1894
Oct. 11 to
Nov. 21
(No. 9)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Resumè of Field Observations
  The Meadow Larks at Concord appear to be
recovering from the terrible losses which they sustained
during the severe winter of 1892-93. I heard them
almost daily through the first half of this October
in the fields about the Keyes's, in the Mill Brook
river meadow, or on Great Meadow. Very probably
they moved from one place to another but there
were at least eight birds in all for I counted that
number together on one occasion and on another
saw five in one flock and then in another.
They sang freely and almost incessantly [delete]continuously[/delete] on warm
still days giving the usual spring notes but in
peculiarly soft, subdued and often warbling tones.
Frequently three or four birds would be singing at
[delete]the same time[/delete] once their voices so intermingling and
at the same time supplementing each other as to
produce a continuous flow of sound, very sweet
and musical in its general effect. As a rule
this singing was produced while the birds were
on the ground but once, rather early in the
morning, four or five of them were perched in
the upper branches of a large maple that stood on
the bank of the river. They seemed to be wholly
absorbed in their own music and allowed me to
paddle directly under the tree and look at them
for some time before they took the alarm and
began to fly.
[margin]Sturnella
magna[/margin]
  I saw or heard Meadow Larks on the Great Meadow
usually only near sunset or after it. They resort to this
meadow to roost & do not, I think, feed there.