1892
Oct.12
(No 3)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. At about 11 a.m. as we were passing Dalkin's 
Hill an enormous flock of Crows rose from Holden's 
meadow and circled about for several minutes finally 
returning to the woods & meadow and separating
into  smaller flocks. I counted them roughly (or rather 
tried to) and made out their number to be upwards
of 200 birds, an unusually large flock. The movement
just mentioned was doubtless a "false start" for about
an hour later the whole body mounted to a height
of at least a thousand feet and went off due south.
Their order of flight was not loose & straggling as is
usually the case during migration but in a compact
flock each individual of which had no more horizontal
space than was required for the free use of his wings.
There was a good deal of cawing - in fact it was
incessant - but the combined clamor was less than
one would expect from so many birds. It came to
my ears with perfect distinction when the flock
had passed beyond my vision although no obstacles
intervened and the air was free from haze. When 
the birds were rising & circling over me I heard
the cr-r-r-r and chuck-chuck-chuck-chuck
calls frequently (this rendering was noted on the spot).
I do not remember to have seen Crows migrate
in this way before. They usually fly in windy weather,
low down, & in loose, scattered flocks. The size of
this flock was also remarkable.
[margin]Immense flock
of Crows start
on migration
at noon.[/margin]
  The Bittern seen today flew fully 100 yards (across the river) with neck extended &
curved & legs dangling or rather hanging down [diagram]
and alighted in tall reeds on the bank. 
[margin]Flight of
Bittern[/margin]