Concord
Ther [Thermometer] Wednesday, Oct. 31, 1917 [October 31, 1917] Wea [Weather]
 Fine
Cloudless, almost windless, very 
warm through midday hours but 
with a heavy white frost at sunrise
In late forenoon & early afternoon
Butterflies & Dragon Flies were on
wing, Grasshoppers & Crickets to be
heard almost everywhere in grassy
fields, a few Hylas calling in woods.
  More birds than for several days past.
Our dooryard visited by 5 or 6
Robins, one Yellow-rump [Yellow-rumped Warbler], a
Goldfinch, a juv. Chippy [Chipping Sparrow], 4 or 5
White-throats [White-throated Sparrow], 2 Song Sparrows &
a dozen or more Juncos.
  In Cedar Park a flock of at
least 6 Golden crest Kinglets.
Either these or others seen earlier in
day in run with 6 Chickadees & a Creeper
Single Crow Blackbird in oaks
near house, [male] Downy [Downy Woodpecker] in orchard.
Spent forenoon with Zeph clearing
out old & new wood roads for
winter use in hauling wood.
Dexter came to dinner & walk later,
Neighbor Hodgman for a friendly talk
this evening.

Concord.
Ther [Thermometer] Thursday, Nov. 1, 1917 [November 1, 1917] Wea [Weather]
Fine
Clear & very cool with light westerly wind.
Ground hard frozen & white with hoar frost, at sunrise.
By 7 A.M. this morn. a millet bed
prepared yesterday just beneath our front
dining room windows was thronged with
hungry Fringillini birds mostly new comers
from more northern summer homes. They
included 5 Fox Sparrows, 3 Tree S. [Tree Sparrow], 3 White-
throats [White-throated Sparrow], 2 Song S. [Song Sparrow], a juv. [juvenile] Chippy [Chipping Sparrow], 15 Juncos &
4 Goldfinches besides an ultra-typical
Western Palm Warbler, also on ground in middle
of the rest but presumably not sharing their food.
As I was watching them, about 8.30, a very
brazen young Northern Shrike swooped down
into the middle of the throng & alighting
against the trunk of a locust scarce 6 inches
above the ground glanced eagerly about him
with flashing eyes & half opened quivering wings
as if lunging for prey yet uncertain which of 
the many little birds to strike at. This moment
of obvious hesitation lost him the chance for
the Sparrows scattered rather quickly but not
as if much frightened most of them flying to the
Forsythia thicket whither he followed fast
hovering over it, next plunging into it, shortly
flying off westward, across road & fields
with no victim in either beak or claws.
More Juncos & 1 Fox Sparrow at Ritchie Place.
2 Hermits [Hermit Thrush] & many Juncos in Birch Field.
George reported a huge Owl in run.
  Spent most of day out of doors.
Supervising work of men & following birds
about. Guns firing in every direction at sunset.