Concord, Mass.
1896
April 20
[April 20, 1896]

  Slightly cooler to-day with a strong, dry north-west 
wind and absolutely cloudless sky.
  I had so much work to do in the cabin to-day that 
I scarcely got into the woods at all and saw nothing of 
peculiar interest. A few Red-poll [Redpoll] Warblers singing in the oak 
scrub, Pine Warblers on the Hill, a Bluebird both yesterday &
 to-day on the W. Bedford [West Bedford] shore. At about 10 A.M. I 
heard several times & very distinctly the chatter of a 
Bank Swallow. A Green Heron flew over the marsh opposite 
the Hill. One Carolina Greebe [Grebe] still lingers. I saw him swim 
out from a thicket of button bushes just below the 
cabin this morning.
  Late in the afternoon I went back to the Keyes' 
(Purdie left for Boston by 4.09 pm train) paddling 
all the way. It was a beautiful clear, dry evening 
just cool enough to be pleasant. I saw nothing of 
peculiar interest.
  At the Keyes' just after dinner, George Keyes called 
me out on the piazza to "hear the Snipe". He said 
that at least four or five had just risen from 
the meadow in front of the house. I heard one 
scaiping just as I emerged from the hall but
none afterwards although I walked out on 
the Causeway & lingered there for an hour or more. 
A very lazy muskrat was swimming about crossing 
& recrossing the river & finally entering the boat house. 
The Leopard Frogs, Hylas & Toads were very noisy 
to-night.