79
Concord, Mass.
1898.
May 5
  Warm and sultry with light S. to S. W. wind. Forenoon
sunny but with thin clouds drifting across the sky. A
gentle, warm rain beginning about sunset and lasting into
the night.
  Spent most of the day at or near the cabin. Birds
singing freely but no indication of any accessories to
their numbers. In the afternoon, however, while getting
some wild flowers on the West Bedford side of the
river opposite Ball's Hill I heard a Least Flycatcher.
The Thrasher was singing there all day. On the
ploughed land opposite the cluster of pines I started
a pair of Carolina Doves. They flew into the
pines where the male cooed two or three times.
Two Bitterns were pumping at daybreak and
I heard one or both at short intervals during
the entire day. 
  As I was walking up through the fields towards
Bensen's this evening a Hermit Thrush began
singing on one of the oak-clad hills on the
Blakemore lot. It sang for about five minutes
in loud but somewhat broken tones. Rain was
falling at the time and the twilight was far
advanced. 
  Yellow-rumps were scattered about everywhere to-day
signing freely. I saw no flocks but almost every
thicket seemed to harbor a single bird. 
  The birches are unfolding their leaves.