1886
Sept. 14
Concord, Massachusetts.
Clear and cool; wind S.W. blowing nearly a sale all day.
  After a week of almost  complete in action as
regards field-work I took my pistol this morning
and spent the entire forenoon in the woods - from
9 to 10 A.M. on Ripley's Hill and in the Swamp at 
it eastern base, from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. on the
Assabet.
  The morning was a wild one the wind fairly
howling through the tree tops and drowning most 
other mounds, even in the shuttered places. In Ripley's Swamp
I found two Water Thrushes and a number of D. striata
Scattered about; then was literally nothing else then
I did flush a Grouse_ and on my return I saw
only three Phoebees in the lake.
  Up the Assabet I fared scarcely better although
I landed and ransacked the birch swamp besides
reaching the banks closely as I paddled up and 
down. There were two Phoebes near the Hemlocks,
a pair of Cedar Birds in the same place, a few
scattering Song Sparrows, a Kingfisher, and nothing
else except the tiresome Black-polls (D. striata) which 
were of course to be seen or heard in every groove 
and thicket. I forgot two Water Thrushes also which
I saw on the river bank bordering the birch swamp.
  Autumn is now fairly established although in 
its first stage. The leaves are yellowing and falling,
the pickerel weed has turned brown in places and 
the soapwart gentium in the conspicuous flown along 
the river banks. I saw only two white water lilies
this morning.
While paddling up river a Buteo Pennsylvania passed over near
[margin]Buteo Penn[/margin]