1891
May 9
Mass.
W. Tisbury to Boston.  Clear and much warmer than at any time
during the past week the wind S.W. veering to N.E. before noon, the
afternoon rather chilly.
  An aching tooth kept me awake much of the night and early
this morning. I decided that it was ulcerating & that I had
better return to Boston at once which I did, dressing hurriedly and
taking the stage at 5.45, leaving Faxon behind me.
  The early morning was still and warm and birds were singing
freely in and near the village as I started.  There were Robins, 
Chipping Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, ad Least Flycatcher and Purple
Finch, Meadow Larks, and in the distance an Oven Bird.
  The colony of Grackles were all out on parade in a field, stalking
about on their turf, a dozen or fifteen of them. A little east
of town a small Sparrow, which I am very sure was Coturniculus 
passerinus, flew up from the road and alighted on a fence.
On the way the Vineyard Haven saw three Towhees, several
Robins, and a Marsh Hawk. Heard only one Brown Thrasher.
I cannot understand the nearly total apparent absence of
the last and the scarcity of Towhees when I saw both species
in such multitudes last summer.  Is it possible that they
have not arrived yet? The vegetation is certainly backward
here and the country looks bare & brown while the total number
of birds of all kinds seen and heard last evening & this
morning was very small.
  During the sail from Vineyard Haven to New Bedford I kept
pretty closely to the cabin & have made few observations but 
passing through Wood's Hole saw at least twenty-five Black
Scoters. They seemed to be fishing in the tide rips about rocks.
There were nine in our flock. Saw only two White -wings to-day.
On the way to Boston saw two Kingbirds together on willows
over a brook.