Concord, Massachusetts.
1896
April 1
[April 1, 1896]

  Clear with light breezes from the N. [North] & N.W. [Northwest] Cold last night,
the surface of the ground freezing, but warm at midday.
  At day break this morning a single Song Sparrow & Red wing [Red-winged Blackbird]
were the only birds that I could hear from my window. They
soon ceased and silence prevailed for half an hour or more
but when the sun got fairly above the hill to the east
there was a great outburst of bird music on every side,
numbers of Song Sparrows & Red Wings [Red-winged Blackbird], a Robin, several
Juncos & Tree Sparrows, a Bluebird, a Nuthatch etc. but
alas! no Meadow Lark [Meadowlark].
  After breakfast I walked into town. Every thicket along
the roadside held at least one Song Sparrow & I was never
out of sound of their harshly-sweet voices so expressive
of the sentiment of early spring. In the middle of the
village I heard what must have been another Bluebird
and what was certainly a second Nuthatch. No Swallows
nor Pewees although I looked & listened for both &, what is
really surprising, no Flickers nor Meadow Larks [Meadowlark]. Nor have
I either seen or heard Rusty Blackbirds as yet.
  When I got back at about 11 A.M. the Song Sparrows,
Juncos and Tree Sparrows in the weed grown garden at 
the Keyes were making the most delightful music
dozens of birds singing at once. The wild, sweet voices
of the Tree Sparrows rose above all the other sounds.
A Bluebird was warbling not far off.
  Hearing the Nuthatch I followed up the sound & found
a pair of birds at their hole in an apple tree near the east
end of the greenhouse. The [male] gave his mate a large white