Beginner Bird Walks (BBW) 

This fall the Audubon Seacoast Chapter will sponsor seven Beginning Bird Walks (BBW). Although these walks are geared with the beginner birder in mind, birders of all levels of expertise are encouraged to participate and share their experiences. Children are gladly welcome with an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.

August

Coastal Shorebirds - Sunday, August 17th 6:00 am  

Join Ben Griffith for a trip along the New Hampshire Seacoast to look for shorebirds and coastal migrants.  Late August is a great time to familiarize yourself with the diversity of shorebirds that migrate from the Arctic along the North American coastline.  This trip will be primarily car-based with limited walking along the beach.  We'll work our way north from Hampton to Rye, stopping at various hotspots along the way.  Carpooling is encouraged as some places may have parking fees.  We'll meet at the Hampton Park and Ride on Timber Swamp Road at 6:00 am for an early start to beat the weekend crowds.  Contact Ben Griffith at bgriffith@gmail.com for more information.

The trip is limited to 12 participants and is now full.

Piscassic Greenway, Neal Mill Rd, Newmarket  August 23rd  8:00 am

Step into the Piscassic Greenway from the Newmarket side and head through forest, field, wetland and shrubland to see who’s migrating through this year. Contact trip leader Juli Tyson at  jstyson17@gmail.com for more information.

The trip is limited to 20 participants. Please click on the link below to sign-up.

September

Fall Pelagic - Tuesday, September 2nd  Dockside 7:30 am for an 8:00 am departure

This pelagic trip is full, but if you want to be added to the wait list, you can click on the link below. 

The cost is $75 per person, if we receive a cancellation, we will contact you about payment. 

(If you have already signed up for the trip, please remember to send your check  made out to "ASNH Seacoast Chapter" and send it to Holly Bauer 8 Witch Island Way Hampton, NH 03842. In case the trip is cancelled due to weather, checks will not be cashed until after trip.)

BBW: Pickering Ponds - Sunday September 7th , 8 am – 12 pm 

One of the top 10 birding spots in New Hampshire, this walk will traverse the Rochester city park trails along the Cocheco River and around the former wastewater treatment settling ponds. Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area at 8:00 AM. Contact: Dan Hubbard at danielhubbard@peoplepc.com or 603-978-0218 with any questions.

This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

Hawk Watch at Pack Monadnock - Friday September 12th, 10 am - 1 pm

Join Phil Brown, the Harris Center's Bird Conservation Director, for a half day of hawk watching at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory in Peterborough. We will hope for a good migration flight which, in mid-September, can include several species of hawks and falcons as well as flocks of migrant Canada Geese, songbirds, and even scoters!

Learn hawk watching ID tips from the experts and learn about the different migration strategies and behaviors of up to 15 migratory raptor species. During a visit to the hawk watch, you'll experience NH's birding culture and immerse yourself in a long-standing community science project that is a partnership between the Harris Center and NH parks. For more information about the observatory visit https://harriscenter.org/conservation-research/pack-monadnock-raptor-observatory.

Meet at the Observatory for the 10 am start time, and stay as long as you'd like. Weather conditions may cancel. State park reservations with Miller State Park and a small fee are required for visiting Pack Monadnock. For more information on park fees and reservations, as well as accessibility, visit https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/miller-state-park. For more information on this outing, contact Phil Brown at brown@harriscenter.org. 

Registration is limited to 15. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

BBW: Exploring Beaver Brook – Saturday September 13th, 8am 

Explore some of the many trails in the 2,200 acres of the Beaver Brook Association with trip leader Susan Wrisley. We will focus in the areas south of Rt 130, including stops at the Brown Lane Barn and  Maple Hill Farm, looking for birds in varying habitats including fields, stream, wetlands, deciduous and pine forests. The trip will cover about 2 to 3 miles of mostly easy to slightly moderate trails.

Meet at the Beaver Brook Trailhead parking lot, off of Rt 130 in Hollis, across from Diamond Casting & Machine.  (Use Diamond Casting, 95 Proctor Hill Rd as a landmark.) Contact Susan Wrisley at  susan@wrisleyart.com with any questions. This field trip will be limited to 15 participants. 

BBW: Strafford County Farm - Sunday September 14th, 8am – 12 pm 

With diverse habitats for water birds, raptors and song birds, this walk will include the Don Black Trail and the hedgerows around the fields of the conserved property. The walk will last as long as participants choose, but not beyond noon. Meet at 8:00 across from the Strafford County Work Program at 266 County Farm Road; follow County Farm Road and take a left at the stop sign and then an immediate left to continue along behind the jail to the parking lot across from  the entrance to the Strafford County Work Program.  Contact: Dan Hubbard at danielhubbard@peoplepc.com or 603-978-0218 with any questions.

