When: May 2015 Weather: Hot, 23C
Leica M240 35F1.4, 21F3.4. Nikon P900
In Boston for a few days and found time to make it out to the Blue Hills Reservation for an afternoon. It’s 20 miles out of Boston and a fair way out. An Uber car brought me out there cheaply enough but if I were to do it again, I’d hire a car. The Blue Hills area is big and you really need a car to get around to the different areas. Arriving there just after lunch, the sun was blazing and it made for a very warm afternoon indeed. The first place to visit is the Visitor centre on Hillside Street just north of Houghton’s pond…the rangers there are helpful and you can pick up your trail map there….
The Blue Hlls Reservation Visitor Centre
Houghton’s Pond looked small at first glance…
but it opened up into a large, scenic lake
Bird box on the bank
American house sparrow
common, but still quite attractive
the ubiquitous American robin
Stuffing his face full of grubs….
The Common Grackle in a tree
and over the water…
resplendent blue head
And after another long walk, I arrived at the beginning of the Ponkapoag Trail…
The woods are lovely dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep. (Frost)
The start of the boardwalk leading to the Pankapoag Pond
Though called a boardwalk, it’s little more than an 18 inch wide plank laid down in the peaty bog…
it extends deep into the bog
the peaty brown water
an endemic dragonfly for company
some of the planks were unsupported and you could sink in ankle to knee deep…
Not being able to reach the Ponkapoag Pond itself this way, I took the long way round and eventually reached the side of the pond….it’s huge so I think should be called Lake rather than Pond!
Pankapoag Pond with red winged blackbird overhead
a scenic place…
red winged blackbird posing
Other birds seen were the female red winged blackbird, some quails and a black and white woodpecker. Overall though, the birding was disappointing. It was a nice walk though.
The Natural Traveller 
Very nice photos. Thanks again for sharing.