13
Concord, Mass.
1898.
March 17
  The morning broke calm and cloudy with heavy rain
falling. The rain ceased before 10 A.M. and at noon
the clouds parted and the sun came out. The afternoon
was brilliantly clear with a violent but not cold west
wind.
  When I left the Keyes' at 9 A.M. the wind was
just rising and before I reached the cabin it was
blowing hard. I sailed the entire distance, crossing
the Great Meadows. Song Sparrows and Redwings were
singing on every side and I heard two or three
Bluebirds and one Meadow Lark but no Tree Sparrows 
sang although I saw several. I have seen no Rusty 
Blackbirds as yet.
  A Flicker "shouted" several times yesterday afternoon
on the West Bedford shore & I heard the same
bird there this morning. One Bluebird and one Robin
flew over Ball's Hill.
  As I was sailing along the shore directly opposite
the cabin this morning I startled a pair of Wood Ducks
from the flooded thickets bordering Nevin's pasture.
They flew across the river and in behind Ball's 
Hill probably alighting in the swamp which is
full of water just now.
  The violent wind silenced the smaller birds &
drove them to shelter this afternoon. During a
walk that I took through the woods I saw only
a Crow, a Blue Jay, a pair of Chickadees, a
Kinglet and a few Song Sparrows. 
  Pat tells me that Gallant shot four Black Ducks
in the Bedford swamp yesterday.