1890
Jan.3
Cambridge, Mass.
  Cloudless with brisk but soft W. wind. A
remarkably mild, sping-like day even for this
"open" winter.
[margin]Fresh Pond
Marshes[/margin]
  Met Faxon at Hill's Crossing at 9.15 a.m. taking
my gun, one object being to make a thorough
examination of the swamps in order to ascertain
what birds are [wintering?] in them this mild season.
  We first encircled the Pout Pond swamp, seeing
two or three Song and Tree Sparrows, and then
entered the swamp opposite Barker's where we
found a large flock of Linnets containing about
25 Redpolls, five or six Gold Finches and two
Pine Linnets. They were feeding on alder seeds
the scales of which covered the ground beneath
the bushes. Faxon shot a fine red-breasted [?].
There were several large birds in the flock which
I took to be rostrata. I shot at one of them but
missed. In this swamp the spatters of skunk
cabbage were four or five inches tall and very green.
In a neighboring field Shepard's purse was in full
bloom. The grass was as green as in early April.
  Passing the outlet of Pont Pond I "screeped" a
little when a Cistothorus palustris began scolding
in a bed of dense cat-tails. After more screeping
on our part he showed himself twice and
finally came within a few yards of us.
As we could not find Faxon's bird this may
be the same but we think not as the
two localities are 300 yds. apart with the
Fitchburg R.R and a double line of side tracked
freight cards between. Faxon's bird was at [home?]
[margin]Cistothorus[/margin]