Concord, Mass.
1900.
August 5
(No 2)
  In the afternoon we rowed up river to the Buttricks
to get the two sailing canoes in which Purdie and I returned
Gilbert rowing back in the day. The river has changed
greatly in aspect within the past two or three years owing
to increase and extension of the wild rice (Zizania)
which now fringes its banks almost everywhere between
Ball's Hill & the North Bridge and at the Holt & Barrett's
Bar forms broad and dense beds hundreds of feet in length.
Bobolinks & Red-wings were collected in large numbers in 
the larger beds apparently feeding on the grain of the rice.
They rose, as we advanced, from both sides of the river
and circled about us in swarms chinking or cooing noisily.
  We heard singing during this trip a Catbird, two Black & White Creepers,
a Yellow warbler, at least a dozen Song sparrows, an Indigo Bird
and a Red-winged Blackbird. I also heard a Summer 
Yellow-legs in the distance and a Virginia Rail calling
kik-kik in a bed of wild rice. Two Short-billed and
one Long-billed Marsh Wrens were singing near the river banks.
An adult female Red-tailed Hawk scaled across the stream
at the Holt. We saw a Meadow Lark near Hunt's landing.
Trip up the
River
Wild Rice
Bobolinks
&
Red-wings
Birds singing
Va. Rail
Marsh Wren
Red-tailed
Hawk
  Just before breakfast this morning I walked to Holden's
Meadow when I heard the call of an Upland Plover.
The sound was distant at first but presently came
nearer when I discovered two of the birds flying in
company at a great height, circling over the meadow.
They are the first I have noted in this locality for
many years but then I am not often here in August.
I also heard a Redstart in full song & saw the bird
a fine old male.
Upland
Plover
  Last night at about 8 o'clock a Screech Owl wailed
a number of times across the river.
S'reech Owl
56