Concord, Mass.
1901.
June 16
(No 2)
  On the top of Ball's Hill I flushed an Ovenbird
under foot. She ran off quivering her wings and spreading
her tail and then came back close around me chirping
anxiously. Stooping down and looking about me for
a nest I at once saw one but to my astonishment
it was empty & evidently at least a year old.
A moment later I found a new nest containing
young nearly fully grown but not fully feathered.
It was not over two feet from the old nest and
only about ten feet from where I found a nest
with eggs several years ago. This leads me to infer
that the Oven bird returns to nearly the same
spot to breed, year after year. The male sang on
wing nearby over the nest shortly after I had
left it.
  The meadows are nearly free of water and the
grass is growing rapidly but the Red-wings have
not returned nor did I hear any Rails this
evening.
  Mr. J. W. Long (my mason) tells me that on
going around behind the barn at the Barrett farm
last week he stumbled into the middle of a breed
of young Partridges. The old hen flew directly at
him striking him two or three times in the
eyes & with considerable force. Indeed as he said
she really scared him and he beat a retreat
as quickly as he could. He is accurate of
statement and I believe the story.
73