Concord, Mass.
1908
April 24
(No 2)
  The Kingfishers are evidently preparing to breed again
in Mr. Howe's sand bank where they visited last year for
the first time. Both birds were there together at 5.30
this afternoon flying about & rattling noisily as I approached
by keeping well out of gun range. Half an hour earlier
when I was at Ball's Hill I saw one of them
coming from the direction of the bank at a great
height (fully 100 yards) rattling incessantly. As I was
watching it, it suddenly set its wings and soared
in a half circle, first inclining downward and then
upward. This I have never seen before. The evolution
was clearly similar to that which the male Carolina Dove
performs at this season. I wonder if it can be
a love flight! After it was over the bird flew
off over the meadows gradually descending. I was
unable to ascertain its sex.
  A pair of Chickadees have been coming regularly
of late to some suet in the lilacs behind the
farm house. This morning Gilbert heard them digging
a hole of a decayed place in the (?) apple tree
about 5 ft. above the ground & no more than that
from the dining room window. He says they
both worked, taking turns at the hole. Most of the
chips were carried away for a few yards & then dropped.
They kept at it all the forenoon but were not seen
in the afternoon.
  Three Gray squirrels in a swamp white oak at
evening. I saw one of them bite off what looked like
a Brown tail's nest and apparently eat it. There were scores
of those nests on the tree a week ago but only two or three tonight