1892
May 21
Concord, Massachusetts
Mass.
Concord.-Cloudy with strong S.E. wind and heavy rain
all day.
 To Damsdale via Derby's lane at 9 a.m. In a thicket
of wild cherries by the roadside I saw a Baltimore 
Oriole, a male, feeding on tent caterpillars.  It stood on 
a fork just above  the nest and thrust its sharp bill
deep down into the cobweb-like fabric extracting and
eating the caterpillars rapidly. I suppose that the
present violent, protracted, cold rain storm has forced
it to this diet. I saw other Orioles feeding on the
turf in pastures like Robins but could not make out
just what they were eating.
[margin]Baltimore Oriole
eating tent
caterpillars[/margin]
 Among the alders by the brook were two Black-billed
Cuckoos, apparently a pair; in the hemlocks  a little
mixed flock chiefly Redstarts but not the same birds
seen there yesterday for all were females or immature
males.
 In the apple orchard in the back part of Mr. Derby's
field were a pair of Grosbeaks, a Hummingbird & several
Orioles. I also started a Lincoln's Finch from the grass
under the apple tree. It seemed to be brighter buffy on
the breast than the bird seen yesterday and was much
shyer but nevertheless was probably the same individual
for the two localities are scarce 200 yards apart.
[margin]Lincoln's Finch[/margin]
 This bird sought concealment among the thickest foliage
it could find & flew from tree to tree as I advanced.
  Late in the afternoon I took another walk in the
pouring rain, this time over Ripley's hill & back
along the river bank. Four Orioles feeding on the turf
in the pasture. A [delete]Carolina[/delete] Virginia Rail calling cutter in the
meadow. The landscape very soft & lovely seen through
the veil of falling rain drops.
[margin]Baltimore Orioles[/margin]