1898
May 28
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- hiding in the foliage whenever I passed
him too closely, at other times choosing dead
branches to perch upon. He looked and acted
precisely like a Least Flycatcher save that he was
obviously larger and more olivacious and I thought
that he flirted his tail oftener and more decidedly
the movement being similar to that of the Phoebe
but much quicker and more nervous as well as
less pronounced. At about noon as I was sitting in
the door of my cabin a commotion arose among the
small birds in the river shrubbery caused, probably,
by the presence of a snake numbers of which have
been driven out of the meadows by the flood. Among
the other excited bird voices I quickly heard the pip, pip
of Traill's Flycatcher and presently a second bird
of the same species answered from further along the
shore the two calling alternatively for several minutes
but another giving their harsh qui-wìtchy. I afterwards
had a good view of both and saw that one was
much more olivacious than the other.
[margin] Traill's Fly-
catchers at
Ball's Hill [/margin]
  
The top & sides of Ball's Hill were literally swarming
to-day with Black-poll Warblers more than half
of which were females. The flight must have reached
its height last night.
[margin] Great flight of
Black-polls [/margin]

  Of other migrants there were but few. The Canadian
Warblers seem to have passed for I saw but
two both of which were in my swamp where
they breed regularly. Red-eyed Vireos were numerous
to-day for the first time and singing freely.
A pair of Tanagers on the hill-top, the male
singing. Black & white Creepers more numerous today