Falmouth, Mass.
1895
July 20
(no 2)
  Our morning and evening bird concerts include the voices of
two Robins, two Song Sparrows, a Chippy and, up to within
three days, we have had the welcome notes of the Red-wing, also.
The Yellow Warbler sang for the first three or four days and 
we have had occasional, sporadic visits from such birds 
as the Red-eyed Vireo, the Baltimore Oriole, both Cuckoos, 
the Goldfinch, and the Hummingbird. Crow Blackbirds
fly back & forth overhead and sometimes alight in the
ailanthus trees which shade the house to the great alarm
and dismay of our Robins & Sparrows who quickly attacked
and drive them away. At sunset an occasional Swift
or Swallow skims close over the trees and in the late
twilight a Night Heron or two usually circle about quaking
hoarsely. There are also a good many English Sparrows at
all times.
[margin]Birds which
sing regularly
about our
house.[/margin]
[margin]Chance
visitors[/margin]
  Besides the voices of these familiar neighbors we hear from
the broad grass fields to the westward the songs of
Grass Finches, Savanna Sparrows, Quail, and Meadow Larks.
The little pond behind the Howards' house also harbors
a Virginia Rail whose cut, cutta, cutta was repeated at
short, regular intervals on the nights of the 14th, 15th, & 17th
from a little after sunset until we were all asleep.
This pond (or rather marsh) it will be remembered is
the place where I heard the "Kicker" in July 1890.
[margin]Voices from
the fields[/margin]
[margin]Va. Rail[/margin]
  Late this afternoon I took a walk to the westward of the house.
"In the fields that have release from the sickle & the rake",
fields where the red clover was blooming in many places
more early in the season, [delete]I heard a Grass[/margin] the grasshoppers
and crickets were already beginning to rehearse their low strident
music but the birds were nearly silent. I however started