Fish Crows. Osprey. Bittern.\ Concord
Ther [Thermometer] Wednesday, April 18, 1917 Wea [Weather]
56 [degrees] Extraordinary outcry of Woodchucks. Stormy
Early morning sunny; after that fine
rain falling almost ceaselessly from darkly 
overclouded sky. Little or no wind.
Not many small birds 12+ Juncos, Bluebirds
[male in full song and female], Phoebees [Phoebe] [male and female], Brown Creeper [male in full song], Fish hawk
flying through Pulpit R. woods [Pulpit Rock woods] below tops of trees,
pursued by a Crow, whistling (10 A.M.);
Bittern pumping 5 P.M., toward Great M. [Great Meadow]
(heard from farm). 2 Robins singing at eve.
At 3 P.M. heard distant call of a Fish Crow.
Two birds soon appeared flying high over Pulpit R.
woods [Pulpit Rock woods] directly towards where I stood in front of
Barrett barn. Keeping straight on N.W. [northwest] they
passed directly over me & out of sight towards
Concord Village. One kept silent, the other
uttered flat, monosyllabic ca (perfectly
characteristic of ossifragus) at short regular
intervals of about 5 seconds each as long as it was 
within hearing. Both looked small & on wing
very alike. They flapped incessantly & flew straight,
I have no doubt they were Fish Crows.
  At 5 P.M. an extraordinary & very startling 
outcry came to my ears from direction of
Ritchie place as I was at foot of lane. It
sounded like prolonged shrieks & two or
more children in mortal agony of extreme 
fright. "Timmy" greatly excited by it. I had
just left George there burning some brush.
He rejoined me presently & reported that the
sounds were made by 3 or 4 Woodchucks engaged
in fighting in stone heap just behind shed at
Ritchie place. He ran over there from his fire
& saw the animals close at hand.
Spent most of day in doors but took
two woodland walks with "Timmy" Gilbert [Robert A. Gilbert]
motored to Cambridge & took C. [Caroline Brewster] into Boston.

Concord. Hylas in full cry at last
Ther [Thermometer] Thursday, April 19. 1917 Wea [Weather]
64 [degrees] max. Fine
Calm, foggy morn followed by cloudless
day, the warmest thus far despite a 
light easterly wind in afternoon.
Very many birds singing freely from 6 to
10 A.M. - Robins, Bluebirds, Grass Finches &
Song Sparrows, Flickers etc. Their sweet
voices came pleasingly from far & near
through the mist-laden, windless air.
Grouse (2 cocks) drumming for first time,
one at foot of Run, another near Barrett Spring.
At evening I heard the Bittern again.
Afar off towards Great M. [Great Meadow] From that distance
only a measured toc; toc; toc reached my
ears.
  Shot a Gray Squirrel in top of elms over lane
Timmy retrieved & then buried him.
First general chorus of Hyla voices
- hundreds of them - before & after sunset.
Wood Frogs still croaking freely. They
have kept at it almost ceaselessly since
April 4 - which is unusual.
  Timmy & I had three good walks, to
Birch Field after breakfast, to Ritchie pl. [Ritchie place]
after luncheon, through Berry Pas. [Berry Pasture] at sunset.
Spent rest of day in house writing letters.
[margin[female] Sapsucker in dooryard elm, 8 A.M.[/margin]