1886
May 20
Concord, Massachusetts.
  Clear and warm. Wind S.W. and strong,
a heavy thunder-shower late in the afternoon.
  Starting at 9:30 a.m. with Chadbourne, I spent
the day up the Concord River, going as far as
Fairhaven Bay. On the way up river we found
five or sex Redwing Blackbird's nests, two contain-
ing four eggs each, one three eggs, and the
remaining three, only one egg each. All were
in the tops of tussocks or among tall Marsh-
grass, and none in bushes, (the button-bushes
being still leafless and affording no concealment.
  We landed first at the grove of tall pines
opposite the cliffs. There were few birds here but 
I started two Grouse, one a fine cock, the other
apparently a hen. Both ran swiftly off without
taking wing, the cock stopping when less than
twenty yards away and with crest and ruffs
raised and tail spread and slightly elevated
shaking his head and uttering the snickering
noise, so like that of the squirrel. I have rarely
seen these birds so tame in Massachusetts.
  We next landed at the spring, and after 
lunch took a long tramp up over the hill
coming out finally at the pine cliff on the 
west side of the Bay. Here I found a Ph[?]
nest prettily built in a niche of the rocks and 
formed outwardly of green sphagnum moss.
It contained four eggs, far advanced towards
hatching , and a cow-birds' egg which I removed
leaving the others. I really wanted the nest and 
its's contents, but its was such an addition to 
the picturesque spot that I could not bear to
