1892
Sept. 1
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord

  A sunny day with beautiful clout effects. Wind
    N.W, strong at times.
    To Ball's Hill with C. at 11 a.m. landing at and
  rambling over Holden's Hill on the way down river.
    As we were skirting the eastern base of this hill a
  large, broad-winged bird started from an oak and flew
  out over the meadow. I did not see it at first but
  C.who did thought that it was an Owl. The question
  was quickly settled in the affirmation by the Crows who
  the swift moment began cawing frantically and collecting
  from far &[and] [?] to assail their hated enemy
  by their sound (for we could see nothing through the dense
  foliage) the chase led first out over the Great Meadows
  and then turned back. Finally it became evident that
  the owl had alighted in one of the trees at the southern
  base of the hill. I advanced slowly and with great caution
  and presently saw at least thirty crows in the top of
  a tall chestnut. Some were sitting quietly on the branches,
  others hopped or flitted excitedly from branch to branch,
  while still others circled just above the top of the tree
  occasionally dashing madly down through the foliage.
  Their cawing was at times almost deafening while at
  others they would relapse into nearly or quite perfect silence.
  The clamor usually started abruptly (probably at some
  movement on the part of the Owl), lasted half a minute
  or more and then gradually lessened. At its height it
  formed a perfect roar of angry sounds which, had little of
  the usual crow quality reminding me me by turns of their
  hoarse barking of many large dogs or of the shouting of men.
[margin]
  Crows mobbing
  an Owl