1893 
April 21  
Concord, Mass.
Ball's Hill
Forenoon stormy. The clouds broke away and the
sun came out at about 1.30 P.M. The remainder
of the afternoon fine with moderate N wind.; after 
sunset wind shifted to E and the sky clouded over
again.
  At 2 P.M. I started down river in the open canoe
and sailed most of the way, close handed, to Ball's Hill.
A Red-shouldered Hawk soaring and screaming over
the knoll near Hunt's landing suddenly closed its
wings and shot down like a falling rocket into
the pitch pines descending about 100 ft. I landed
& looked for a nest but could find nothing but
a Grey Squirrel's nest. It is a mystery where these 
Hawks are breeding. I see one or both daily near
this knoll. Sometimes they circle screaming above
Ripley's Hill within hearing of the Buttricks'
[margin]Red-shouldered Hawk[/margin]
  Landing at the cabin I left my things and
walked across the fields to Holden's seeing, on the 
way, two Savanna Sparrows on a grassy knoll 
and a flock of five Yellow Red-poll Warbler
acompanied by a Pine Warbler & two Bluebirds in an
apple tree on a hillside near birches.
  In an elm in front of Holden's house a pair
of Bluebirds were copulating. I saw only one act
of union which was accompanied by a peculiar
low, chattering sound made, I thought, by the 
male although of this I had no proof.
[margin]Bluebirds[/margin]