Concord, Mass.
1900
June 1
(No 2)
than usual but perhaps this was merely because of
the cloudy weather & high wind for the six or eight
that we saw were for the most part silent.
  Red wings have been positively scarce about Ball's Hill
of late but higher up the river we found them in
about the usual numbers. They were greatly disturbed 
& probably with good reason at the presence of three
or four Crows which were flying from place to place
on the meadows pursued by excited swarms of
Red-wings whose nests they were doubtless seeking.
Ball's Hill.
Bobolinks
scarce.
Red-wings
  Most of the small birds nests which we have thus
far found near Ball's Hill have been robbed of their
eggs almost as soon as they were laid. I suspect that
the Blue Jays are the culprits for I see them constantly
sneaking about as if in search of nests. Two came
into the trees near the cabin early this morning &
apparently inspected a Cat bird's nest with 3 eggs &
a Redstart's with 2 but they did not molest either
although they alighted for a moment within a foot
or two of each. Perhaps they were waiting for the
full sets or they may have been conscious of my
observation. Both the Cat birds & the Redstarts attacked
or rather fluttered about them with anxious cries.
I wonder if they really do destroy other birds' eggs
to any extent. Something certainly does so here &
the Jays themselves seem to suffer as much
as any of the other birds. One of their nests which
I found at Davis's Hill with the bird sitting was
empty two days later & another in the Blakemore
woods was raided after the bird had been
sitting a week or more.
Blue Jays
have their
own nests
despoiled
2