1890
Dec.12
Lexington, Massachusetts
  Clear and cold or rather blustering with high 
N. W. wind and ther. falling from 32 [degrees] at sunrise to
22 [degrees] at sunset.
  Starting at 8.30 I drove directly to Bryant's 
(near the "Lone Pine") in Lexington where I left the
horse and started for the extension birch and poplar
covers to the north of the house. Skirting the eastern
edge I walked at a brisk pace, to get my blood
started, over the frozen meadow while "Don" beat
the borders of two thickets. We had gone only a
little way when he flushed a Partridge which rose
a little wild but which, nevertheless, he should have
pointed. I was not near enough to shoot.
On reaching the old rope walk I turned into a
little meadow which was covered with long grass
and thickets of sheep laurel with mossy mounds 
or hillocks at intervals. From one of these mounds
a Short-eared Owl started within ten feet of me
flapping off with the usual light, erratic, moth-
like flight. I let it go perhaps thirty yards
and then brought it down with a broken wing. It
snapped its bill and made a blowing sound when
I approached it and when I took it up by one wing
struck at me with its talons but did not 
attempt to bite. Davidson killed one of these
Owls in this meadow about two weeks ago. 
[margin]Short eared Owl[/margin]
  Not far from where the Owl rose I came upon
a small mound of Quails droppings perfectly fresh
and evidently made last night. "Don" sniffed at
them eagerly and then drew straight across
the meadow and out into a weed field where