1886
Oct. 6
Concord, Massachusetts.
  Clear still and warm, one of those perfect October
days with mellow sunshine and no wind.
  Spend an hour on Ripley's Hill and the swamp
 to the eastward in the early morning. The woods
were alive with birds, chiefly Yellow-rumps with 
now and then a single D. Striata. The latter have
evidently gone by and the former taken this places.
  There were also many Jays, and Rusty Blackbirds
in some numbers in the thickets along the brook.
I shot a female of the latter species here.
  Returning over the hill I called a Marsh Hawk
that was passing over the pines and shot it.
A pair of Red-Tails came soaring over a moment
later and I shot at one but missed it.
  An hour later while calling on French at 
the Studio I saw a larger flock of Rusty Blackbirds
feeding in a corn-field and a small pantry
of Lit larks rambling about over ploughed land.
  Late in the afternoon I paddled up the 
Assabet. The air was still as death and the
screams of Jays and clucking of chipmunks
came from the woods on every side.
  Near Bird's nest Island.  I found the flock
of Luiscalus aeneus and surprising them drinking
among alders in a brook killed one at close range
with the auxiliary. The others made off but a 
little later returned and pitched into the birch swamp
to roost. Waiting until it was nearly dark I landed
and starting in under them shot two. Then 
were many Robins roosting with them.
  The trees are fast losing thin leaves Autumnal tint