1889
(May 5)
coolly although he soon scaled off across the river to the
swamp on the Bedford shore.
  Landing near the "Hawk Woods" we lunched on the banks of
the brook that skirts the sandy field. A portion of this field
had been recently sown with oats which had attracted many
birds. There were six or seven Cow Buntings, twice as many Red wings
and several Grass Finches & Savannas. A few White-throats
in bushes along the wall. I killed two Cow Buntings at one
shot. While crossing this field we started a single Tit Lark.
It rose from a piece of ploughed land and flew out of sight.
As it passed within 60 yds. we distinctly saw its red breast.
it piped in the usual autumn voice.
  While lying in the shade of a pine eating lunch we saw a
Cooper's Hawk rise above the woods on the hill and rose
upwards until actually lost to sight in the blue sky. A
Carolina Dove flew past us, alighted in a tall maple and
cooed several times. At the upper end of the field we started
five of these Doves at once. Two went off in one direction,
three together in another, all alighting in the tops of isolated
leafless trees. We heard them coo many times, two [males]
apparently answering one another from opposite sides of the field.
In the Hawk Woods found a pair of the silent Solitary Vireos, a
pair of Pine Warblers & three or four D. coronata. Also a pair
of Picus pubescens. No D. verens or H. ruficopilla.
  The row homeward was delightful, the river nearly calm,
many Red-wings singing, a Bittern jumping on the south
side of the meadow, a Carolina Rail calling. I shot a
[female] Picus villosus which was pecking at a rotten stub (maple)
over the water. The ovaries were underdeveloped.
  Saw a few Swallows - perhaps 15 White bellies one Gare two or three Martins.
Birches green with young leaves. Apple blossoms nearly out.
Cherry blossoms beginning to shed their petals.