Marston's Mills, Trip to "Nine Mile" pond
Mass. [Marston's Mills, Massachusetts]
1876.
Wenesday [Wednesday]
Dec. 6 [December 6, 1876] Clear & still but cold. Started off after breakfast &
Miss. Fannie drove us over to "Nine Mile" pond
Hunted all day but up to sundown had
seen nothing but 2 grouse & had neither of
us fired a shot. Saw signs of quail in the
clearing but could not find them. Walked out
through the woods in the afternoon & while
silently wending our way along a wood
path I heard a crackling of sticks in the
brush & upon making some little noise
myself a deer started within 30 yds. of
us and went off with long leaps through
the woods. Although the thickness of the
brush prevented our getting even a sight 
at it we both heard its bounds with
perfect distinctiveness. Coming out at the "town
house" about sunset, Cap. found and pointed
a small bevy of quail among the weeds
and as they rose we each got down one
but mine - a runner, got off though
I nearly caught him once. My pointer stood
well on him when he first hid. I shot a
Pooecetes gramineus in a rye field. It was in
company with several M. melodia [Melospiza melodia]. D. coronata [Dendroica coronata]
was abundant everywhere in large flocks.
Colaptes is much more abundant here than
in Mass. [Massachusetts] and associates a good deal with
S. magna [Sturnella magna] feeding with them on the
ground. Cyanura cristata is also very
abundant in the woods. Spizella mont. [Spizella monticola]
is moderately common. Parus atricap. [Parus atricapillus]
with its fidis Achates Regulus satrapa
found in large companies everywhere
among the pines. Mel. melodia [Melospiza melodia]
seems to be more numerous than in Mass. [Massachusetts]
Saw a single Buteo borealis.