Concord, Mass.
1899.
April 8
  Cloudy with occasional short intervals of sunshine. Much
the warmest day of the month thus far From 42 [degree] at 8 A.M.
60 [degree] at 1 P.M. (Much cooler at evening with N.W. wind.
  It rained heavily all last night but when I embarked
for Ball's Hill at 9 o'clock this morning there was only 
a fine mist falling and the clouds had begun to break
in the west. A light breeze filled my sail and I
glided silently and smoothly down the stream between
the rows of flooded river maples. How the birds sang!
[margin]Birds singing[/margin]
  It was worth all the long, dreary winter that has just
passed to hear this one concert. Song Sparrows were
really numerous and generally distributed for the
first time. I counted twelve between the Keyes' and
the cabin. There were also a good many Red wings
(at least seven or eight), two or three Flickers, three Bluebirds
& four Phoebes. Near the Manse a Brown Creeper was
singing at short, regular intervals, and just below Flint's
Bridge a Fox Sparrow sang twice in a thicket very near
me. I saw another of these Sparrows in the brush along
the river near the cabin but there were no Song Sparrows
there.
[margin]Song Sparrows[/margin]
[margin]Creeper Singing[/margin]
[margin]Fox Sparrows[/margin]
  A Pine Warbler sang once on Ball's Hill at about noon.
An Osprey was flying about over Great Meadow and
Gilbert saw a flock of eleven Herring Gulls.
[margin]Pine Warbler[/margin]
[margin]Osprey[/margin]
[margin]Herring Gulls[/margin]
  At 11 A.M. as I was standing in front of the
cabin a flock of seven Great Blue Herons passed
overhead very high in air flying in close order like
Geese for which I at first mistook them. They kept on
out of sight due north. I cannot remember ever seeing so
many migrating in company before.
[margin]Ardea herodias[/margin]