1891 
May S4 
Birds at 
St for 
Concord 
When I awoke at daybreak a Tanager and many Black-poll 
Warblers were singing in the tree-tops over the canoe. Spelman 
heard at about this hour a. Bittern pumping and a Partridge 
drumming. There were many common birds, also, of which neither 
of us took special note. The Black-polls made the deepest 
impression. There were so many of them that tne song of one 
was merged with that of another, the sound being literally 
continuous, like the chirping of crickets. Wilson’s Thrushes 
were calling all about us but I heard none singing. 
It was seven o'clock when we arose for we both 
slept very soundly after the long day yesterday in the canoes. 
The singing of Black-polls had now nearly ceased and the 
Tanager was gone or silent but Oven-birds, Red-starts, Yellow 
Warblers, Orioles, Grosbeaks, Cat-birds, Red-wings, and other 
common species were filling the woods with their music and from 
the open fields beyond came the tinkling melody of Bobolinks. 
A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks rose from the trees on the 
opposite side of the pond and mounted high into the sky, 
screaming. The sun streamed down through the as yet thin 
foliage and the rising South wind ruffled the water. We could 
hear church bells softened by distance in the direction of 
Saxonville. 
At 9 A. M. we started, paddling across the pond 
and down the small brook which forms its outlet and winds 
through a broad marsh into the river, on reaching which we 
spread our sails to the breeze and began rushing through the 
