1892
Aug. 13
[margin]To Fairhaven Bay.[/margin]
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- Morning cloudy; afternoon sunny with beautiful cloud
effects; sunset very fine.

  I spent the morning in the house writing. Song and
Chipping Sparrows singing freely; our Warbling Vireo as vigorously as in
June but for only the space of an hour or more in the early morning;
a Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Pewee and Robin briefly, in the forenoon. These were
all; the Grass Finch, Meadow Lark and Cuckoos seem to have ceased
wholly. Yellow Warblers still give the lisping, midsummer song
at all hours. but I think that most of them have already
migrated.
[margin]Yellow Warblers[/margin]

  Up river at 4 P.M. in my "Stella Maris" canoe paddling all
the way to Fairhaven. A Yellow Warbler and Song Sparrow at
our landing and four Wood Pewees at different places between
Egg Rock and the Cliffs were literally all the birds I heard
singing. Between the Fitchburg R.R.[Railroad] and Heath's bridge not a
single bird song of any kind came to my ears although the
afternoon was clear, still and cool. Of course there were bird
notes – the twittering of Swallows, the pink of Bobolinks, the
throaty chatter of Red-wings feeding among the wild rice, and
the metallic tzee of King birds perched on the button bushes but
no one of these species was at all numerous or conspicuous and
at times, for spaces of many minutes, I would listen in
vain for any bird sound. The still, clear air, the long
shadows of oaks & maples on the meadows where the hay
has been cut and the grass is again growing up smooth
and bright green as on a lawn, the z-ing of grasshoppers,
and the cheery chirping of crickets all reminded me of
a September afternoon. I saw one maple already turned to
gold & crimson. A Marsh Hawk beating the Frenchs' meadow.