14
Concord, Mass.
1897
April 1-5
  The weather during the 1st 2nd 3rd & 4th was
remarkably uniform with cloudless skies, cold nights
(the ground freezing hard) and warm, sunny days. 
The wind has held steadily in the N. to E. and, as
a rule, has been very chill. Last night it rained
heavily and to-day is cloudy with light showers and
a warm S.W. wind.
  I have spent all of these five days at Ball's Hill
going and coming in the sailing canoe, for the
first three days over the meadows, using the sail
at least half the time. Now the water has fallen
so that the meadows are impassible by boat.
  Birds of most of the earlier kinds such as Song &
Tree Sparrows, Phoebees, Redwings, Robins, Bluebirds,
etc. have been very numerous. The Tree Sparrows
have been singing gloriously in the early mornings
but alas! I have not heard a single Fox Sparrow
although I saw at least a dozen or the latter
on the 1st and since then two or three daily near
the cabin.
  I saw the first Tree Swallows on the 1st since
when they have been daily observed in slowly 
increasing numbers; the bulk of the flight, however,
has not yet arrived.
  There have been very few Ducks. On the 31st March
and 1st of April I saw a pair of Gooseanders, on
April 2nd two Black Ducks, April 3rd five Black 
Ducks, April 4th six Black Ducks all on the Great
Meadows. There were two Herring Gulls there to-day.