Concord, Mass.
1893
July 13
  Clear and warm with N. wind.
  Chadbourne came from Boston this morning and
we went to Ball's Hill for the day dining and taking
tea at the cabin and returning after dark. W. Dean
joined us late in the afternoon, staying to tea.
We sailed most of the way down river in the morning
and part way back in the evening.
  In the afternoon we took a long walk, traversing
most of my land. Birds were very silent but we
heard a Black throated Green & two Pine Warblers, a Veery,
a Wood Pewee & a Grosbeak, the last singing only brokenly.
  When the Cooper's Hawks were frequenting the pines
near the Glacial Hollow last April I noticed two large
nests in the trees. Pat climbed to one but found that
it was a Squirrel's nest. The other, which was further to
the northward in a tree that stands at the foot of the slope
next [to] the swamp, we did not examine as it did not
look very promising & the Hawks had apparently deserted
the woods at that time. I have seen them there at
rare intervals since but felt certain that they were nesting
at some distance beyond my limits. As we were passing
through the woods this afternoon, however, we started one
of the birds from the pines very near the second nest
& on examination found the ground beneath it literally
white with droppings of the birds. There were also the 
shells of a recently-hatched egg directly under the nest.
It is probable therefore that the birds have been there the
whole season & have put me off the track by their remarkable
silence and elusiveness. I have not heard them scream since
April.
[margin]Nest of
Cooper's Hawk[/margin]