1891 
December 18 
I went to Ball's Hill as usual, driving down and 
us 
Bafts Hill 
walking back at sunset. On the way down saw a very large 
and very brown Shrike in a pasture, flying from tree to tree 
Shrike 
and down to the ground. 
While at Ball's Hill one of my men (Bensen) called 
to me that he had found "a fine bird which you can take in 
A 
your hand, sir". I rushed up to the top of the hill, expecting 
singularly 
to see something novel when I was shown a beautiful red Screech 
tame 
Owl which was sitting erect, plumage drawn in, "ears" raised, 
Screech Chari 
• 
eyes reduced to narrow slits, in the middle of a clump of 
oak sprouts to which most of the leaves still clung. These 
matched the bird's coloring so closely that I marvel how the 
man happened to see him. After looking at him a moment I 
advanced my hand slowly and actually first stroked his 
furred feet, then released one of his claws from the twig 
(using some force) and finally drew my hand gently down over 
his back. Bensen tried the last experiment but so roughly 
that the bird flew. It dipped down over the brow of the 
hill and we lost sight of it. On the evening of the 13th, I 
heard the Owl in the pines near North bridge, wailing at 
4.45 P. M. 
^^I^see Tree Sparrows, Grows, Jays and Chickadees 
daily, Goldfinches and Kinglets frequently, a Downy Woodpecker 
occasionally. On the 10th saw two Brown Creepers which I was 
Quiscalus 
aeneus 
taking a tramp with Faxon. A Bronged Grackle awoke me on the 
morning of the 14th by its creaking notes as it sat in the top 
of the Buttricks' elm. 
4 ? 