This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

Bioblitz!  Sponsored by the Seacoast Science Center Sunday September 14th, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm 

The Bioblitz is comprised of scientists, field naturalists and backyard enthusiasts coming together to appreciate and learn about biodiversity and record data on as many different species as possible in one day at Odiorne State Park for the Seacoast Science Center. There will be guided programs around the park covering many different topics, including birds. For more information and to register, refer to the Seacoast Science Center website: https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/events/bioblitz/

BBW Pickering Ponds – Wednesday September 177h,  8 am – 12 pm

An encore of the very popular Pickering Ponds walk on September 7th (see description above). Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area at 8:00 AM. The entrance is about a mile south of the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on Pickering Road (opposite mailbox #452). Contact: Dan Hubbard at danielhubbard@peoplepc.com or 603-978-0218 with any questions.

This field trip will be limited to 25 participants. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

BBW: Piscassic Greenway, Neal Mill Rd, Newmarket  September 19th  8:00 am

Step into the Piscassic Greenway from the Newmarket side and head through forest, field, wetland and shrubland to see who’s migrating through this year”. Contact trip leader Juli Tyson at  jstyson17@gmail.com with any questions.

The trip is limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

BBW: Seabrook Town Forest – Sunday September 21nd, 7:00 am

With diverse habitats of a large pond, mixed deciduous and coniferous woods, open fields, and shrubby thickets, the Seabrook Town Forest and Wellfield supports a wide variety of birds. Join trip leader Ashton Almeida to explore this under-birded area. Meet by the gate at the end of Old New Boston Road at 7:00 am. Contact Ashton Almeida ashtonipod@gmail.com with any questions. 

The trip is limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

Birch St Community Gardens - Sunday September 28th,  7:30-10:30 am

Join us for a round-up of sparrows and other fall migrants at the Community Gardens off Clinton Street in Concord. Fourteen species of sparrows have been seen here, more than any single location in the state, including both Clay-colored and Vesper Sparrows.  Dickcissel, Blue Grosbeak, and Sedge Wren have also made appearances here.  Meet at 7:30 at Birch Street. Contact: Zeke Cornell at zekecornell@gmail.com with any questions.

This field trip will be limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

October

Coastal Migration - Saturday October 4th,  8:15 am

The trip will be a long walk around the varied habitats of Odiorne Point State Park, the top birding hotspot in New Hampshire. We will look for the expected fall migrants and perhaps even a rarity or two. Meet at the Odiorne Point parking lot at 8:15 (the park opens at 8:00). A small entrance fee for the park is required. Contact: Steve Mirick at smirick@comcast.net with any questions,

This field trip will be limited to 20 participants. As the event nears,please re-visit this site to sign-up.

BBW: Piscassic Greenway, Neal Mill Rd, Newmarket  October 10th  8:00 am

Step into the Piscassic Greenway from the Newmarket side and head through forest, field, wetland and shrubland to see who’s migrating through this year”. Contact trip leader Juli Tyson at  jstyson17@gmail.com with any questions.

The trip is limited to 20 participants. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

November 

Maine Coast – Wednesday, November 5th, 9 am 

Join trip leaders Linda Maley and Ann Ablowich looking for seabirds, raptors, and  late migrating songbirds along the southern Maine coast.  Meet at the Perkins Cove parking lot at 9 AM.   From Perkins Cove we will bird Marginal Way, Nubble Light and Seapoint Beach. Dress warmly in layers and bring water and lunch or snack. For more information, contact Ann Ablowich at napap@comcast.net.

Registration is limited to 20. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.

December 

Christmas Bird Counts 

Across the country, Christmas Bird Counts take place annually between December 14 and January 5, and three of the counts are conducted in the Seacoast Chapter area.  As the season approaches, visit the New Hampshire Audubon Christmas Bird Count site for specific dates and more information  https://nhbirdrecords.org/new-hampshire-christmas-bird-count/ and contact the compilers if you are interested in participating: 

NH Coastal: Dave Tucker (dhtucker@comcast.net)

Lee-Durham: Kurk Dorsey (kurk.dorsey@unh.edu)

Isles of Shoals: Ben Griffith (bgriffith@gmail.com) 

January

Birds of the Winter Coast – Saturday January 10th,  8:30 am

Join veteran birder and former ornithology instructor Rich Aaronian to look for the birds that make the New Hampshire coast their home during the winter. The trip will start at Hampton Beach State Park and proceed north up the coast as we look for loons, scoters, mergansers, grebes, shorebirds, and perhaps other specialties such as “white-winged gulls”, Horned Larks, and Snow Buntings. Dress warmly in layers and bring water and a snack. Contact Rich Aaronian for more information at raaronian@exeter.edu.

Registration is limited to 20. As the event nears, please re-visit this site to sign-up.