1891.
Nov. 2
Concord, Massachusetts.
Concord - Cambridge. - Clear and cold with strong N.W.
wind. A fine bracing day, the sun warm at noon.
  Started for Cambridge at about 10 A.M. taking 
my favorite road through Lincoln. As I was
crossing the causeway just east of the Emerson's
I saw a Marsh Harrier, a small, brown bird, apparently 
a young male, beating  the meadow. Upon coming
to the edge of the woods he began soaring in small
circles and rising so rapidly that within two or
three minutes he had reached an elevation of fully
2000 feet. During the entire ascent he flapped his
wings only a few times. When he had reached the
highest point he looked no larger than a Swallow.
He now began drifting off before the wind, still
circling, and was soon lost to my sight. I
believe he was migrating and had merely descended
for a little while in the hope of getting a breakfast.
The direction which he finally took was about S.E.
[margin]Marsh Hawk migrating by day.[/margin]
  I saw a good many Tree Sparrows and a few
Fox Sparrows along the roadsides but Juncos
were not numerous. There was a young male
Buffle-head Duck in the pond at the foot
of Prospect Hill in Waltham. I stopped the horse
for several minutes to watch this bird.  He was
diving energetically just out of gun shot from the
shore. Not far from this pond I saw a
Flicker, a rare bird this autumn.
[margin]Buffle-headed Duck[/margin]
  On reaching Cambridge I found several
White-throated Sparrows and a Robin in
my garden.