302
Concord, Mass.
1897.
Oct. 22
  Forenoon sunny & warm; afternoon cloudy with chill & wind.
  Spent the forenoon about the cabin. In the afternoon
sailed to Davis's Hill and landing there walked to Bensen's
pine ridge & through the swamp to Prescott's pines, in all
a distance of fully a mile. Will Bartlett joined us
after I had been out about an hour. I started a Partridge
(they seem to be very scarce here this autumn) & saw
a Hermit Thrush, two Creepers, three or four Kinglets, two
flocks of Chickadees, a Flicker, a Downy Woodpecker, 
several Blue Jays & Crows, and two or three Song & 
White-throated Sparrows.
  On the way back to the cabin I saw a large bird
which I at first took to be a Black Duck walking
slowly over the marsh on the edge of the river but
just as it entered the tall grass it suddenly
occurred to me that it was a Bittern. I should
have thought of this sooner had the bird not
looked so very dark - almost black in fact.
Just before sunset Tit-larks were flying about 
continually over the meadows. I counted forty 
in one flock.
  Gilbert went to Boston to-day and returned by
the train which reaches W. Bedford at half-past
five. I crossed the river to meet him & while
sitting there in the canoe heard two Snipes. One was
flying about over the meadow singing, the other
flitting from place to place on the marsh near us
making the curious loud rustling sound of wings
that I have heard before at Umbagog.