63
Concord, Mass.
1898.
April 25
  Forenoon cloudy with light showers of fine rain.
Clearing in the afternoon with a brilliantly clear sunset.
A strong, cold N.E. [north east] wind all day.
  Spent the forenoon in the woods near Davis's Hill. 
Small birds either very scarce or very silent. Heard a 
Cooper's Hawk in the old nesting place among 
the dense pines at the glacial hollow but did
not see the bird.
  At about noon an osprey passed Davis's Hill flying
down river and a few minutes later three Great Blue
Herons followed him.
  In the afternoon sailed across Great Meadow and 
passing through the carry by the big maple paddled
the remainder of the way to the Buttricks' where
I landed to get some things from the boat house
& then turned back stopping at several places
on my return to dig plants and trees. Saw a
Pigeon Hawk flying high over Ball's Hill toward
the north. The Bittern was pumping steadily in
the usual place. Only a very few birds singing along 
the river. The Red-wings appear to have left the
meadows altogether owing, no doubt, to the recent rise
of water which is now nearly as high as it was
the middle of March. A few Tree Sparrows still linger. 
I saw six together on the W. Bedford shore & heard
one of them sing finely. The two dingy coloured
White-throats which spent the 23rd & 24th in front
of the cabin were gone this morning & a fine adult
had taken their place. A pair of Phoebes at the cabin 
all day examining it with evident thoughts of building there.