Concord, Mass.
1899.
May 21
(No 2)
  Ovenbirds were rising and singing over the woods in all
directions as I crossed Bensen's field shortly after sunset.
One continued his song during the whole of his descent although
he shot down along a steep incline & at tremendous speed.
How can a bird emit loud vocal sounds under such conditions?
One would suppose that if he merely opened his mouth his
breath would be driven down his throat.
[margin]Flight song of
the Oven bird.[/margin]
  As twilight was deepening into night two Night-hawks
appeared following the edge of the woods and hovering &
circling close about the tops of the oaks like great moths.
Apparently they found insects plentiful for they beat back
& forth over the same ground several times. Earlier in
the evening I heard a Night hawk peeping & saw him
high in air but he did not boom.
[margin]Night hawks
feeding about
the tops of
oaks.[/margin]
  Pat saw two Black Ducks at Hunt's Pond yesterday
and Gilbert three this afternoon flying over the
meadows. Night Herons do not seem to come into
these meadows now perhaps because the water
has fallen so low. We hear two Bitterns pumping every
evening, one in the meadow just opposite Davis's Hill,
the other in the old place on the south side of
Great Meadow. I think there is a third bird
near the head of Great Meadow.
[margin]Black Ducks[/margin]
[margin]Night Herons.[/margin]
[margin]Bitterns.[/margin]
  The Ball's Hill Partridge was again drumming all
day long on his stone wall & I heard the
Davis Swamp bird drumming steadily late in the
afternoon. What has started them up again? Is
is the cool lowering weather or have their nests been destroyed?
[margin]Partridges still
drumming.[/margin]