1892
July 18
(No 5)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- I now see many broods of young King birds
accompanied by their parents sitting on bushes along the
river & usually well out over the water. The young are more
active and animated than most birds of this age and
already show much of the irritable quarrelsome disposition
so characteristic of their species. The parents are feeding
them largely on Dragon flies and I see them chasing
these insects continually not always with success for
the dragon fly is a good dodger and King bird's stock
of patience small. A bird to-day pursued a dragon fly
upwards to a height of more than a hundred feet
and after snapping at it vainly four or five times
in quick succession gave up the chase in evident
great disgust & sailed back & down to its disappointed brood
which were sitting in a button bush.
[margin]Kingbirds√√[tick marks][/margin]