May 17 became such an exciting day for me when I spotted the Short-billed Dowitchers! We have an off-grid camp at Sessions Pond in Dummer, NH. It’s a small pond of about 40 acres and I do a fair amount of kayaking and paddleboarding to check out the birds and other wildlife. On this particular day, I had seen a flock of birds flying low over the water together, making sharp turns in flight. I noted synchronized gliding followed by quick wingbeats to accelerate, but I wasn’t quick enough to get my binoculars to be able to identify them. An hour or so later, I decided to kayak with my Golden Retriever Callie, and about 200 feet from my camp, I spotted several plump birds with noticeably long bills perched on the branches of a downed tree at the shoreline. I stopped paddling and let the kayak float towards them. I was now armed with my binoculars and cell phone for photos, and I was able to see that DOWITCHERS were visiting Sessions Pond! I watched them resting and preening–it was fascinating. I ended up paddling back over several times during that afternoon. They ended up staying for a few hours and I even saw them flying away at dusk. Other fellow Coos County birders were able to confirm from my photos that they were indeed Short-billed Dowitchers.
A beautiful group of Short-billed Dowitchers photographed by Janice Landry on 5-17-2026 on Sessions Pond in Drummer, NH.
One of the birds can be seen to be preening in this photo by Janice Landry.
Enjoy this field note? Check out other field notes from Spring 2026!
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Kurk Dorsey
- Lawrence’s Warbler by Tony Baldasaro
- Broad-winged Hawks on a Yard Layover by Kathy Carson
- American Herring Gull Eats a Snake by Kathryn Frieden
- Season of the Ticks by Cameron Johnson
- Orchard Oriole in Coos County—Again! by Lori Charron
- The Little White Bird by Cameron Johnson
- Painted Bunting—a Random Rare Sighting by Rebecca Elliott
Want even more? Visit our “From the Field” page.