Concord, Mass.
1900.
August 3
  Clear and cool with strong N.E. wind.
Ball's Hill
  Spent most of the forenoon on the West Bedford Shore
superintending the men who were putting the finishing
touches on the new boat house. A Phoebe was hanging
about it again to-day singing a little now and then.
Stone boat
house nearly 
finished
 In the afternoon went into the swamp behind Ball's 
Hill to see a quantity of Virginia chain fern which
Purdie had found there this morning. It was mixed
in with cinnamon fern in most places. Purdie also
found it the Davis's Swamp. Aspidium simulatum
occurs plentifully in both these swamps.
  We took another walk after supper - to & across
the Barrett meadow which was as dry as an upland
field. The grass has been cut on this as well as most
of the river meadows by mowing machines. The second
crop has already started & the meadow was as green
as a lawn & very beautiful in the light of the
after glow. Two Long-billed Marsh Wrens were singing
in the fringe of sedge & wild rice along the
river bank and troops of Red-wings were coming in
to roost. Every now & then a Bittern or a Green Heron
passed over the Great Meadow on its way to its 
feeding grounds. I saw three Green Herons flying together
this forenoon.
Grass on
Great Meadow 
cut by
mowing ma-
chines
Marsh Wrens
Red-wings
flying to their
roost
  Besides the Marsh Wren & Phoebe I heard singing
to-day a Red-eyed Vireo, a Song Sparrow, two Swamp
Sparrows, a Grosbeak, a Red wing, a Wood Pewee (feebly) &
a Quail. There was also a Black-billed Cuckoo cooing.
  The Grosbeak sang freely & well through the forenoon. On
following it us I was surprised to find that it was apparently
a female. The head wings tail & back were plain faded brown; the
under parts were streaked. It may have been a young male.
Rose b. Grosbeak,
apparently female,
sings freely.
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