1889
(April 30)
I saw his red tail distinctly. I think I have seen this
once before, at Upton, Me., if I remember rightly, in May 1881.
  Our next landing was at Lu's Cliff where we spent an hour or
more. A pair of crows evidently had a nest in the pines
as they kept flying about cawing. We also saw a Red-tail
(probably one of the pair just mentioned) which flew out from
the pines but we failed to find any nest.
  Several Purple Martins were flying over the Bay in company with
a few White-bellied Swallows. Of the latter we saw perhaps twenty
along the river including two at the Manse - evidently inspecting
their old nesting place in the big elm by the landing. Martha
French farm we saw several Bank Swallows
[margin]Swallows[/margin]
  We saw no Ducks and, very curiously, no Phebees either on this
trip or on April 11th. I cannot understand what has become
of them all.
  In thickets near Fairhaven we heard a Towhee and saw two
Brown Thrashers. Field Sparrows singing on all the hillsides
and a Grass Finch near Nine Acre bridge.
  Richardson tells me that Black Ducks, Sheldrake and Golden eyes
have been unusually numerous on the river the past month.
On March 31st seventeen Geese were seen by Albert Brown on the
Sudbury Meadows.
[margin]Ducks &
Geese[/margin]
  The vegetation is unusually far advanced for the season.
Cherry trees in full bloom in the gardens and shad bush in the
woods. Saxifrage and Houstonia in full bloom also and columbines
out on sunny slopes. Poplars covered with small leaves and birches
decidedly green in places although the leaves are only beginning
to unfold. The grass green everywhere even on the meadows.
[margin]Vegetation[/margin]