Date: 5/3/25 8:31 am From: Pam Hunt <biodiva...> Subject: [NHBirds] Penacook Survey Route, May 3, 2025
This morning was a Penacook Survey for the record books.With the weather shifting to favorable this morning and a good flight on the radar last night, I stepped out my door at 6:00 with high hopes. Within 15 minutes I already had 28 species including first-of-year American Redstart and Scarlet Tanager, and it never really went downhill from there. An hour and a half in I was along the Bog Road rail trail and hit 60, followed shortly afterwards by a Becky and Zeke sighting. By this point I had already found 14 species of warblers, plus other goodies like gnatcatcher (not reliable on this route), a drumming grouse (reliable, but always fun), Savannah Sparrow, and a flock of 14 waxwings.
Murray Farms along River Road did not disappoint, adding Field Sparrow, Warbling Vireo, and the expected Tree and Barn Swallows. I was back on the road with 75, and added Louisiana Waterthrush, GB Heron, and kingbird in short order. Eighty was definitely doable, and came with a Spotted Sandpiper and Canada Geese once I was back on The Island. But I wasn't done! As I walked the final stretch back through my condo development a Cooper's Hawk flew over, and the final addition was a gorgeous Cape May Warbler in a Norway spruce a short distance from my house.
82 ties the third highest total for this walk in the almost 20 years I've been doing it, and is only one of six times I've broken 80 (all in May). If I'd only found a Palm Warbler, Hermit Thrush (they've been VERY scarce), and a couple of other not-unlikely species (turkey, Wood Duck, Indigo Bunting, etc.) I could have set a new record with 85. Instead I'll settle for beating the early May record by a whopping 8.
Full checklist below.
Good birding everyone,
Pam Hunt
Penacook
Penacook Survey Route, Merrimack, New Hampshire, US
May 3, 2025 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
6.5 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Temp 12-20 C, early fog to 50% cloud cover, no wind
82 species
Canada Goose 2
Mallard 9
Ruffed Grouse 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 4
Mourning Dove 17
Chimney Swift 7
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 1
Turkey Vulture 4
Cooper's Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 4
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 13
Hairy Woodpecker 7
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 6
Least Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 5
Great Crested Flycatcher 4
Eastern Kingbird 2
Blue-headed Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo 1
Blue Jay 69
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 1
Common Raven 5
Black-capped Chickadee 21
Tufted Titmouse 11
Tree Swallow 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Northern House Wren 10
Carolina Wren 10 not a terribly unusual number for this route
European Starling 12
Gray Catbird 17
Northern Mockingbird 4
Eastern Bluebird 7
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 42
Cedar Waxwing 15
House Sparrow 16
House Finch 13
Purple Finch 3
American Goldfinch 29
Chipping Sparrow 42
Field Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 13
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 16
Swamp Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 3
Baltimore Oriole 5
Red-winged Blackbird 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Common Grackle 33
Ovenbird 17
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Northern Waterthrush 6
Black-and-white Warbler 9
Nashville Warbler 5
Common Yellowthroat 7
American Redstart 1
Cape May Warbler 1
Northern Parula 6
Yellow Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 9
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 16
Prairie Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 3
Scarlet Tanager 2
Northern Cardinal 24 cardinals everywhere
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
