Concord, Mass.
1906.
July 14
(No 2)
350 birds in the body which I flushed at first there
must have been at least 600 in all. There were certainly
no Crow Blackbirds among them but I think I saw 
a few bunches of Cow-birds. It is always difficult to
distinguish them from Red-wings during these evening flights
except by their notes and on this occasion I heard no
calls excepting those of Red-wings. The incoming birds
passed, as a rule, at a height of only thirty or forty
feet, flying in the usual easy, undulating manner and
making only a light rustling sound with their wings as
they hovered over the roads. But every now and then
one or more which had approached the roost at an
elevation of one or two hundred feet shot down to
it on a steep incline with a loud hurtling noise
something like that of a humming top.
  Mingling at times with the incoming Blackbirds, but
oftener crossing their line of flight, a flock of thirty
or forty Barn Swallows kept dashing about over the marshes
and river going as far to the eastward as the bend below
Balls Hill and nearly to the Holt in the other direction.
Where they roosted I know not for they were still on
wing when I reached the cabin on my return although it
was then too dark to see them except against the
faint glow of light in the western sky. Forbush tells
me they have been resorting to the river meadows every
evening since the 9th where he thinks there were
at least 150 birds in the flock.
  I heard Virginia Rails giving the pig notes at
intervals. Swamp Sparrows were singing in every direction at
nightfall. Forbush has heard Night Herons frequently of
late. Neither he nor I has seen a Duck of any kind this year.