1892
May 20
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- are budded, a few blossoms open. In the
swamps the high blueberry is crowded with blossoms.
  In some oak woods I met a party of four Blue Jays
rollicking together, screaming, chucking & whining just as
they do in autumn. It is evidently hard for them to
keep silence even at this season of serious responsibilities.
The merry, mischievous Jay nature will break forth.
[margin]Blue Jays[/margin]
  Dug, or rather pulled, a dozen or more young hemlocks
in the "Common lot" and then crossed the head of
the swamp near the barked paper birch pausing to
look at the yellow birches & brown ashes which grow
here numerously. Thence across to Hutchins beautiful pine
woods. I had scarcely entered them when I heard
the scream of a Sharp-shinned Hawk and presently
male of the pair which are nesting there came
gliding about me, alighting and flying again every
few seconds. I noted its cry on the spot as kee-kee-
kee-kee-kee-kee given very rapidly in shrill
penetrating tones. It is not unlike the cry of the
Sparrow-hawk (F.[Falco] sparverius) but shriller. The bird
alighted once nearly over me. Its attitudes were very
like those of a Robin and it moved its head up &
down & sideways [delete]with[/delete] in a bright, animated way
very unlike that of most Falcons' and resembling rather
that of some Passerine bird. I saw a great number
of feathers of some small bird adhering to a dead
pine branch where the little robber had picked one
of its victims. These woods are apparently nearly
destitute of small birds. I found only one, an Oven
bird. The Hawks have probably killed everything else.
Saw one fine Gray Squirrel galloping through the trees.
[margin]Sharp-shinned
Hawk[/margin]