1891.
July 2
(No.5)
Trip to the Wynd Cliff.
England.
Tintern. - In the afternoon we drove to the Wynd cliff
an eminence nearly 1000 ft. high, sloping back over open
country and plantations, towards the river descending by
a sheer precipice for several hundred feet and below this
by steep slopes or terraces the entire side towards the
river being wooded wherever a tree can find foothold
with beeches, oaks, larches and yews. We have higher
cliffs in New England but none wilder and more picturesque.
  We drove to within about 1/4 of a mile form the top,
then took a foot path which zig-zagged up by easy
grades through the densest possible woods of young trees.
Saw a brood of six or eight Tits which made a lisping
sound like young Chickadees. They were of medium
size, short-tailed, with ashy brown or grayish backs &
heads. No black on throat or crown but a bridle-shaped
bar on auriculars. (Blue Tits; afterwards identified at Wells).
  From the top of the Cliff we looked down on a
checker-board country with the muddy Wye directly
beneath us and the equally muddy, much broader
Severn in the distance. The Wye looked very like a
broad, winding road, not in the least like water.
The cliff with the woods at its base was to my
eye the only really attractive feature of the scene.
As we approached the edge a pair of Kestrels
started out directly beneath us screaming precisely 
like our Sparrow Hawk but louder. One of them
rose to about our level and within 60 yds.
hovered for a minute or more, facing the wind
which was rather strong at the time, and
beating his wings only two or three times although