Lancaster, Mass.
1901.
July - Aug
  Quiscalus q. aeneus - In May & June I frequently saw Grackles
in the intervale fields near the Seven Bridges Road. John E. Thayer
told me that most of not all of them were breeding in the
cemetery at South Lancaster. He shot a pair which I saw
& which were typical aeneus.
  Early in July small flocks largely composed of young
began to visit the neighborhood of Miss Holman's place. On
the 17th just after the grass had been cut in the broad
level fields on the opposite side of the road I counted
upwards of seventy birds gathered about feeding on the 
ground in company with perhaps half as many Red-wings.
On the evening of the 25th three flocks containing respectively
60, 70 & 80 birds (rough counts) passed in quick succession
over these fields flying in the direction of North Lancaster
Cemetery. Since then I have noted this evening flight
whenever I have been in or near these fields at the
proper time. The birds come from the direction of
South Lancaster and sometimes cross our fields without
stopping, sometimes alight in one of the isolated oaks
or elms before passing on towards the cemetery. They fly
at a height of about thirty or forty feet usually in
two but sometimes in three flocks which are separated
by intervals of less than 100 yards. The flocks are compact
& the birds move on a perfectly level plane, never rising
& falling in undulations & never intermitting their regular
wing beats. Their numbers appear to vary on different
evenings with a tendency thus far to increase. On the 12th
there were two flocks one of about 50 the other of about 100
birds. On the 20th there were two flocks of fully 150 birds
each & a small bunch of about 25 birds. On the 20th (a
cloudy evening) the flight passed at 5.50, just 25 minutes