Concord, Mass.
1899.
April 5
  Colder than yesterday with a piercing N.E. wind but brilliantly
clear and with delightfully warm sunshine.
  Not a bird of any kind sang early this morning nor during the
forenoon but just before sunset some Red-wings were answering
one another from the tree tops on Mill Brook meadow & later 
Robins were calling about the house.
  I went to Ball's Hill just before noon paddling all the way
down. Saw a pair of Goosanders on Great Meadow and an
adult [female] Red-shouldered Hawk at the edge of the woods on
Holden's Hill. A Nuthatch was calling wot-wot-wot at the
Manse and a Phoebe flitting about the North Bridge.
Gilbert saw another Phoebe at the cabin but while I was 
there nothing appeared. Saw a pair of Downies and a 
Chickadee. There was not a single sparrow of any kind
along the river path nor did I notice any higher up the
river although I followed the shore closely.
  I started back at 2 P.M. sailing to Dakin's Hill where
I landed and struck across the fields to the Barrett farm.
In a pasture near Holden's great oak I saw a flock
of 12 Robins accompanied by two Red-wings. As I 
was crossing the Barrett run a cock Partridge rose with
a prodigious noise of wings and on my way back
I flushed a keen little male Woodcock who circled
out over a field and back into the cover near the
Red Pines. No small birds were seen or heard near the
Barrett house but as I was standing on the slope 
behind the barn an Osprey came overhead high in 
air and scarce five minutes later a pair of adult
[margin]Woodcock in
Barrett Run[/margin]
[margin]Osprey[/margin]
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