1892
July 6
(No 3)
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]Birds singing
at evening[/margin]
Mass.
Concord.- The following notes were jotted down on the spot.
7.44. Twilight deepening. Pewee, Song Sparrow, Robins and
         Grass Finches the only birds singing now.
7.47. Only the Grass Finches now; their chanting very
         solemn and impressive in the still, sweet evening air.
7.50. One Field Sparrow (not heard before). Grass Finches
         still singing.
7.53. Cat-bird sings a few notes then stops. Pewee chirps.
7.55. One Grass Finch once.
7.56. Robin begins singing steadily.
7.57.     "     still singing. Grass Finch sings over.
7.57½   "     silent. Grass Finch sings.
7.58. A Robin in a birch behind me utters a loud
         outing and turning  I see a Long-eared Owl, a
         smallish bird, evidently a male, flying rather heavily
         its legs hanging down & bearing something in its claws.
         It follows the line of trees along Dutton's lane keeping
         just above them and I watch it for half a mile or
         more until it is lost to sight against a group of
         pines over Bow Meadow. The flight is straight and
         labored, the wing-beats nearly incessant with only an
         occasional interval of sailing. The bird looks much like
         a Short-eared Owl but the flight is heavier & more direct.
[margin]Long eared Owl[/margin]
8.00. Bay-wing (Grass Finch) sings once for the last
         time and is interrupted by a Whippoorwill who
         starts off with 35 repetitions of his note and
         after a silence of half a minute repeats it 54 times.
         The twilight is fast deepening into night.
  Early in the evening I saw a Green Heron start
from the woods beyond Dutton's and fly out
of night towards the west.