41
Concord, Mass.
Spring and early summer.
1913.

99.  Green Heron. Late in the afternoon of July 2 [July 2, 1913] I saw an
adult bird on wing low over the river in front of the cabins at
Ball's Hill. Either the same or another was seen there by Gilbert
the next morning. These were the only occasions on which the species
were noted by either of us this year. Heretofore it has always
occurred more or less commonly along the river near Ball's Hill in
April, May and June, breeding chiefly in gray birch covers bordering
on, or not far back from, the edges of the meadow. Its desertion
of these ancestral haunts may well be due to the noisy motor
boats which now ply so numerously along the river.

100.  Night Heron. Last year the Great Meadows, with various stretches
of river more or less far above or below them, were frequented
regularly and rather numerously by Night Herons in May and June
because, no doubt, of the small fish left by thousands in shallow
pools when the spring flood subsided. Nothing of the kind happened
this year. Indeed I noticed the birds only twice, hearing one
call on the evening of May 13 [May 13, 1913] at the Farm and another on that
of June 20 [June 20, 1913] at Ball's Hill.

101.  Bittern. "Pumping" more or less regularly and frequently from
April 22 [April 22, 1913] to June 24  [June 24, 1913] inclusive. At first there seemed to be only
one [male] engaged within hearing of Ball's Hill and he kept well off
towards the upper end of Great Meadow - flooded at the time.
After the spring freshet had subsided we heard one there, another
directly opposite the cabin & a third near Birch Island.
Two of the birds could often be heard faintly but distinctly
from our farm house of a calm evening. Sometimes one
of them would pump occasionally far into a moonless and
rather dark night but this did not happen often. The
favorite pumping times were early morning & late afternoon.