1892
May 15
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. - Cloudy with heavy rain up to 4 P.M. after
which there was a dense mist only.
[margin]Afternoon walk
in "Damsdale"[/margin]
  Spent most of the day  in the house writing but
late in the afternoon took a walk up through the
Damsdale. There were puddles in the roads, pools
in hollows in the fields, and the brooks were swollen
to nearly an early spring "pitch". The air was perfectly
still and very damp so that sounds carried an
unusual distance. The birds were all singing madly
especially the Brown Thrashers and Cat-birds, while
scarce a minute passed when I did not hear the
flight song of an Oven-bird. A Wood Thrush was
singing near Pratt's spring and another on Punkatasset.
At least two, & I think three, Partridges were drumming
at short, regular intervals near the head of the
Damsdale and I started two which were not drummers
and probably female birds. In the "new pasture" a
Quail was whistling. On the edge of some oak scrub
an Olive-backed Thrush rose from the ground as I
approached and sitting on a low branch eyed me
with timid curiosity occasionally uttering a low peenk.
This was the only northern migrant I saw during
my walk.
  Shad bush is now shedding its petals. I found one
tall specimen of the tree form (botryapium) in the
Damsdale still in good flower, its large snowy blossoms
very conspicuous & beautiful. Also found a Rhodora on
high ground among basil bushes near a wall in bloom.
The apple trees have not generally opened their blossoms
at yet. "Cowslips" still very showy but past their prime
A ground chorus of Hylas and Toads this evening.