1892
Dec. 29
Mass.
Concord.  Clear still and mild but scarce warm enough at noon
to soften the surface of the snow on the flinty ground.
  With George Carroll took the 10.16 a.m. train to West Bedford
and crossed the river on the ice to my cabin where I cooked and 
ate dinner. Two Chickadees and a Blue Jay came about the house
and I heard the Pine Grosbeaks piping in the distance and saw
three Crows fly over. The river was alive with men and boys
skating during the forenoon.
  After dinner I put up some "no shooting" signs along the
borders of the meadow to the westward and others in the old
woods on the Davis land near Benson's. In these woods I saw a
large grey Squirrel and a Blue Jay.
  As we were returning past Benson's house my attention was
attracted by a large, ragged-looking grayish object in the top
of an isolated elm which stands in the meadow on the edge of the
Davis swamp - about 60 Yards from the road. At first glance I
took it for a paper wasp's nest but before I could extract my
field glasses from my pocket and bring them to bear it moved
slightly and I saw that it was a Barred Owl. Its head was bent
forward and its gaze fixed on the ground beneath. Evidently it
was on the watch for mice although the sun was more than an hour
high (it was 3 p.m.) and the light reflected from the snow
(which covered most of the meadow) bright if not actually dazzl-
ing to human eyes. Peter, who came from the house to speak with
us, told me that the Owl had been flying about over the meadow,
[margin]Barred Owl[/margin]