82 Farley, Sandpipers at Plymouth, Mass. [j" n 



and plenty of slush-snow, together with ice in patches mixed in 

 with water in pools and little estuaries. Where the flats made 

 the beach the broadest, there were many Gulls and also two Sand- 

 erlings and farther on the third Sanderling, and still farther on the 

 Red-backed Sandpiper." 



On February 5 it snowed hard in the morning and the storm 

 lasted practically all day. In the morning a Black Duck flew in 

 through the driving snow and went up on the hill where later it 

 was started out from under a pine where apparently it had taken 

 shelter from the storm. Early on the 6th it was 16° above zero. 

 The weather cleared beautifully and the day was sunny, with 

 scarcely a cloud. On the morning of the 7th the weather was very 

 raw changing to rain. " February 1 1 . Sharpest weather of winter. 

 Glass showed zero in the morning, and 4° above at 8 A. M., and 

 10° above at 3.30 P. M. It was 4° below zero at Sampson's store 

 and 10° below early at Bradford's Corner. A bitter wind on the 

 beach, although a sunny day. Ducks were in all day (up on the 

 grassy shore) at the cove where Eel River enters the Inner Harbor. 

 In the sunny lee of a shooting stand I found an Ipswich Sparrow, 

 a Horned Lark and a Song Sparrow. The beach flock of Redpolls 

 were in the beach grass and a few Snow Buntings on the outer beach. 

 There was no sign of Sanderlings or Red-back; but this does not 

 prove anything, for I did not go down the beach as far as the 

 flats — besides the tide was coming in and the beach proper was 

 absolutely all snow and ice." 



February 12, 13 and 14 were very rough days. The weather 

 was cold. It was 6° below in Plymouth on the morning of the 13th 

 and 10° below in North Carver near by. The last three days of 

 the week were milder. February 18 was beautiful, sunny and mild. 

 "Went to the beach which was broad at low water. On a little 

 spit at the usual place were two Sanderlings and the Red-Back. 

 The three were together and were very fearless and we got close 

 to them. They seemed plump enough after the rough weather 

 of last week. The Red-back picked into a fresh lump of green eel 

 grass. The Sanderlings ran nimbly about, heel-deep in the gentle 

 water, and steadily picked into it, evidently getting food. The 

 beach is practically clear of snow and ice again, but the whole 

 expanse of the Inner Harbor except close down to the Spindle is 

 frozen tight as a drum." 



