1893
April 12
Concord Mass.  
  Clear, the forenoon up to ten o'clock dead calm,                 
the rest of the day with strong S.E. to S.W. wind.
Very warm in fact quite the warmest-feeling day
thus far.
[margin]A day at 
the Buttrick
farm.[/margin]
  I awoke at day break and lay awake for nearly                                    
one hour listening for birds songs my window being
window open. A Robin began singing while it was
still nearly dark and continued for fifteen or
twenty minutes at intervals. Next a Song Sparrow
and then a Bluebird sang a few times.  After 
this I heard nothing  whatever & finally went
to sleep again.
[margin]Birds 
singing at 
daybreak[/margin]
  At breakfast time (7.30) a chipping Sparrow (the                               
first) was singing rather listlessly & feebly in the
orchard. A little later I heard a Phoebe give the
flight song near the North Bridge. A Flicker also "shouted"                    
two or three times. With these exceptions there was                       
no singing whatever during the early forenoon although
the air was still and warm and the sunlight bright.
I have rarely observed anything more remarkable
than this silent morning. There were plenty of
birds about Robins, Bluebirds, Song Sparrows & Swallows
quarreling about a bird house. but all seemed
listless & depressed (save the Swallows).
[margin]Remarkable
silence on
the part
of the birds[/margin]
  I spent the entire day working on my canoes
at the landing with a carpenter. In the
afternoon I sailed for an hour or more over
Mill Brook meadow.