1892
July 29
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. Morning sultry with clear sky & no wind.
A cool S. E. breeze in P.M. with showers threatening.
A fine display of lightning in the evening and rain,
the first for weeks, from 9 to 11 o'clock.
[margin]To Ball's Hill.[/margin]
  E.H. Forbush came to see me this morning and
I took him down river for the day, lending him
the open canoe while I used the "Stella Maris".
It was oppressively hot during the entire forenoon
and birds were very quiet. Indeed I heard only three
species on our way to Ball's Hill; there were Robins,
Song Sparrows and a Field Sparrow. On our
return (at 5-6 P.M.) a few Yellow Warblers, three
Red-wings, and a Meadow Lark were added to the
list.

  The Martins were again assembled in the elms
& maples near the swimming place. They were
all together and I counted twenty most of which
looked like young. It is singular what keeps them
in this place. I saw only three lower down the stream.
[margin]Young Martins√√[tick marks][/margin]

  The Dove's nest was empty at 2 P.M. to-day. There
were only a very few stray feathers in the nest but
the interstices between the sticks were filled, the bottom
of the nest paved, and the ground beneath over
a space of five or six square yards thickly sprinkled,
with dried dung in the form of pellets which closely
resembled those of the Domestic Pigeon. I found one
of the egg shells – or at least the shells of a Dove's
egg – under an oak about 50 yards from the nest
[margin]Dove's nest√√[tick marks][/margin]