40
Concord, Mass.
1897
April 29
  Clear and calm with a white frost in the early
morning and a midsummer temperature at noon.
  Faxon and I turned out at 5 A.M. and after
a light, hurried breakfast started for a walk. We
followed the river paths as far as Birch Island
returning by one of the more inland routes. Birds
sang freely but their numbers were disappointing.
  One or more Snipe were drumming almost continuously
on the meadow opposite Birch Island from 6 to 8 A.M.
although the morning was cloudless and the sun at
the latter hour decidedly warm.
  We heard two Partridges drumming and in Davis's swamp
found a nest with 5 eggs. The bird rose directly from 
the nest at a distance of a few yards. The eggs were
so completely covered with leaves that not one of them
could be seen until this covering was disturbed. The
nest was on a mound in the middle of a cluster
of tall blueberry bushes.
  Will Stone joined us by the noon train and Faxon
left by the 4.10 P.M. train.
  Stone & I took a short walk in the late
afternoon. The sunlight streaming through a rent in
a bank of clouds that had gathered in the west
flooded the landscape with strong, amber light
producing a beautiful effect. We saw nothing of
peculiar interest. Several snipe were drumming at
evening although a young gunner shot four or five
on the meadow this forenoon while we sat watching him.