1891
April 14
no 3.
Early morning on Payson Place.
Mass. 
Belmont a superb old drake whose brilliant 
plumage glistened in the rays of the rising sun. 
Presently both birds climbed out of the top 
of the granite curb and sat for some time sunning 
and preening their feathers. We watched them a 
long time. [delete]After[/delete] Before we left them, undisturbed, 
they walked for some distance along the top of 
the wall taking firm [?] steps. The curb 
as we afterwards found was plentifully marked 
with tin greenish semi-fluid excrement 
showing that they resort to the place regularly. 
  In the oak & hickory grove we also found a 
pair of Nuthatches (S. carolinensis) which were 
doubtless nesting in some one of the innumerable 
cavities with which the fine old trees abound.
Sparrow Hawks, Wood Ducks, Nuthatches, Mockingbird! 
what a sowing for a highly cultivated ornamental 
park of fifteen or twenty acres within a mile 
of Mt. Auburn and two miles of Harvard Square! 
[margin]Nuthatches[/margin]
  Of common birds we saw three Hermit Thrushes,
two flocks of Kinglets, two Blue Jays, two pairs 
of Crows, a Phebe, two pairs of Crows, a Purple 
Finch (in full song) at least a dozen Song Sparrows,
several Bluebirds & Flickers, and a number 
of Yellow-red-poll Warblers. Of the last named
we encountered a flock of fully a dozen on School 
St. opposite the Adams place the males in full song. 
Meadow Larks were whistling all over the Adams
place. We heard three males at one time. Cow-birds 
were very numerous & we heard one flock of Redwings. 
I reached home at 9:30 A. M.
[margin]Common 
birds[/margin]