1892
March 22
Concord, Massachusetts.
Ball's Hill.
Mass.
Concord. - A cloudless sky, gentle west wind and dry
atmosphere. Ther. 7[degrees] at sunrise, 45[degrees] at noon.
  To Ball's Hill by boat at 9.30 a.m. A Bluebird
was warbling and a Jay Sparrow singing on Honeysuckle
Island as I walked across the snow-covered
fields to Flint's bridge. From the bridge the river
was open as far as I could see but on reaching
the narrow, swift stretch just above Hunt's pond
I found it completely frozen over for a distance of
100 feet or more. Through this ice I was obliged
to break a channel, a most laborious undertaking
costing me more than an hour of hard work
with a heavy pole. While thus engaged I saw
a Marsh Hawk and two Robins. The Hawk crossed
the Great Meadows at right angles flying rather
high and going out over the hills to the N. He
was evidently migrating and found nothing to
attract him in the great expanse of snowy ice
which still covers these meadows. The Robins were
also high in air but circled about as if looking
for a place to alight.
[margin]Marsh Hawk
migrating.[/margin]
[margin]Robins[/margin]
  I saw nothing at Ball's Hill to-day save a
few Chickadees & Crows but just before sunset as
I was returning up the river and about opposite
Holden's hill I heard the musical jingle of Rusty
Blackbirds in the air directly overhead. There were
at least several of them and they passed very near
me but I could not get my eye on them (the
glare from the snow & ice was very dazzling at the time).
[margin]Rusty Blackbirds[/margin]
  During the day the river freed itself from ice except
in coves & under trees. Pines of both species getting green.