1893.
March 31
(No 5)
Concord, Mass.
  As I was returning from Davis's Hill at about
5 P.M. a Carolina Dove began cooing near Bensen's
knoll. Paddling close in shore I presently saw
the bird sitting in a crouching position in a 
large maple on a stout branch near the trunk,
about midway between the ground and the top 
of the tree. I put my glass on it and watched
it closely but could not detect anything unusual
at the instant when it was cooing. Another
Dove in the distance towards Bensen's answered
my bird a few times.
[margin]Carolina
Doves[/margin]
  The wind had now fallen to a gentle breeze and
Red-winged Blackbirds appeared, scattered about
on the maples and willows along the channel
of the river, all singing of course. I saw &
heard about 15 between Davis's Hill and
Hunt's landing. This was not so many by far
as there should be at this date. One bird
made at intervals a prolonged snickering almost
exactly like that of a Red Squirrel. I do not
remember to have heard this so early in the
season before.
[margin]Red winged
Blackbirds[margin]
  Besides the Red-wings I heard on my way
up river at evening a few Song Sparrows and as 
I neared Flint's Bridge, several Bluebirds. Robins
were again calling around the Buttricks' at evening
but none sang. Apparently only a very few have
come as yet for I saw none below Flint's Bridge.
Where are the Flickers? I neither saw nor heard any at all.