Wednesday 5/1: Forest Grove had a Marsh Wren (patch bird!) plus Black-and-white, BT Green, RB Grosbeak, etc. GC Flycatcher at Purgatory.
Thursday 5/2: No Prothonotary at Mt. Auburn. Was pretty busy for the first 20 minutes or so, mostly Yellow-rumps, Nashvilles, and Parulas, then quieted down. Worked the front ponds, then across the Dell and around the tower. Heard an odd flickerish call cutting back through the Dell on the way to the Dry Dell, ignored it, then saw Jeremiah almost running that way. Ran back but the Pileated was moving off (lucky Bob!). Didn’t have time for the Dry Dell after that, unfortunately since it was apparently pretty busy again.
Friday 5/3: Cloudy conditions are perfect for Arlington Res. Started with a Greater Yellowlegs along the farm edge, then a Solitary at the front and 2 Least off the berm. Eventually dug 2 Bank Swallows out of the masses. Made a brief stop at Purgatory in the afternoon, Palm the most interesting.
Saturday 5/4: Did the Winthrop run I had planned last weekend. Started at Deer Island. Not much for migrants, BT Green, Yellow-rump, Merlin about it on land. Black Scoter was surprisingly new for me in May. Good numbers of other ducks still along with a bunch of loons. A flock of Common Terns on the way out were new for the year. Winthrop Beach next. Black-bellied Plover landed on the sisters and a flock of sandpipers were moving around. Thought they were Dunlin but the wing stripe looked a bit odd. They eventually landed and looked better for Purple Sandpiper, so I ran back to get the scope and counted 80(!). Also had a kestrel fly over. Belle Isle Cemetery next, no sign of yesterday’s Ruff but a few yellowlegs, FOY Snowy Egret, and a few other things. Gave Lawn Ave a quick check too, lots of teal, FOY Willet, more shorebirds. Decided to stop at Earhart, but had to drive around a bit finding a gas station. At Earhart, I got the RB Mergs for May in the county and Common Terns were back here too. No herons of any sort though and didn’t take time to check Gateway.
Sunday 5/5: Mt. Auburn round two. Pretty dark. Waterthrush and Night Heron at Halcyon, tanager near the Dell, not too much else. Allandale Woods after, no Pileated but a couple hummers and some more warblers. Gave Chestnut Hill a quick stop too, Savannah the most interesting.
Monday 5/6: Dunback had FOY Blue-winged and yellowthroats plus county FOY Wood Thrush and hummer. Still at Ruddy at Hardy.
Tuesday 5/7: Gnatcatcher, parula, Spotted/Solitary at Cookson. Three RB Mergs still at the square plus an Ovenbird and waterthrush.