1893
March 31
(No 2)
Concord, Mass.
  Near Hunt's landing a Red-shouldered Hawk,
an old but rather dull-plumaged male, was perched
in the top of a small elm watching the meadow
beneath with down-turned head.
[margin]Red shouldered
Hawk[/margin]
  Two male Marsh Hawks crossed the flooded meadows
looking extremely like Gulls as they tacked against
the high wind now rising to meet the blasts,
next skimming close over the water on set wings.
[margin]Marsh
hawks[/margin]
   At the lower end of the rapids below Hunt's a
pair of Hooded Mergansers started from the river
close in to the bordering belt of bushes and flew
swiftly down stream. As I was returning, late
in the afternoon I saw them again flying over
the flooded meadows to a sheltered nook near
the Cemetery Brook where they alighted close to
shore in water only a few inches deep. They evidently
avoid the open water, where the Gooseanders love
to float and fish [?] from all danger, and
haunt the narrow reaches of the river and coves
near lines of trees or bushes. May not this, in 
some degree, account for their present scarcity? They 
are exceedingly shy birds at this season and
the pair seen to-day flew the moment they saw
my boat. On both occasions the drake followed
his mate. His crest was closed but showed a little
more white than that of the female. Both birds flew
with amazing swiftness. When I first saw them 
they were within a few yards of the spot where
I started a pair last year at this season.
[margin]Hooded
Mergansers[/margin]