1892
July 16
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]To Ball's Hill.[/margin]
Mass.
Concord.- The hot weather has at length ended. There was
a light shower at daylight and immediately after it the
wind came from the N.W. and gradually increased to half
a gale which lasted all day cooling off the heated air slowly.
  I started for Ball's Hill at 9 a.m. under reefed sail.
The high wind had driven the birds to shelter and I
saw but few and heard only Song Sparrows singing. As I
was passing Hunt's landing a pair of adult Red-tailed
Hawks started from the same tree, a tall elm, and
soared upwards, balancing [delete]and[/delete] on the wind. The ♂[male]
bore something in his claws which looked like a half-
devoured snake.
[margin]Red-tailed Hawks[/margin]
  At the Holt a Cooper's Hawk shot past skimming
down wind with great swiftness yet a Red-wing
pursued and actually overtook him giving him a
succession of vicious pecks on the head and finally
forcing him to seek shelter in a tree.
[margin]Red-wing √√[tick marks]
overtakes
Cooper's Hawk[/margin]
  I have seen Carolina Doves frequently of late (as well
as occasionally in May & June) at the base of Dakin's Hill
where they perhaps go to drink as they are usually
on the bare mud at the water's edge. July 14 A pair rose
from this mud [delete]yesterday[/delete] & took to the pines where
the male cooed once. Yesterday three started all together
and alighted in the same tree, I think one was
a young bird.
[margin]Carolina Doves[/margin]

  As I came out of the woods near Bensen's landing this
afternoon (at 5.30) a Bittern passed flying low down over
the channel of the river and finally dropping into the
belt of pickerel weed on the edge of the meadow opposite
my landing. I have not noted this species before since it
stopped pumping (very abruptly) in early June.
[margin]Bittern[/margin]