1891
April 6
No 4
  Mass.
  Concord. much of the time during which we had
them under our glasses to preening and arranging
their feathers but they also swam about with
heads lowered and bills immersed to the eyes
apparently scanning the water beneath in
search of fish. The females paddled slowly
about apparently doing nothing in particular. There
was no diving on the part of any of them. At
length we showed ourselves and the Sheldrake
at over flew but the Black Duck who had
gone fast asleep with head buried in dorsal
feathers remained behind. his bewilderment and
consternation when he at length awoke and
discovered our boat approaching rapidly was
very amusing.
  We next crossed the river, landed, and
climbing the hill, walked through the pines &
down into the valley behind. The surface of a 
broad expanse of snow which lay on the [?]
side of some young pines was marked with the
tracks of a small Raccoon. In the old apple
orchard we found numerous pellets and other
recent marks of Screech Owls but we searched all
the holes in vain. It is strange that I have 
never found an owl in any of these holes
although their fresh signs are present under
the trees season after season.
  We lunched near the big oak by the brook
in a sunny hollow sheltered from the [?]
with wind. Two Bluebirds, a pair of Chickadees, 
and a flock of about 25 Goldfinches all in