1892.
July 5
(No 4)
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]Evening walk up Estabrook road.[/margin]
Mass.
Concord.- After tea this evening I took a walk up the
Estabrook road to Clarks and beyond through Dutton's lane
to the swamp where the brook crosses the path. The
weather was cool with a puff of East wind every now and
then. The sunset was glorious and unusually prolonged
and varied with great clouds piled up in the west
changing constantly in color, form and arrangement.
There was almost if not quite as much and as vigorous
bird singing as one would hear of an early June evening;
Robins, Cat Birds, Song Sparrows, Black-billed Cuckoos,
Least Flycatchers, Bluebirds –all these in full song– and
everywhere throughout the close-cropped pastures rose the
tender, soothing chant of the Grass Finch. In Dutton's
lane I heard a Nashville Warbler in full song, the
only instance which I remember of July singing in this
part of New England the Nashville being one of the
first of our birds to become silent. A Thrasher also
sang freely near this lane for ten minutes or more and
in the swamp I heard a Chestnut-sided Warbler and
a Wood Thrush besides a Maryland Yellow-throat and
the flight songs of several Oven-birds.
[margin]Birds sing
freely.[/margin]
[margin]Late singing
Nashville War.[Warbler][/margin]
[margin]Thrasher in
full song.[/margin]
  Twilight was deepening into night when I turned
back and entered the large pasture just beyond Clark's
but the Grass Finches (two of them) were still singing
there. Approaching within 20 yds. of one which I could
[delete]see[/delete]dimly [delete]as it[/delete] see sitting on a large boulder I lay down
on the turf and listened [delete]to[/delete] until it ceased. One
must be very near this bird to get the best effect of
its song. I know of no other sound in Nature which
so rests and soothes [delete]my[/delete] me. It is like the touch of
a soft hand and steals through all the senses quieting
[margin]Song of two
Grass Finches.[/margin]