28
Concord, Mass.
Spring and early summer.
1913.

65. Meadow Lark.  Never before have I known Meadow Larks so
numerous or at least widely distributed in our part of Concord.
Every grassy field and meadow which could be made to serve as
a breeding place was occupied by at least one pair. For the first time
they frequented Bensen's pasture and I think nested not far from it.
At Ball's Hill and our farm I constantly heard their sweet, plaintive
voices from March 18 to July 2. At the Farm a male frequently sang
for hours perched in the very top of a tall elm close to the house but
his mate & nest were doubtless in Lawrence's field across the road.
There was general but not complete cessation of singing in early June
followed by partial resumption of it after the 20th of the month.

66. Baltimore Oriole.  Arrived May 5 [May 5, 1913] (1 [in full song], W. Bedford [West Bedford]). During the next
week or two they were heard everywhere in their accustomed haunts
in fair but scarce normal numbers. Many of the birds noted during
this period were perhaps north-bound migrants for comparatively few
remained to breed and of these the majority disappeared soon after
the shade trees along the village streets and town roadsides and
about the farm buildings, were sprayed with arsenate of lead. This
happened late in May and early in June when the only nest built
on our place in the big elm that overspreads the western end of the house
was deserted. Either this pair or another reared young successfully, however,
near Edwin Lawrence's house and the [male] continued to visit our elms
and to sing there while the brood of young frequented the oaks behind our
barn late in June (they left the nest about the 26th). The only
other breeding pair I had under frequent observated [observation] nested in
Bensen's elms (unsprayed this year) & I think reared young
there. During my infrequent visits to Concord village in June I
failed to hear any Oriole but saw a pair feeding young in the nest
at Carlisle in a partially sprayed elm on the 15th [June 15, 1913]. Ball's Hill (sprayed)
was occasionally visited by wandering birds & a [male] was singing there July 2 [July 2, 1913].