1892
April 4
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. - Early morning cloudy with light rain, the
sun out bright by 11 a.m.; remainder of day clear
and oppressively warm with gentle S. W. breeze. Temper-
ature about the same as yesterday.
  Purple Finches were singing this morning in the
direction of the Manse and Grass Finches in the
orchard. Robins singing fitfully, Bluebirds & Song
Sparrows vigorously.
  At 10 a.m. I started for Ball's Hill by boat. As
I was paddling down the swift reach near "the tent"
I saw a Shrike, a fine old gray bird, sitting on
a maple sapling. As I approached he took wing and
flying very swiftly close to the ground dashed into
a clump of maples driving out a Song Sparrow which
started across the river. The Shrike overtook the
Sparrow about mid stream when the Sparrow dodged
several times eluding its pursuer each time with
apparent ease. As it neared the thicket of willows
for which it was making, however, it kept a
perfectly straight course when the Shrike again
overhauling it rose a little above it and delt it
a vicious downward blow either on the head or
back, I could not tell which knocking it down
four or five feet into the water. It immediately
fluttered clear of the surface, however, and before
the Shrike could check its speed and turn back
the Sparrow skimmed in under the willows and
disappeared. The Shrike followed and perching only
a few feet above the ground was on the watch for
the reappearance of its prey when I approached
too closely and scared it away.
[margin]Shrike
chases &
knocks down a Sparrow[/margin]