Concord, Mass.
1893
Sept. 7
  Cloudy with thunder showers, two passing near, the third
over, Concord. Early morning cool, the afternoon & evening
sultry.
  Having some writing to do I spent the day in
or near the house. So completely have the birds
stopped singing that with any window open I lay in bed
for half an hour or more early this morning listening
without hearing a single individual. In the
forenoon a Nuthatch visited our elms & I heard
Bluebirds & Chippies near by.
  Later in the afternoon two flocks of Barn Swallows
passed over the house. There were twelve birds in
one and twenty-four in the other flock. They
were flying at a considerable height, directly south,
and in much more compact order than when merely
feeding or on the way to a roost. Hence I infer
that they were migrating. An interval of less than
five minutes lapsed between the disappearance of the
first & the appearance of the second flock.
[margin]Barn Swallows
migrating[/margin]
  A single Swift accompanied one of the flocks of
Barn Swallows or rather appeared at the same
moment but it went off to the eastward
and evidently was travelling quite independently.
[margin]A solitary
Swift[/margin]
  Two Night Hawks also passed over the house
at about sunset flying south & doubtless
migrating but feeding a little by the way.
[margin]Night Hawks[/margin]/margin]