Concord, Mass.
1896
October 22
  A fine day with clear, sparkling air and a fresh
W. wind. Much cooler. (My sail was frozen stiff this
morning).
  At 8 a.m. I started for Ball's Hill and sailed
most of the way down. Meadow Larks were calling
in the Mill Brook meadow. Near the Manor I heard
Bluebirds, Yellow-rumps & a White Bellied Nuthatch.
Then Flickers were playing together among some
bean poles on the Butterick's hill.
  A flock of fully 100 crows were feeding on the
Great Meadows rising when disturbed by a
gunman who with his red setter was beating the
Snipe grounds and who fired two shots then.
Near Holden's Hill a Red-shouldered Hawk
was scaling about. I was rarely out of hearing
of the voices of Jays and twice I heard Titlarks.
There were a good many Song Sparrows in the
bushes along the river when, also, I saw a small
flock of Goldfinches.
  Last autumn the Musk rats built literally no
houses along this river. Everyone marveled at it
until in the winter, an exceptionally heavy rain raised
the water to above its usual spring pitch & flooded
the meadows to a depth of five or six feet. The
Musk rats were then credited with a foreknowledge
of this flood. They have built freely this autumn
& some of the houses are very large & conspicuous.
  While walking in the Ball's Hill woods this afternoon
I saw a good many small birds, among them there