June 23, 1891
England.
Chester. - Clear and warm with strong breeze. Evening
cloudy with a dash of rain about 8 o'clock.
  A Robin-like song at intervals in the early
morning somewhere behind the house. Some of the
notes very like our Robin's but the strain not
continuous but with long intervals of silence between
each set of eight or ten notes. Suspect the bird
to have been an English Blackbird.
  Spent the day shopping and visiting the
Cathedral. Swifts in great numbers about the
latter and doubtless nesting in some of the
crevices of the walls.
  Took a short walk just after the shower
in the evening. Hoped to see Toads and Earthworms
out in the gardens but not a sign of either.
Near the foot of Gray Friars heard a bird making
a great racket. Among various strange harsh or
guttural calls it occasionally interpolated a
pip very like our Robin's & I felt [now] it must
be a Blackbird which proved to be the case.
It was sitting on the top of a chimney. Yellow
bill and wholly black plumage, a striking bird.
Scarcely had I good a good sight at it than
it started with a laughing cry almost [foolishly]
like that of our Robin when it talks away
and plunged into some shrubbery. I heard a
few more calls but it would not sing.
  The Swifts are fair birds, as large as
our Purple Martins. They literally swarm over
this town. They do not cover nearly as much
space as our birds but sail, float & circle
long over our spot.