Concord, Mass.
1896
April 14
(No 2)
[April 14, 1896]

field glass failed to dispell this allusion but presently
a long neck was stretched up & then another and another
and I saw that they were Black Ducks, a fine, large
flock containing no less than 21 birds. In the misty
atmosphere they loomed so that the more distant ones
looked as big as Geese. Several pairs apart from the 
main flock (but included in the above count) were swimming
close in shore along the edge of the meadow, feeding,
the basking birds being near the middle of the open water.
I watched them awhile & then paddled quietly past
them under cover of the river bank (which is no [now] high
& dry in most places.)
  Just below Holden's Hill I came upon a Carolina Greebe [Grebe]
swimming in the middle of the river. Before it saw
me and sank its body it looked as large as a good-sized
Duck. Indeed I took it, at first, for a Golden-eye [Goldeneye].
  Walking to Bensen's I heard & saw innumerable small birds.
A flock of seven Yellow Palm Warblers, two Barn Swallows, two Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 
two Swamp Sparrows, two pairs of Phoebes, a Field Sparrow
& very many Song & Grass Finches. Several of the last were
singing in the pines on the ridge - well back from
the field in the upper branches of the trees. The Partridge 
was drumming on his old log on the north edge of the
Davis swamp. Returning I flushed a Snipe in Holden's
meadow. Will Bartlett started two Snipe in front of
the Keyes' this afternoon.
  As I was starting up river at 5 P.M. a solitary
Goose flew past me honking loudly & finally alighting
on the meadows near the Bedford shore. Pat saw a
flock of about 20 migrating this morning. The Black Ducks
were all where I left them this forenoon & must have spent
the day there in peace.