1893
May 27
(No 2)
Concord, Mass
Ball's Hill.
  When I reached Ball's Hill this morning a perfect
swarm of Swifts were flying above and around it dashing
close over the tops of the oaks. I counted 22 &[and] certainly
did not get them all. Their numbers increased slowly
as the day wore on until late in the afternoon there
must have been between 50 &[and] 60. Doubtless all the
birds that breed within several miles were assembled
here. I have repeatedly seen them here in cloudy weather
in May during former years but never so many at
one time if I remember rightly. There were a few
Barn Swallows with them. I suspect that the blossoming
oaks attract certain Dipterans insects of which the
Swifts are particularly fond, although [delete]they[/delete] Ball's Hill
is a favorite feeding ground of theirs at all times
in cloudy weather. There were many Swallows flying
low over the river meadows to-day but not a Swift 
among them. 
[margin]Large 
gathering of
Swifts at
Ball's Hill[/margin]

   The Red-wings are returning to the meadows now
that the water has left them bare again but as 
yet the numbers of these birds are not nearly what
they would have been at this date had the water
receded at the usual time.
[margin]Red wings
returning 
to meadows[/margin]

  Cuckoos of both species have increased perceptably [?]
in numbers during the past few days. I heard
both kinds frequently to-day along the river.
[margin]Increase of
Cuckoos[/margin]