Concord, Mass.
1902.
Sept. 29
  Cloudy & sultry with light N.E. wind and fine, mist like
rain at intervals.
  Spent the forenoon in the neighborhood of Holden's Hill.
The woods there were alive with Black-poll Warblers among
which were a few Yellow-rumps. The Black-polls have
two different notes at this season, a lisping call common
to most Dendroica and a soft full tseep very like the 
chirp of a Yellow Warbler.
Black-poll Warblers.
  Blue Jays were numerous and exceedingly noisy screaming
& imitating the cry of the Red-shouldered Hawk.
Blue Jays.
  There were also a number of Crows which collected gradually
from all quarters of the compass & kept up a prodigious
clamor in the trees on the hill top. I think they
must have been mobbing an Owl of some kind, probably
a Great-Horned.
Crows
  As I was crossing the causeway at about 9 A.M.
I discovered a large Snapping or Mud Tortoise making its
way across the meadow in the direction of the woods.
It was upwards of 100 yards from the river & perhaps
thirty yards from the high woods ground towards which
it was progressing. I do not remember ever seeing one before
seeking the uplands at this season & I cannot imagine
what could have been its object. It reminded me forcibly
of an Elephant as it moved slowly through the grass
walking at the full height of its thick flabby legs & stopping
every now & then to raise its head & look around.
Snapping Tortoise making an overland journey.
  In the afternoon I went to Davis's Hill &
Pine Ridge. The upland woods were gloomy but the
maple swamp ablaze with orange & scarlet.
Maple swamp ablaze with color.
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