1892
May 11
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. - Cloudy with S.E. wind and moderately heavy rain
from 10 a. m. to 4 P.M.
  To Ball's Hill by canoe at 10 a.m. spending the
day planting hemlocks. On the way down river heard
& saw great numbers of common birds but nothing of
peculiar interest. Returning late in the afternoon heard
two Orioles, one on Holden's hill, the other near the
Manse. I am certain that none were here yesterday.
Also saw two Rusty Blackbirds, both males, sitting
in the top of a maple. When they utter their
jingling notes they always spread the tail to its
fullest extent opening & shutting it like a fan. As
I was passing through Hunt's pond a Humming Bird
came buzzing about my sail apparently drawn to
it by mere curiosity.
[margin]Rusty Blackbirds[/margin]
  There were many common birds on & near Ball's
Hill to-day, chiefly Creepers (Mniotilta), Cat Birds
& Brown Thrashers. Heard a Virginia Rail in the
meadows opposite.
  Musk-rats have either come down from above or
from the brooks to take the places of the scores
slaughtered by the hunters last month or else they
show themselves more freely than formerly. I see
from five to seven now every evening on my way
home from Ball's Hill. This morning they were
out in the rain. I saw one dive and
bring up a mussel which it started to
take ashore but seeing me it dove and
disappeared under the bank.
[margin]Muskrats[/margin]