1892.
Oct. 12
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. Clear but with signs of a gathering storm at
sunset - muddy sky down near the horizon etc. Wind S. E.
all day.
[margin]Ball's Hill[/margin]
  A flock of Bluebirds & Myrtle Warblers about the
house in the early morning and Song, White-throated,
and Chipping Sparrow in the garden but none of them
so numerous as for the past two or three days. Evidently
the recent heavy bird wave passed on last night.
  Down river by boat with C. at 10 a.m. Several brown
Purple Finches in the white willow at our landing one
of them warbling rather loudly but disconnectedly. Along
the river below Flints bridge a Bittern, a Phoebe, a
Kingfisher, a Swamp Sparrow, a few Myrtle Warblers
and a good many Song Sparrows. A few Painted Tor- 
toises swimming, not above five or six in all.
[margin]Tortoises[/margin]
  Landing C. at Ball's Hill I crossed the river and beat 
the Great Meadows starting nothing but a single Snipe
& two Savanna Sparrows. I heard Titlarks flying but saw
more on the meadows which they seem to avoid this year.
I fired a long shot at the Snipe when he "towered" and
fell fully 200 yards off. I felt sure that he was dead but
after I had looked for him a long time he got up
directly under my feet & I had to shoot again to
secure him.
[margin]Snipe Shooting[/margin]
  After cooking & eating dinner at the cabin I went
over Ball's Hill. Saw only a Robin & three Blue Jays.
The weed-grown slope where the fire ran has been swimming
with Swamp, Song & White-throated Sparrows for two weeks
or more but I could not start a single bird there today.