1892.
Sept. 30
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- Cloudless, cold in the early morning (there was a
frost last night) but the middle of the day deliciously
warm with strong S.W. wind.
  George brought my horse & buggy at 9.15 A.M.
and we drove to Ball's Hill. There were very few birds
along the road – Crows, Jays and one Grass Finch.
  On reaching the Hill I found Pat. who told me
that he had started the bevy of Quail near my
cabin. & had seen a Duck near Bensen's landing.
[margin]Quail.[/margin]
  At about 10 A.M. I walked around behind the hill &
hearing Sparrows chirping in the button bushes around the
small pond I went in to investigate. There proved to be
a good-sized flock of birds in this hollow, composed
wholly of Sparrows & including 3 Zonotrichia albicollis,
2 Spizella pusilla, 2 Junco hyemalis, several Song Sparrows
and at least a dozen Swamp Sparrows. The last were
well up on the hill side and I saw nearly as many
more on the south slope of the hill. They keep among
the rank growth of weeds & sprouts on the burnt portion
of the hill and show themselves only when flushed or
when, as on this occasion, I call them out by "screeping".
They have been here for two weeks or more and their
numbers have increased from day to day. up to this date.
[margin]Flock of Sparrows[/margin]
[margin]Swamp Sparrows
on Ball's Hill[/margin]
  A little before noon I was standing on the edge of
the short canal which I had cut under the maples
near my cabin to serve as a canoe landing when
there was a sharp rustle among the fallen leaves
under the button bushes on the edge of the river and
a Mink bounded into sight and crossed the space
[margin]Mink[/margin]