309
Concord, Mass.
1897
Oct. 28
  Cloudy with dense fog all day. Wind light from N.E.
very warm for the season.
  Early this morning I heard a Black-bellied Plover
whistle eight or ten times; it was evidently flying in
a southerly direction over the meadows. Soon afterwards
the call of a Greater Yellow-leg came from the direction
of Holden's Meadow.
  With the hope of finding something unusual on the
river I paddled down as far as Birch Island taking
my gun. I saw nothing but a solitary Grebe & was
returning when two Ducks passed me flying low over
the water following up the course of the river. I saw
that they had a good deal of white on their wings
but could not make out the species. Some ten minutes
later, however, they returned passing this time within
short gun range but crossing over the land & coming
out behind me so that it was impossible to fire. I
saw at once that they were Red-breasted Mergansers
both in the grey plumage but one much larger than
the other. Although perfectly certain of their identity
I had a great desire to secure them for I have never
before found this species on Concord River. As they
were passing around the bend just above Davis's Hill
they set their wings and scaled down towards the
water but they must have kept on for I
went back to below Birch Island again without
seeing anything of them. Pat saw them pass
Ball's Hill on their return. Judging by the time
they were gone they must have flown several
miles up river unless they alighted somewhere.