Concord, Mass.
1902.
Oct. 3
  A perfect autumn day, brilliantly clear & just pleasantly warm
with light W. to N.E. wind.
  Soon after breakfast I saw a Pigeon Hawk skimming across
the meadow opposite the cabin, just above the grass. On reaching
the woods he rose above the trees & then began soaring, moving
in small circles and rather hurriedly or, at least, with much
less grace & deliberation than a Buteo. After mounting to
a height of several hundred feet he drifted off towards the
south-west until I could no longer follow him even with
the aid of my glass. Apparently he was migrating but at
the same time keeping a keen lookout for prey.
Pigeon Hawk
  Half an hour later, as I was watching a Red-shouldered 
Hawk which was soaring over Holden's Hill admiring the
infinite ease & dignity of his movements, five White-bellied
Swallows suddenly came within the field of my glass. Without
it I could not see them at all for they were high in
air & fully half-a-mile off over Great Meadow. They seemed
to be feeding.
White-bellied Swallows.
  Golden-crests appeared in form this morning. I saw three
on Pine Ridge & no less than seven together in the woods
at the farm. Two other arrivals were the Canada Nuthatch
of which I heard two & the White-throated Sparrow of
which I saw a fine adult.
Golden crests, Canada nuthatches & White-throated Sparrows arrive
  In the small patch of rye at the farm I started
a bevy of quail. I counted 15 as they flew off. There
were certainly only 12 in the bevy which I saw on the
opposite side of the road day before yesterday, yet I can
hardly believe that there are two different flocks there.
Bevy of Quail at the Farm.
  Black-polls continue abundant.
  I hear almost no Hylas although this weather is perfect for them.
Hylas Scarce.
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