1892
Oct. 17
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.  looking very white as it skimmed past
against the background of dark woods. A Snipe,
possibly started by the Howle, rose and flew
over us scarping then, in a broad spiral, rose to
a height of several hundred feet, finally pitching
down to the meadow with closed wings like a falling stone.
  A little flock of Cow-birds - certainly not more 
than half a dozen - whirled past us, making the
peculiar hurtling sound which I have before noted,
and alighted in the button bushes where they
have roosted ever since the Red-wings deserted
our meadows. A month ago fully 200 Cat-birds
resorted to this roost every night coming to it
usually in two flocks, one from up, the other
from down river. Their numbers have diminished
very gradually until apparently only these few are
left.
[margin]Cow-birds flying to roost[/margin]
  As we entered the Holt I discovered a large bird
perched in the tall white ash (now leafless) on
the eastern bank on a short horizontal branch near
the top of the tree. In form & attitude it looked
much like a Red-tailed Hawk, sitting erect with
its attention fixed on the meadow beneath, but
I noted at once that its tail was shorter & more
pointed than that of a Buteo and as we got
nearer I saw through my glass its erect ear tufts
for it was a Great Horned Owl. I stopped the
boat within 30 yards of the foot of the tree
and we looked at the fine bird for nearly
[margin]Great Horned Owl on the river meadows at evening.[/margin]