Concord, Mass.
1903.
Jan'y 3-5
  Purdie & I went to Concord on the afternoon of
the 3rd and spent Sunday (4th) at the farm house, returning
to Cambridge on the morning of the 5th. On the 4th
we were in the woods all the forenoon, walking to Ball's Hill
via Birch Field, Prescott's Pines, and Davis' Hill, returning
by road via Bensen's. The weather was cloudy but calm
and mild. The snow lay six inches deep in the woods
but the roads and fields were bare in many places.
Although we moved very slowly and stopped frequently to
look about and listen we noted, during this walk, only
three birds, a Chickadee (alone in the middle of some pine
woods), a Crow, and a Partridge. We saw a great
many tracks of the last-named species in and about
Birch Field and near Ball's Hill. Two Blue Jays were
seen and one or two Crows heard, close to the farm house,
in the early morning. The Howe brothers, whom we met
at Ball's Hill, told me that small birds of every kind
have been very scarce about their house since early in
December. They have seen a bevy of about ten Quail
in their corn field on several occasions within the
past week or two.
Birds seen during a walk to Ball's Hill
  While driving to Concord on the morning of the
5th we saw only one bird, a Flicker, on the top
of Punkatasset Hill. I understand that a single bird
of this species has passed the months of December &
January on the Edward W. Emerson place where we
wintered last year.
Flickers wintering at Concord.
  No irregular winter visitors, except Snow Owls, have
been reported from any part of Eastern Massachusetts
on good authority. The Owls appeared in considerable
numbers in November & I have heard of a few in December &
January, also.
No irregular winter birds save Snowy Owls.