Concord, Mass.
1912.
March 31.
[March 31, 1912]

  Clear with strong S.W. [Southwest] wind. Early morning cool, thin
ice on shallow pools, fields snow white with hoar frost. Warm
at noon and through afternoon and evening.
  At sunrise heard Song sparrows, Red-wings, one Phoebe
and a Pheasant, in song.
  As we were at breakfast a White-bellied Swallow
flew past cabin over river. Half an hour later Gilbert
saw 2 Swallows alight on a box in Bensen's pasture.
A Bluebird attacked and drove them off.
  Our Phoebe was joined by his mate to-day. I
saw the pair enter the shed together at 9 A.M. At 2 P.M.
saw 3 Phoebes together behind Ball's Hill. Two were singing.
Heard a fourth Phoebe singing at the Farm.
  An immense flock of Crow Blackbirds passed over the
orchard at the Farm high in air at 5 P.M. steering N.E. [Northeast]
and evidently migrating. There must have been at least
100 in all. They were strung out in a long file (300 yds [yards]
in length) with clusters here & there. As is their usual
habit when on migration they all moved on a level
plaine [plane], with steady, ceaseless wing beats, not once resorting
to the undulating flight with intermittent flapping which
one sees so often after they settle down to breed. I
should estimate the height at which they were flying
at about 100 yards.
  Started six Partridges. Two of them were flushed
from the buckwheat patch behind our barn at 4 P.M.
They rose in the open 20 yards from any brush. James
had put a covey of 8 Ring-neck Pheasants there
only half an hour before.