MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
Abundance of small birds
1875.
Nov. 3 [November 3, 1875] Clear, still, and though cold, a most
lovely day. Have been confined to
the house by sickness ever since my
return from the cape, but this morning
unable to endure imprisonment any 
longer I took my gun and walking
up to the farm spent the whole 
forenoon collecting. Small birds 
were more abundant than I ever
saw them before at this season. This
I think may be explained by the 
fact that the weather up to within 
the last three days has been very
mild and the later birds have consequently
remained up North. Yesterday and the
day before were both, cold windy
disagreeable days, the ther. [thermometer] barely
reaching 35 [degrees] by noon and snow
in greater or less quantity announced 
from all parts of northern N. E. [New England].
This sudden advance of winter has
driven the birds S. [south] en masse.
  Especially abundant this morning
were Pas. iliaca [Passerella iliaca], Reg.
satrapa [Regulus satrapa], Junco hyemalis, Parus
atricapillus, and Cyanura cristata.
Saw also two Spizella monticola,
several Sitta Carolinensis, [several] Chry. 
tristis [Chrysomitris tristis], one Certhia Am. [Certhia americana] one regulus
calendula ([female]) and at least 30 Dend.
coronata [Dendroica coronata]. Had remarkable luck in
my shooting, bagging 18 birds in
20 shots. The leaves are now nearly
all down in the deciduous woods
but I was surprised to find so