Wednesday 5/29: Went to Mt. Auburn for the Gray-cheeked. Had just flown off when I got there but Cliff found it a little while later. It buried itself again pretty quickly, then started singing back behind us before eventually coming out in the open (or as open as it gets in the Dell, I was shooting at ISO 16,000 and 20,000). ‘Commute’ #255! Waxwings and a hummingbird walking into the office too.
Thursday 5/30: Too wet, nothing at the res or Mystic Lakes.
Friday 5/31: Couple Orchard Orioles, a few FOY odes and butterflies at Weston Station Pond.
Saturday 6/1: Decided to wait on the Swainson’s and do a Belle Isle run. Started at the greenway where one of the first birds I saw was an Olive-sided. Few warblers in the area. While trying (and failing so far) to track down a song that sounded Mourning-ish, also had Alder, Willow, and Least. Quick loop of the cemetery had nothing much (ibis at all these stops though), then another pass had a second Least. Went to Lewis Lake next where the Bufflehead was around (June bird #1). Winthrop Beach added a couple more June birds (Surf Scoter and Ruddy Turnstone) plus lots of Least Terns, a few Semi Sandpipers, etc. Belle Isle proper had even more ibis, a Saltmarsh Sparrow or two, and a Bobolink. Stopped at Earhart on the way home for RB Merganser. Got two of those plus a Red-throated Loon (June #4).
Sunday 6/2: With no early Swainson’s report, headed to the Blue Hills for another Pygmy Clubtail attempt and to be somewhat on the way if it did appear. Walked from Hillside Pond down to Unquity Bottom, family of creepers the interesting birds. Had a couple spiketails on one of the streams and then a whole bunch in the field. Back at the clubtail stream, I had one land in a dark spot for half a second on my first pass but got one sitting on a fern on the second. Also had a crossbill or two fly over. The pond was pretty quiet.
Continued to Squantum. Glossy Ibis and lots of egrets at the pans, Citrine Forktails, more ibis, and a Marsh Wren at Squantum Point Park.
Monday 6/3: Barred Owl, 5 warblers, etc at BBN.
Tuesday 6/4: YT Vireos and the rest of the usuals at Great Meadows.