1891
May 19
(no 4)
A day on the Revere Marshes with W. Faxon.
Mass.
Revere Beach . - next close over the grass, flying with
exceeding swiftness and wheeling with amazing abruptness
all together as at a signal from some leader. As they
approached one another the different flocks would
unite until more than once they formed a single
flock which must have contained fully 300 birds.
When during one of their sudden wheels they all
turned up their white bellies towards the sun
the effect was very beautiful, a sudden flash of
countless points of glistening light like a shower
of silver coins, or the sides of a great school of
silvery fishes exposed for a moment on the surface
of the sea. Thus as their backs were turned towards
us the flock became nearly invisable against
the dark background of the hills about Revere.
After many beautiful evolutions they would separate
again into small flocks which would return one
by one to the marsh where oozy flats just
covered with brackish water seemed to afford a
rich feeding ground. I have not seen so many
small waders assembled in one place in new England
since the old days at Rip Beach (1871-72). 
[margin]Least Sandpipers[/margin]
  The three Hawks which stalked them one a
male Marsh Hawk, the Sharp-shin already 
mentioned (which, after passing over the field
where the Tit larks were feeding, struck at 
an English Sparrow which had sought refuge
under the blind of a house but apparently
missed its aim & kept on) and a very small
male Duck Hawk. The last named came
hurtling over the marsh with the speed of
[margin]Sharp-shinned Hawk[/margin]
[margin]Duck Hawk[/margin]