Spring Birds and Butterflies

We had another beautiful, warm and mostly sunny day today, which was great for getting outdoors.  I had some nice spring migrants and good luck with a new butterfly too!

I started the day at Westborough Wildlife Management Area, where I hiked for two hours and fought off "warbler neck" as I watched birds in the highest trees for most of that walk.  My neck does not like spring warblers, even though my brain and heart do.

Yellow Warbler

adorable!

 mystery Blue-Winged Warbler
(thanks to Josh F. for sending me the ID!)

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

 Palm Warbler

 need more time on this one, too
Warbling Vireo
(again, thanks to Josh F. for sending me the ID!)

 Yellow-Rumped Warbler

 Spring Azure on some dog poo

not quite as pretty as on a flower...

During the second hour of my hike, the termperature really warmed up, and I ended up seeing 18 of these Spring Azures and one Mourning Cloak.

 Snapping Turtle

 closeup (but not too close)

 Eastern Kingbird

 American Redstart

 Yellow-Rumped Warbler

showing the spot for which it is named

Palm Warbler (looking for a bug up there)

Late morning I checked out the Sherborn Power Line Trail and found it to be totally quiet.  I did have a fly by Clouded Sulphur, my first sulphur of the year.  Besides that, I only photographed one bird and saw no other butterflies in the woods or on the trail.

Field Sparrow

Wood Anemone

Disappointed with the lack of butterflies, I decided to try Arlington's Great Meadows and see if I could find my first elfin there.  I had gone to an MBC field trip there several years ago, and we struck out.  Then, I returned on my own one or two times and struck out on my own too.  This time I did find one and I think it's a Henry's Elfin.  I saw more Spring Azures here, too, but not in the numbers I had in Westboro.  There were also Palm and Yellow-Rumped Warblers here.

Henry's Elfin