Getting there, slowly but surely.

Now that the dipping is done on the Yellow-breasted Chat.  Someday I'll get one around here.  Not much to report on around here lately.  Slow progress towards 200, but that will likely be the case for the next 3 months.  Binder Park Zoo, reliably, gave me the Acadian Flycatcher that I needed.  

Sunset Hill Dr looks like it won't be quite as biddy this summer.  A few more trips there resulted in no Dickcissels, but I did pick up the Alder Flycatcher on June 4th.  My final Flycatcher I could get until Yellow-bellied possibly shows up in the fall.  

A week later I made a point of trying to find Dickcissels, finally finding some on Q DR S near 1.5 Mile Road.  Short Road also turned up one for the second year in a row.  I may keep checking Q DR S to see if anything else manages to show up there of interest.  Clay-colored Sparrow would be a nice addition to the year also should I scare one up.  

My options becoming somewhat limited now the next birds I was going to focus on were Marsh Wren and Sedge Wren, along with other hopeful Marsh birds.  I still don't have any Bitterns, and Gallinules have not showed up around here either this year.  I decided to hit up Baker Sanctuary, as Marsh Wrens were there last year.  Unfortunately amongst dodging the deerflies there, the Marsh Loop trail looks like it is no more there.  What Marsh I was able to get to did not provide me any Marsh Wrens.  I did manage a couple of Sedge Wrens in the North-east corner of the Sanctuary.  I was trying to also find Orchard Orioles that Michigan Audubon had posted on Facebook.  I found only some Baltimore Orioles.  

That Sedge Wren set off quite a day for them for me.  I managed to find Sedge Wrens in 3 different locales on the 12th.  Not coincidently that was the day Birdcast.info said would be peak timing for them.  That also managed to set off what would be my biggest June day yet.  64 species of birds in the county for the day.  51 being my previous high, before the 54 a week before.  

• Ruddy Ducks continue to hang around at Duck Lake WTP.   
• A female Ring-necked Pheasant showed up on Short Road.  I've had them there in the past

Most all being typical birds for this time of the year.  But all those typical birds allowed me to have a 6 month in a row in which I have bested my previous high for a month, bested my previous high for day in that month, and keeps me ahead of my previous paces for the year.  I've managed to best my previous June high of 68 birds for the month and get 78.  I also am at 191 for the year.  Still a challenge to get to 200, but a good position to be in.