Cambridge & Concord
1899
May 16
  Cloudy and cool with light rain in P.M. Wind W. Ther. 52 [degrees] - 6 A.M.,
60 [degrees] - 1 P.M., 51 [degrees] - 8 P.M.
  To Cambridge by 8.13 A.M. train. Spent the day in the 
garden weeding the wild flower beds & cutting out some trees
from the jungle. Two Swainson's Thrushes are singing finely.
" [May] 17.  
  Brilliantly clear with strong E. wind. Ther. 51 [degrees] - 69 [degrees] - 52 [degrees].
  Spent most of the day at work in the garden at Cambridge.
Birds are pitifully scarce there this spring. The only ones which
appear to be settled are a single pair of Robins, a pair of
Flickers (nesting in an artificial trunk that I put up in April)
a pair of Redstarts & a Yellow Warbler or two. There are
no Chippies, no Purple Finches & no vireos. I forgot Orioles
of which we have at least one pair. A Swainson's Thrush
was singing all the forenoon.
[margin]Scarcity of
birds in our
garden[/margin]
  Took the 5.01 train back to Concord W. Deane accompanying
me. On reaching W. [west] Bedford we walked down to the ditch
starting a Partridge in the azalea swamp. At the cabin
we found a Lincoln's Finch which Gilbert told us had spent
yesterday & to-day in the thicket in front of his door
venturing out when all was still to eat the millet head he
had put in the bed of ferns. There were two White-throated Sparrows
there yesterday & five to-day.  
  Walked around Ball's Hill & to Pine Hill at evening.
Birds very numerous along the river path, Tanagers, Grosbills,
Vireos, Warblers, the two Bitterns pumping on Great Meadow.
Three Va. [Virginia] Rails calling cutta.
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