1892.
Aug. 14
[margin]Afternoon at Ball's Hill.[/margin]
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- A beautiful clear, rather cool day with light W. Wind.

  Spent the forenoon in the house. The Chippy with the
split song, our Warbling Vireo, and several Song Sparrows sang
at frequent intervals and once I heard the long laugh or "cackle"
of a Flicker in the trees across the river. [delete]But[/delete] and once a
Robin sang for perhaps a quarter of a minute in the orchard.
[margin]The singing
season drawing
near its close[/margin]
  On my way to Ball's Hill, however, in the early afternoon I
actually did not hear a single bird singing except a Flicker
and two Short-billed Marsh Wrens and later still, while
sailing from Davis's Hill nearly to Carlisle Bridge and back,
the only song which the gentle evening breeze brought to my ears
from the woods and meadows along this stretch of river was
that of a single Wood Pewee in Lawrence's pine woods. I cannot
understand why all the Song Sparrows inhabiting the river meadows
have become silent while those about our house still sing freely.

  While sailing a little below Davis's Hill I was positively electrified
by hearing, suddenly, the scaipe of a Wilson's Snipe thrice repeated.
The next instant I saw the bird flying across the river about
fifteen feet above the water. It alighted on the west bank among
tall grass. I could see nothing moving on the meadow to the
eastward whence it came but possibly it had been frightened
by my sails. or it may have been merely changing its feeding grounds
The time was about half-an-hour before sunset. If this bird was a
migrant it furnishes the earliest date of autumn arrival which I
have ever obtained.
[margin]Wilson's Snipe√√[tick marks][/margin]

  On my way up river in the twilight I saw Robins going to
roost in the swampy birch & maple woods at the foot of
Holden's Hill. As nearly as I could judge less than fifty had assembled there.
[margin]Robin roost[/margin]