This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, September 18th, 2013. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was seen on Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals located off the coast of Rye on September 15th. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen at the Goss Farm Conservation Area in Rye on September 14th. 3 CASPIAN TERNS were seen off of Great Boar’s Head in Hampton on September 17th. 2 FORSTER’S TERNS were seen at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on September 15th. A WESTERN SANDPIPER was seen in Rye on September 12th. A BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was seen in Hampton on September 13th, and again on September 14th. A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was seen near Jackson Falls on the Nashua River in Nashua on September 16th, and 1 was seen at World End Pond in Salem on the 17th. 22 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS were tallied at Hampton Harbor on September 17th. A LESSER BLACK-BACKD GULL was seen near Odiorne Point State Park in Rye on September 12th, and again on the 18th. A BICKNELL’S THRUSH was heard near the summit of Mount Jackson in Crawford Notch in the White Mountains on September 15th. 3 AMERICAN PIPITS were reported from coastal Rye on September 15th. 2 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were reported from Little Round Top in Bristol on September 13th. A PEREGRINE FALCON was reported from Dover on September 17th. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen at Town Landing in Durham on September 17th. A CLIFF SWALLOW was seen at Carter Hill in Concord on September 17th. 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES were seen at the Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area in Brentwood on September 18th. There were several reports of YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, MOURNING WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, TENNESSEE WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, WILSON’S WARBLER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, and LINCOLN’S SPARROW during the past week. A flock of 20 EVENING GROSBEAKS was reported from Bedford on September 12th. RAPTOR migration is under way with over 6,000 (2,837 on September 17th alone!) migrating raptors already reported from the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory in Peterborough, and over 3,000 reported from the Carter Hill Observatory in Concord, all since September 1st. Be sure to visit these New Hampshire Audubon sponsored observatories this fall season to help out with the count! This message is also available by phone recording: call (603) 224-9909 and press 2 as directed or ask to be transferred. If you have seen any interesting birds recently, you can leave a message at the end of the recording or send your sightings to the RBA via e-mail at: [log in to unmask] Please put either "bird sighting" or "Rare Bird Alert" in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number. The RBA is also available on-line at the New Hampshire Audubon web site, www.nhaudubon.org Thanks very much and good birding.