...................33 Wendy Chatel Field Trip Report .....................................................................................................................34 Alice Bemis Thompson Wildlife Sanctuary Big Sit by Phil Brown ....................................34 WEB MASTER Kathy Barnes Antioch Bird Club’s First Annual Fall Birdathon a Success by Chad Witko ......................35 Seabirds, Whales, and Ales! by Phil Brown .......................................................................36 WHERE TO BIRD Where Were All the Birds? by Pam Hunt .................................................................................37 Scott Heron, Phil Brown Dublin Birding Areas by Tom Warren .....................................................................................39 EDITORIAL TEAM The Case of an Injured Crane – and How to Handle Injured Birds by Kathryn Frieden ..........41 Phil Brown, Wendy Chatel, Hank Chary, Volunteers and Research – You Can Help Advance Science by Reporting Bird Bands David Deifik, David Donsker, Ben Griffith, by Kathryn Frieden ..........................................................................................................42 Dan Hubbard, Pam Hunt, Iain MacLeod, Eric Masterson, Answer to the Photo Quiz by David B. Donsker .....................................................................43 Robert A. Quinn, Rebecca Suomala, Tony Vazzano, Jon Woolf Cover Photos: American Avocet photographed by Dick Dionne, discovered by Gregg Dionne, 8-23-17, Colebrook www.nhbirdrecords.org WTP, NH; Common Shelduck (male) by Len Medlock, 9-4-17, Rye, NH; Yellow-throated Warbler by Jason Lambert, 11-24-17, Odiorne Pt. SP, Rye, NH; MacGillivray’s Warbler by Steve Mirick, 9-4-17, Odiorne Pt. SP, Rye, NH. New Hampshire Bird Records is published quarterly by New Hampshire Audubon’s Conservation Department. Thank you to the many observers who submit their sightings to NH eBird (www.ebird.org/nh), the source of data for this publication. Records are selected for publication and not all species reported will appear in the issue. The published sightings typically represent the highlights of the season. All records are subject to review by the NH Rare Birds Committee and publication of reports here does not imply future acceptance by the Committee. Please contact the Managing Editor if you would like to report your sightings but are unable to use NH eBird. New Hampshire Bird Records © NHA December, 2018 Published by New Hampshire Audubon’s Conservation Department Printed on Recycled Paper FROM THE EDITOR Fall 2017 Records is the current vehicle and umbrella for these functions by Rebecca Suomala and the initial focus of the fund is to support all facets of New Hampshire Bird Records (both the publication and data Thank You Lauren! aspects, including eBird). Mass Audubon has lured away one of New Hampshire Bird Records Season Editors – Lauren Kras. She and Ben Make a donation by using the form in the brochure Griffith have been the co-editors of the fall season, but she has enclosed with this issue. If you would like to include the taken an exciting job as the director of Mass Audubon’s new Endowment Fund in your estate planning, please contact me Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Plymouth, Massachusetts. (see inside front cover). The New Hampshire birding community will miss her presence, but we wish her well and congratulate her on her new position. Fortunately, Ben will be continuing as solo Fall Editor for this very busy season. Whew! New Hampshire Bird Records Endowment Fund Attention Photographers! Update Thanks to your contributions, the New Hampshire Bird Have a cover-worthy photo? Be in the Records Endowment Fund is over $43,000! It is exciting to see next NH Audubon Afield newsletter! Photos this fund growing and I am grateful for everyone’s support. I need to be at least 9x11.5” and 300dpi to be hope you will help us reach our next landmark – $50,000! large enough for the printed cover. If you’re not sure, we can check it. Include a brief The Fund was approved by the NH Audubon Board of story about the photo for the photo credit Trustees to provide long-term support for the collection, box on the inside cover. Send images to organization, quality control, distribution, dissemination, Dyanna Smith, [email protected]. publication, promotion, preservation and storage of New Hampshire bird sighting information. New Hampshire Bird PHOTO QUIZ Can You Identify This Bird? Answer on page 43. Photo by Steve Mirick. NH Bird Records. Vol. 36, No. 3 1 FALL SEASON Aug 1, 2017 through Nov 30, 2017 southeast pond was being re-done, resulting in temporary shorebird habitat of mud and shallow water. The restricted by Benjamin Griffith access and construction activity around the ponds likely he fall season was reduced waterfowl activity and reporting at this site. Toverall cool and dry, Rarities were not in short supply this season, headlined by with the notable exception a Common Shelduck, a species for which there presently are of October, which was no accepted records (although that may change as old records remarkably warm and wet initially dismissed as escapees are reevaluated). Not far behind as the result of the remnants were a Western Wood-Pewee (likely the first documented of several tropical storms record of the species anywhere in New England) and a sweeping across the area MacGillivray’s Warbler (the first photographed record for during the month. It was the state). Other exceptional sightings for the season included the warmest October in 139 American Avocet, the continuing Brown Pelican and a years and the second warmest on record. The southerly flow Townsend’s Solitaire. More regular but still rare species reported which brought warm air at the end of October also appeared included Tundra Swan, Cave Swallow, Yellow-throated Warbler, to push many migrants which had previously left back into Hooded Warbler, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. the region, resulting in many exceptionally late observations Waterfowl as well as a few rarities. Other major events for the season included concentrations of Cory’s Shearwaters seen from the coast, an exceptional year for interior shorebirds, including a Hudsonian Godwit in Rochester, remarkable counts of Sandhill Cranes, and widespread Clay-colored Sparrows. Tundra Swans by Leo McKillop, 11-22-17, Hampton Beach SP, NH. Greater White-fronted Goose is principally a rare spring migrant in the state; the two reported this fall were the first Thanks to multiple people and a series of posts, we quickly learned about the presence of this rare bird in New Hampshire! Heather Burns located the fall records since 2013. Most fall records are from mid- bird and posted a photo