Concord, Mass.
1907
Jan'y 1
  Clear, calm, very mild the thermometer rising to 50 degrees.
A heavy rain yesterday has taken off nearly all the snow,
there is little or no frost left in the ground, the river, brooks
and some of the ponds are open and many of the city
lawns are almost as green as they were in October. Thus
after a rather cold month of December the conditions have
changed to nearly those which obtained during the
remarkably mild January of last year.
  I went to Concord to-day with C. to attend the
funeral of Florence Emerson Forbes. It was at 3 o'clock.
At 3.45 C. and I were back at the Lowell R.R.
station with half-an-hour to wait for our return train.
We strolled down the track a short distance to a point 
which commanded a good view of Mill Brook Meadow
and the swollen, open river beyond. As we were standing
here, enjoying the soft, warm air and bright sunshine
a flock of about forty crows appeared flying over us
towards the north-west. I feel sure that none had
passed that way before, for we had walked from the
Emerson's without noticing any, but this flock was
followed by a succession of others the flight lasting
nearly half-an-hour but apparently quite ceasing before
we took our train at 4.20 P.M. The flocks succeeded
one another at very regular intervals each, as a rule,
coming into view in the south-east just as its predecessor
was passing out of sight up the valley of the Assabet
nearly in the direction of Annursnac Hill. There were
a few straggling birds compact & containing from thirty to 
fifty or sixty birds each. With the help of Mr. & Mrs.