1891
April 14
Early morning on Payson Place.
Mass.
Belmont. - Cloudless but hazy with S.W. wind. An 
oppressively hot day for the season the thermometer 
rising to 74{degrees] at noon (55[degrees] at 9 P. M.)
  Faxon spent the night with me and at 5 A. M. 
we started in a coupe for the Payson Place. 
The early morning was so cool that we found 
our winter coats not uncomfortable. there was a 
strong S. W> blowing and birds did not sing freely 
until the sun got well up. Robins, however, were 
in full voice as we drove up Brattle St. and on 
reaching our destination we heard Bluebirds, Song 
Sparrows, Meadow Larks and a Grass finch. For 
nearly two hours we patrolled the oyster-shell 
driveway or sat on the stone-wall listening and 
watching for the Mockingbird and it was nearly 
9 A. M. before we entirely gave up hope and 
started for home. Either he has moved his ground 
or fallen a victim to some prowling cat or 
merciless specimen hunter. At all events we got 
no trace of him.
  Our morning, however, was far from ill-spent. 
On the contrary it was so filled with interesting 
and at times exciting experiences that we felt 
more than repaid. I had come to thin k that 
the woods and field near Cambridge were not now 
what they once were, so far as bird-life is 
concerned, but if this is true in a general sense 
the Payson Place is certainly an exception to 
the rule as the following record will show.
  On entering the avenue we heard, besides the 
birds just mentioned, a Colaptes "shouting" in the