129
Concord, Mass.
1898
June 12
  Clear and the warmest day thus far. Light W. to S.W. winds.
  The day was chiefly taken up with visitors of
which we had an unusual number. The Buttricks
came to dinner, the Spelmans called on their way down
river, Will Bartlett stopped to tell me of an Orchard Oriole
that he had seen and heard near the Minute Man.
Despite their interruptions I got three good walks 
in the woods.
  At about 9 A.M. a Golden-winged Warbler sang
three or four times in the maples over the boat
landing in front of the cabin.
  At daybreak this morning and from a little after
sunset until I went to sleep the "Kicker" was chanting
his merry little song in the Great Meadow. I heard it
very many times to great advantage for the bird was
nearer than he has been on former occasions and the 
air was perfectly still. The number of Ki [underlined] notes varied
from five to seven or eight. (It is very difficult to
count them they are given so rapidly). Their delivery
is sometimes smooth with even intervals, sometimes halting
with the intervals varying greatly in length. The voice
of this bird is somewhat grating and harsh throughout,
the terminal chut especially so.
  Visiting the Creeper's nest this morning I found that
the eggs had not only hatched but that the young
were already quite large & covered with dark-colored
pin feathers. The [female] was absent.