1887                               
Aug.15  
Concord, Massachusetts.
Clear and warm; wind S.W.; light all day
  Up Assabet at 9.30 a.m. spending the forenoon
before starting shot a fine Oriole in the locust grove
by the dam. There were several young birds and two
adult [male] in nearly perfect autumn plumage. I shot both
but the first escaped after falling nearly to the ground.
  Only a few birds seen on the Assabet and nothing
singing but a Cuckoo and one Red-eye.
  After dinner took the canoe again and sailed to
Ball's Hill paddling beyond to Lee Davis' hill when I
landed and went to the great woods in the hopes of getting
another Hawk. Found them silent and deserted
hearing nothing and seeing only a Mniotilta. On the way
back started a brood of Indigo Birds on the edge of a
corn field. Do they eat corn in the milk? They are
suspiciously fond of corn fields at this season.
  Returning to the river I pushed out into mid stream
and eat [ate] my lunch then. The sun was setting and
the scene very peaceful and beautiful. Nearly 200 sparrows
(about 350 Barn and 50 White-bellies) passed in the course of
fifteen minutes straggling along in the usual manner.
I suspected at first that they were migrating as they were
flying up river (due South) but a little later when I
reached the bend just below Ball's Hill I was surprised
to find them dashing about in a close swarm now               
high, now just over the meadow grass. I saw at once      
that they were preparing to go to roost but for nearly
twenty minutes they gave no clear indication of the premium?
spot. During this time they were whirling about in
the most erratic way, rising to a height of 300 or 400 feet,
then dashing down close over the river and meadow,
at times massed together like a swarm of waders, at
[margin]Swallows
going to roost[/margin]