1892
June 16
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]Night at
Ball's Hill
with Spelman[/margin]
Mass.
Concord.- Clear & warm with strong S.W. wind.
  Spent most of the day in the house writing and
preparing for a canoe trip with Spelman who arrived
a[sic: should be at] 5 P.M.
  We started as soon as we could get the canoes
ready and sailed down river to Ball's Hill. Just
before embarking I saw a female Humming bird, the
first noted this month, poising in front of some
flowers of the blue flag near our landing.
  Birds were singing well as we sped on our
way down river but I observed nothing of especial
interest before we reached the Beaver-dam rapid
where, 100 ft. or more above the marsh, at least
forty Red-winged Black birds, all males, were
circling in a rather compact flock.  After flying
about for some time they gradually dispersed.
What they were at I cannot even conjecture. There
were two or three King birds with them & all
the members of the flock behaved as if excited
but no larger bird was in sight.
[margin]Large flock of
male Red-wings[/margin]
  On reaching Ball's Hill we heard the Least Bittern
cooing. He kept it up at intervals until a little
after sunset & was not heard at all later. A
[delete]Carolina[/delete] Virginia Rail called cutter steadily until we went
to sleep (about midnight). The big Bitterns were
silent.
[margin]Least Bittern[/margin]
  After dark we heard Bull Frogs, Green Frogs &
Tree Toad but no Common Toads nor other
Batrachians & no night birds.