1893
Jan'y 29
Cambridge
Cloudy with thin fog which, during the night, had
frozen to the trees coating each twig with long
spicules arranged in rows on the side from which
the wind (N.E.) came. Ther. about 32[degrees] the entire
forenoon.
  Bolles left word at the Museum yesterday that
he had just seen a flock of about fifty Robins
in Fresh Pond Lane. I went there this morning
and found them eating [delete]privet[/delete] buckthorn berries near Gray's
Pond. It was impossible to count them accurately
but there were not less than twenty birds and
certainly not more than twenty-five. This fact
does not necessarily affect the reliability of Bolles's
estimate of course. Indeed when I returned through
the Lane this morning after spending an hour
or more at the Grove & fountain the number of
Robins had shrank to about a dozen birds!
[margin]Robins
appear
suddenly.[/margin]
  In the Grove I started the Duck Hawk from a 
hemlock within 40 yards of the old barn and saw
two Red Squirrels in an oak near the site of the hotel.
[margin]Duck Hawk
Squirrels[/margin]
  There were three Whistlers, all gray birds, in the
pool about the fountain. I watched them for
half an hour or more as they dove for food near the
shore. Finally they flew & I saw two more coming
in over the ice & presently recognised Faxon & Hoffman.
The Ducks returned within a few minutes. After
spending a little more time watching them
we went to the Grove where we found a Junco
& Tree Sparrow only. The Chickadees & Nuthatch
[margin]Golden-eyes[/margin]