1893
April 1
(No 2)
Concord, Mass.
  There were no Black Ducks on Holden's Meadow
this morning and I saw no other water fowl
on my trip down except three Ducks flying in
the distance which I took to be Whistlers but
of which I could not make certain.
  I forgot to mention, among the birds seen
near the Buttrick's this morning, a fine old
Herring Gull which came into the flooded
meadow at the mouth of Mill Brook and
cruised about for several minutes descending to
the water & apparently picking up some kind
of food once or twice. It seemed strange to
see a Gull flying over so small an area of
water with houses, trees & bridges hemming it
closely on every side.
[margin]Herring Gull[/margin]
  It was windy on the shore near the cabin
and no small birds appeared there except two
Chickadees and two Tree Sparrows. But in
the afternoon when I walked with Spelman
to Bensen's we saw three Bluebirds and a
Downy Woodpecker and in front of Bensen's house
heard a Grass Finch sing sweetly three or four
times. We then went to Holden's where flying
about the barn twittering joyously was a 
White-bellied Swallow which, I am inclined to
believe, had only just arrived as there were
none at the Buttricks' this morning. Probably
this bird had pushed rapidly northward with
the favouring & now oppressively warm S.W. wind.
[margin]First
Grass Finch
First 
Swallow[/margin]