1892
July 16
(No 4)
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]Evening in Dutton's swamp[/margin]
Mass.
Concord.- I returned to the Buttricks' in time for tea and
as soon as it was disposed of started out again for a walk
up the Estabrook road. The evening was delightful, the
air brilliantly clear and so cool that a heavy coat was
not uncomfortable. Robins were singing more freely and
vigorously than at any time within the past week but
I heard fewer small birds than usual. The Grass Finches
and Song Sparrows were among the number which seem
to have been partially silenced by the change of weather.
  Turning into Dutton's lane I followed it to the alder
swamp by the brook and then diverging to the right entered
a long narrow meadow surrounded on every side by woods
which presented a gracefully curved outline of solid foliage.
The meadow had near its center a thicket of bushes and
young maples but over most of its extent there was only the
tall, wiry grass with here and there a stalk of rue
rearing its creamy white head high above the rest. A
more retired or beautiful spot than this it would be
difficult to find in all Concord.
  Twilight was falling when I entered it but many birds
were still singing:–three Wood Thrushes, a Maryland Yellow-throat,
a Tanager, a Towhee, a Cat bird and at intervals, a Black-
billed Cuckoo. I heard Wilson's Thrushes calling but none sang. The Cat-bird sang for three minutes, and one
of the Wood Thrushes for fourteen minutes, after the first
Whippoorwill began. The last song of the Wood Thrush
was heard at precisely 8.01 when it was nearly dark.
There were two Whippoorwills, both in the woods on the
ridge near Bow Meadow. The number of repetitions of
their notes varied from three to twenty-five. They did
not seem to move about as much as usual.
[margin]Wood Thrushes√√[tick marks][/margin]
[margin]Whippoorwills√√[tick marks][/margin]
  The Chestnut-sided Warbler which sang here regularly a
week ago was silent this evening.