1889
Dec. 5
Marston's Mills, Mass.
Clear, still, and very warm & pleasant in the sun.
  After breakfast I started out alone with "Dandy," going
down behind the barn towards the river. In the swamp
at the foot of the hill I found a flock of fully 50
Yellow-rumps (D. coronata) flitting about in the leafless
tupelos and maples, occasionally noting the pines on
the neighboring sandy knolls. In the briary thickets along
the edges of the salt marsh Tree Sparrows are abundant
and Song Sparrows common, three or four of the latter
after starting out at once as the dog invaded their
retreat. On one of the great, grassy hills I started eight
or ten Meadow Larks one of which I surprised under
a bank and dropped at long range as it rose. The
others crossed the river.
  Beyond the boat house I came to an extensive
thicket of wild rose, sumac & bayberry bushes growing
along the foot of a bank on the very edge of the
salt marshes. Here I found a flock of over 100 small
birds most of them Tree Sparrows & Yellow-rumps (about equally
divided in numbers) with a few Song Sparrows, two Robins
one Swamp Sparrow and one Field Sparrow. The tree
Sparrows and Yellow-rumps were eating bayberries and 
I suspect that the Field Sparrow & Robins were similarly
engaged although I did not actually see them at it.
The Song & Swamp Sparrows kept down among the grass
and weeds or near the ground. There were also
several Colaptes flitting about the place. The Tree
Sparrows sang loudly & sweetly at intervals and twice
I heard a Song Sparrow practicing in low, warbling
tones.
  After watching these birds for some time I advanced