1892
Feb. 8
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]Damsdale.[/margin]
Mass.
Concord . . Cloudy with fine rain freezing on the trees
and veiling the landscape in a soft gray mist. Air
warm but chilly. No wind whatever.
  Off on foot at 3 P.M. walking through Mr. Derby's lane,
up the Damsdale meadow, and beyond to the grove
of Scotch pines on the Pratt farm, returning around
the west base of Punkatasset and through Pratt's
nursery.
  Saw a Red-shouldered Hawk, a fine adult bird, in
the Damsdale and Chickadees in four different places,
never more than three together and usually only two,
a Knight with one pair. Among some dense pines I
came suddenly on two Goldfinches, hopping about on the
snow under a prostrate, snow-laden birch, picking up
the fallen seeds. They were very tame and interesting.
[margin]Buteo lineatus[/margin]
[margin]Knights.
Goldfinches.[/margin]
  During the past autumn and winter Squirrels have been
exceedingly scarce, apparently, but I begin to suspect
that like the Rabbits they are changing their habits
and becoming more wary and retiring. At least since
the last snow came I have found thin tracks in
nearly every piece of woods.and this afternoon I
saw and heard no less than six, three Red and
three Gray. One of the Red Squirrels was running along
a wall, another was "chittering" and making a
gnawing sound (precisely like a Rat gnawing a board)
in a pasture oak, while the third "wound his
clock" in a grove of white pines the only time
that I have heard this sound since last October.
The Gray Squirrels were all together in the
woods at the base of Punkatasset, at first in
some leafless chestnuts.where they galloped about
[margin]Gray & Red
Squirrels
out in
force[/margin]

