1893
April 8
(No 4)
Concord, Mass.
  On the way down river I saw a Gray Squirrel near
Hunt's landing, a Meadow Lark, a Flicker, a Red-
tailed Hawk, a Red-shouldered Hawk with nearly or
quite half of the quills missing giving the wings a 
sadly ragged appearance, a female Hooded Merganser which
flew from the edge of the flooded bushes opposite
Dakin's Hill, a Herring Gull, a solitary Canada Goose,
and six Black Ducks.
[margin]Birds seen
along the
river[/margin]
  The Goose was flying about over the flooded meadows
at a height of only thirty or forty yards. It appeared
to be looking for a safe place to alight but when about
opposite Ball's Hill was fired at by some men in a
canoe and kept on down river flapping hurriedly
as if badly frightened. It did not once make any
vocal sound.
[margin]Canada
Goose[/margin]
  The ducks were in a flooded meadow behind some
button bushes at the head of Hunt's Pond. I heard
one of the females quacking loudly and continuously
and paddled to within about sixty yards of the
flock before they saw me and flew. They went off
in loose order, like a bunch of Blackbirds.
[margin]Black
Ducks[/margin]
  Robins were extrordinarily numerous to-day. I
counted 71 between the Buttricks' & Ball's Hill. Most
of them were running about on the ground near the
edge of the water where the snow had melted. It is
probable that this earlier melting of the snow on the 
river banks had attracted them from further inland
where no bare ground appeared until later in the day. 
[margin]Robins[/margin]