Concord, Mass.
1896
April 6
[April 6, 1896]

  Early morning clear; remainder of day cloudy. Dead calm most
of the time up to 4 P.M. when a fresh S.E. [Southeast] breeze sprang up
& lasted until after sunset. Warmer than any day since the 1st [April 1, 1896]
but with a chill in the air nevertheless.
  When I started for the Buttricks at 8.30 A.M. the sun was
shining brightly & the river perfectly calm. Song Sparrows, Robins
& Red-wings [Red-winged Blackbird] singing in every direction. A Downy Woodpecker drumming
in the elm in front of the Keyes', another in the Buttricks'
elm and a third near the Manse. A Phoebee [Phoebe] in full song
near my boat house at North Bridge. A pair of chickadees in
the Buttricks orchard, the [female] hard at work excavating her nesting
hole which she had carried in & down apparently about 3 inches.
I watched her for some time & started her mate whistling by an
imitation of his phoebee note. A Bluebird came into the orchard
& warbled softly sitting on the topmost sprig of an apple tree
quivering his wings.
   The sky began to cloud over before I left the landing & when
I reached the meadows it was wholly gray. A light southward
wind arose and wafted me across the broadest part of the 
meadows when it fell calm again. I had sailed to within
about 100 yards of a pair of Gooseanders without apparently
causing them much alarm but when I took down the 
sail they rose at once & flew out of sight down river.
As I was approaching them I watched them through a
strong glass. They spent most of the time preening their
feathers turning well over on their sides, the old drake
showing the rich salmon of his lower parts while thus
engaged. Occasionally one or the other would stretch
up his neck and pointing his bill nearly straight up
open & shut the mandibles as if tasting something. Loons
& Greebes frequently do the same thing. These Gooseanders