1906.
Oct. 4
  Brilliantly clear with light S.E. wind. Very warm for October.
  As I was passing through the old lane at the farm late
this afternoon I came upon a flock of a dozen or more
White-throated sparrows. They were eating Concord grapes in
a vine that festoons a large wild cherry tree. I watched them
for ten or fifteen minutes and saw them peck into the grapes
and dig out and swallow the pulp. A considerable percentage
of the grapes (certainly one tenth) had been mutilated or
destroyed no doubt by these Sparrows.
White-throated Sparrows eating grapes.
  Among the White-throated sparrows just mentioned
was a Scarlet Tanager an adult (or nearly adult) male
showing no red but having many jet black feathers among
the wing coverts. He also was eating grapes. I saw him
take two from a bunch by fluttering beneath them (or rather
by making a fluttering flight upward) and seizing them in his
bill. The first one gave him much trouble because of its
large size. After separating the pulp from the skin he
seemed unable to secure either part & finally dropped
both. With the second he was more successful swallowing
the entire pulp at a gulp & discarding the skin. His
bill dripping with the rich juice glistened in the sunlight.
(A similarly colored bird (no doubt the same individual) was in the
same place on the morning of October 9.
  Birds have been very numerous here the past five
days. I saw fully 100 Black-poll Warblers on September 30
and about 50 on October 2.
  About 8 A.M. on September 30 Forbush & I heard the
flight call of a Golden Plover a dozen times or more
at first loud & clear, finally dying away in the distance.
The bird was apparently flying S.W. It passed very near Ball's Hill.
Forbush is confident he heard the same call again about 2 P.M.
Golden Plover.