1892
Sept. 9
(No 4)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Concord. I spent the day at Ball's Hill - most of it
in picking wild grapes with Pat's assistance along the river
path and the edge of Holden's meadow.
  Near my cabin I saw a Mniotilla varia jnr, a Maryland
Yellow-throat male jnr, a Brown Thrasher, and a young
Black-billed Cuckoo. The last was silent and very tame.
there were also five Chickadees.
[margin]Black-bill Cuckoo[/margin]
  My woods elsewhere were practically deserted of birds
and it is evident that there was no migration of any
consequence last night.
  I watched the Dove's nest in the Cedar for more than 
an hour (3-4 p.m.) lying concealed among the pines
about forty yards off but neither of the old birds came
near it. A Red-shouldered Hawk (a young male very like
the one seen on the rim this morning) skimmed past
it within fifteen yards, flying only a yard or two above
the ground and following the opening, came within ten
feet of my ambush. He appeared to be hunting but
must have overlooked the Dove's nest. A Marsh Hawk
also scaled directly over the tree without apparently
discovering the nest. It will be remembered I saw a
Sharp-shinned Hawk brush past the other nest on
Davis's Hill in July.
[margin]Doves nest[/margin]
  The young Doves to-day were of about the size of Robins
and fully feathered except on the heads which were 
still covered with the yellowish down. I found the
shells of one of the eggs on open ground about 60 yards
from the nest. The excrement of the young is not removed
by the parent but is voided directly into the nest. The nest
on Davis's Hill was matted with excrement after the young left.