Concord, Mass.
(Balls' Hill)
1900                                                                                                                          
April 24     
  Forenoon cloudy with frequent showers of firm rain.
Afternoon clearing with thundering wind clouds and a violent
but brief gale accompanied by hail at 5 P.M. Wind N.S.
all day. Ther. 48 degrees - 58 degrees (38 degrees at 8 P.M.)
  Most of the ornithological interest of the day's experience
was condensed within a period of fifteen or twenty minutes
- between 7.15 and 7.35 am when I took a short walk
around the E. end of Ball's Hill. On reaching the pine
openings beyond the big red oak I found them alive
with birds mainly all of which were singing or calling.
There was a Robin or two, a Golden-crested & a Ruby-
crowned Kinglet, 2 Chickadees (at work on the nest in the
bush stump), 2 Yellow Red poll warblers, 6 or 8 Yellow rumped
Warblers, 1 Pine Warbler, several Song Sparrows and at least
3 Blue Jays. Presently I heard Chimney Swifts trilling
& look up saw some four flying high over the Hill. The next
moment two Great Blue Herons appeared passing overhead
at a great height & evidently migrating. Then a
Martin was heard. Finally an Osprey and a female Marsh
Hawk crossed Holden's Meadows in opposite directions
at the same moment. In addition to that species
I heard Red-wings, Rusty Blackbirds & Crows.
Early morning
walk.
Birds noted
Chimney Swifts
arrive at 7.15 A.M.
Great Blue Herons
migrating.
Osprey
Marsh Hawk.
   Two of the Blue jays left uttering the bell note on
opposite sides of the opening in which I was standing
and within 30 yds of me. At this short distance a
curious sub-tone was distinctly audible. It had much
the same quality as that of the Virginia Rails' cutta when
heard very near at hand the sound vibrating rather
unpleasantly on the ear & having to come, at times, from
Bell notes of
Blue Jay
41