Concord, Mass.
1905.
May 14
  Cloudy and calm with showers of fine misty rain in P.M.
Rather warm wind light from S.W. in A.M. No wind in P.M.
  Arrivals: The only birds noted for the first time was 
the Black-poll Warbler, male seen by Forbush on Ball's Hill, and
Canadian Warbler 2 males found by me at the base of Davis Hill.
There was, however, a sudden and very great increase in the
numbers of Cat birds and Oven birds. Of the latter I heard
fully 25 males singing between Ball's Hill & the farm.
  The apple trees at the farm were in full bloom to-day.
In one of them we found a party of 5 Cedar Birds (these, by
the way, are also new to my season's list here) all of which were
busily engaged in picking off and devouring the petals of the
blossoms. I watched them at close range (about 20 ft) for
fully 15 minutes. During this time each bird must have
eaten a dozen or more petals. These were sometimes swallowed
whole (not without some difficulty), sometimes torn into halves
before being swallowed. As the birds remained nearly motionless
the whole time, simply feeding down & taking the petals
within easy reach without examining any apparent choice.
I was convinced that they were eating only the petals &
not selecting those that may have had insects on them.
This habit of the Cedar Bird (if it be really a habit) is quite
new to me.
Cedar birds eating petals of apple blossoms
  To my great delight I found that a pair of Barn
Swallows have begun a nest in the little barn attached
to the Bungalow at the farm. I saw both birds & one of them
was picking up straws & taking them in through an open
window. I also saw two birds later at Ritchie farm.
Last evening I saw a pair in Bensen's barn.