A quick trip today to the Magic Hedge immediately turned up an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. It’s an easy bird to identify because of its sides, which are — um — olive, I think. The bird we went to see, though, was the SWAINSON’S THRUSH. We saw some kind of thrush as soon as we got there, but it disappeared into the hedge before we got a good look at it. So we decided to walk around a little and see if it would come back to the same place. When we returned to the hedge, Pole saw the bird right away. But just as I spotted it, it disappeared. I was pissed.

Pole wandered off happily, but I sat in the same spot, waiting for the bird to show itself again. I saw a thrush hidden behind some greenery, so I was just hoping it would pop out into the open. After about 20 minutes, it did. Pole was back by then, and we were able to make a slow, careful ID. A good thing, too, because it would have given her an even bigger lead in the count.