Concord, Mass.
1896
April 21
[April 21, 1896]

  Cloudy with strong E. [East] wind & heavy showers late in 
the afternoon and through the night.
  After breakfast I walked to Derby's lane seeing 
three Tree Sparrows and a Sparrow Hawk the latter
flying slightly towards the N.E. [Northeast] & perhaps migrating. 
A large pine which stood on the edge of Derby's brook 
a few yards from the big hemlock blew down last 
winter and in the wall of earth adhering to its
roots a pair of Phoebees [Phoebe] were to-day building their
nest. No doubt they are the same birds which 
two or three years ago nested in the sand bank 
at the entrance to the lane.
  At 10.45 I went to the Lowell Station to meet 
C. [Caroline Brewster] & E. R. S. [Elizabeth R. Simmons] Pat rowed them down to Ball's Hill 
I going in my canoe. Soon after dinner I started 
for a walk with E.R.S. but it began raining & 
we were obliged to return
  Birds were very silent this afternoon. At evening 
we heard a Robin, a Song Swallow & the two Bitterns.
The one opposite the cabin has moved more to the 
eastward. There were about thirty Swallows flying
over the river in the late afternoon. Most of 
them seemed to be Barn Swallows but there 
were several White - bellies & at least one Bank
Swallow. I heard another Bank Swallow & a 
Martin or two on the Mill Brook meadow 
this morning.