Concord, Mass.
1896
April 3
[April 3, 1896]

  Clear and cold with raging W. [West] wind, a most uncomfortable
day with icicles hanging on the bushes over the water and
the ground in the woods frozen hard & covered with a thin
coating of snow. The wind blew so very hard that it
penetrated the most sheltered nooks in the pine woods
and in the open fields it was as piercingly cold as in
mid winter.
  We awoke at sunrise but as only a Red-wing [Red-winged Blackbird] & Song Sparrow
were singing and the early morning looked uncompromising and
disagreeable we did not dress until nearly eight o'clock.
After breakfast we walked to the Mason field following the
path over Davis's Hill & through Prescott's Pines. On the
meadows between Ball's [Ball's Hill] & Davis's Hill we found a flock of
eight Black Ducks and stalking them under cover of the
stone wall which skirts the edge of the meadow approached
within about 100 yards and watched them for a long time
through the glass. Three or four of these birds had their 
wings & backs covered with what appeared to be hoar frost.
They all looked rather forlorn doing nothing but drift or
paddle about on the ruffled water.
  We saw nothing of any interest inland save a solitary Redpoll
which was feeding among some weeds in the Mason field.
  In the afternoon we launched Spelman's canvas canoe and
paddled nearly to Carlisle bridge keeping close in shore to
escape the violent wind. On the meadows below Birch Island
were a flock of 15 or 18 Gooseanders, a number of fine
drakes among them. They were excessively shy rising nearly
a mile away & flying off down river, but while we were
taking a walk in Swift's woods three of them returned &
were swimming barely 200 yards from where we left the canoe.