1886
May 6
Concord, Massachusetts.
  A fair day, pretty sunny, with frequent intervals
of cloudiness, cool with rather high north wind
  Starting at 9. A.M. I rowed down river. A little
below the stone bridge, two snipe hunters asked
to be ferried across. They had started eight Snipe
and killed two. After I left them they fired two
more shots, but I was too far away to see at
what, or with what result. I had only my
32 cal. pistol, and on the way to "Balls Hill"
shot only two Red-wings of which there were
great numbers everywhere, more it seemed
to me, than I ever saw before.
  Landing at Ball's Hill I found a small
mixed flock in the oaks along the south slope
There were five Creepers (Minotilta,) as many
Yellow rumps, three Palm Warblers, one Pine
Warbler, and a high Canada Flycatcher. I made
a good bag in a short time and started
to return.
  On the way home I shot two Red Wings, a Blue-
bird, a pair of Swallows (Tachycincta) and a Solitary
Sandpiper, the latter I started from the river
bank on my way down in the morning. It was
back again in the same place when I returned
but was very shy. Finally it alighted on the
topmost twig of a brush heap where I shot it.
  The meadows were very beautiful, the
grass already a foot high in favored places,
along the river the Maples and alders are
dense with foliage. The Marsh Marigold is
still in full bloom.
  Orioles arrived this morning. I heard one at