Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! This is a good year for Wild Turkeys in NH, we have seen lots. And there is a bumper crop of one of their favorite foods, acorns!

Palm Warbler still in NH

Palm Warbler, NH, fall

Palm Warbler, FL, winter

Warblers are gone from NH, just a few lingering ones have been seen, such as a Palm Warbler. Will have to wait until next spring to see them again. However, if you live in the Southeast or Gulf Coast states you may have wintering Palm Warblers and one subspecies of Palm Warbler is resident in central to south Florida. See our The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America for complete photos and subspecies information.

Common Mergansers Migrating Now!

Common Merganser, male

Common Merganser, female

Migrating now through NH, Common Mergansers (male above, female below). They will winter across some of the eastern, middle and western areas of the country where there is open water, preferring freshwater large lakes, rivers and estuaries. Look for them near you.

White-throated Sparrows come in two flavors!

 White-throated Sparrow, white morph

Tan morph

White-throated Sparrows are migrating too! Love their "Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada" or "Old-Sam-Peabody-Peabody" song (depending on where you are from!). They come in two color morphs, with variations. The white morph has a white eyebrow and central crown-stripe and black in lateral crown-stripe. The tan morph has a buffy eyebrow and central crown-strip and more brown in lateral crown-stripe. All have a yellow supraloral dot. In general the older male white morphs have the brightest most contrasting plumage. Look for them at your feeders.

Hooded Mergansers are Migrating!

Hooded Mergansers are migrating! Keep checking your local water areas this fall for migrating waterfowl, 'tis the season.

Trumpeter Swan in NH!

There has been a Trumpeter Swan in Candia, NH since April far from this species usual Midwest and upper Western range. The NH Rare Bird Alert says it was last seen Nov. 2nd. Photo was taken elsewhere. These are all white birds but sometimes their heads get stained orange from feeding in areas rich in iron salts.

It's Great Horned Owl time!!

It's owl time! We have heard Great Horned Owls begin hooting this time of year. Even though they begin nesting in winter, it's not too early for them to begin their courtship and territorial behavior. They call most in early evening and pre-dawn hours. The male usually calls more than the female. Her hoots are shorter and higher-pitched than those of the male even though she is a larger bird. Listen for them now.