Concord Mass.
1896
Nov. 21
  Cloudy with light snow fall beginning at 10 A.M.
and changing to rain in the afternoon; - a gloomy,
chilly day, redeemed only by the almost total absence
of wind.
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  Despite the depressing and very disagreeable weather I
saw some interesting birds and one that was actually new
to me. I took it to be a Gray Gyrfalcon (Falco gyrfalco).
It was about the size and general coloring of an
immature female Gos-hawk but it had the long, sharp-
pointed Falcon wings and it flapped them as a Duck Hawk
does with a continuous, rapid, vibrating movement. My
experience with this bird was as follows: I was paddling
past the Buttericks' on my way down river at about 8.30
a.m. when I noticed three tame Pigeons flying high in air
towards Mr. Derby's barn coming from the direction of
the town. Just as they were passing over the Buttericks' house
the Falcon appeared about 100 yards off and coming
directly towards them. They turned back at once at
the same time separating. The Falcon chose a white bird
(the other two were blue) and pursued it hotly. The
Pigeon made scarce 100 yards before it was overtaken
but it had been rising the while and when its pursuer
came up he was a yard or more under it. Wheeling
with easy grace and bounding upward twenty feet
or more with a single effort of his powerful wings
he got well above his prey and shot towards it
down a steep incline. "Poor bird, your fate is 
sealed"! I said to myself as, with the field
glass pressed to my eyes, I gazed breathlessly
watching the Falcon's belly with the full expectation