Concord, Massachusetts
1895
April 6
  Forenoon clear and calm. Afternoon cloudy with light S. to S.W.
winds. The warmest day of the month thus far (this 52[degrees] at noon).
  Although it was an ideal morning for photographing I was
obliged to leave my camera at the house and hurry down to
Ball's Hill to meet Peder who had agreed to do some work at
the cabin. At sunrise a Robin, a Meadow Lark and several
Song Sparrows were singing close to the house and as I crossed the
fields to the boat house I heard Song Sparrows & Red-wings in
every direction besides a Phoebe for the first time this year.
  As I was launching the canoe the honking of Geese attracted my
attention and presently a flock of 18 appeared flying at a great
height. When nearly overhead they began circling and another flock of
17 came in sight and joined them. The combined flock of 35 then
went off eastward in a single line or column stretched out at right
angles to the course of flight in with al the birds abreast. When
nearly out of sight they again separated into two flocks of 18 & 17
birds respectively, one flock keeping on eastward, the other steering north.
An hour later a flock of 27 Geese passed over Ball's Hill while I
was at the cabin. Mr. Buttrick afterwards told me that a
flock of about 30 Geese passed over the farm at 8 A.M.
This makes four flocks for one day, an unusual number for these times.
  My paddle down river was delightful for the air fairly rosy
with bird music the whole distance. Red-wings & Song Sparrows
produced most of it but I heard one Fox Sparrow and several
Tree Sparrows. The country was simply swarming with Song Sparrows
evidently a great migratory wave.
  Just below Ball's Hill I saw two boys covering their canoe with
grass. They said there were seven Geese on the meadows
below but from Davis's Hill I could see over the entire
stretch of water and nothing was in sight except a great