hi- 
fi 
Short-eared 
Owl 
Birds . One of the most interesting experiences of my stay 
at Concord this autumn happened October 29 with what I took 
to be a Short-eared Owl. Will Stone and I had been passing 
the day at Ball* s Hill and were on our way up river when, 
as Tire we re approaching the head of Beaver Dam Rapid, a large 
bird suddenly came out of the gloom which shrouded the 
meadows on our left (the sun had set half an hour or more 
before) and after circling over the river alighted on the 
top of a tall pole which someone had driven into the mud 
at the water's edge. He.re it sat bolt upright for a minute 
or more, bobbing its head slowly up and down by lengthening 
and shortening the neck, in the manner of most Owls. Against 
the strong afterglow in the west it stood out most dis¬ 
tinctly but ixi silhouette . showing no colors. 
Presently it took flight again and skimmed about 
over the meadows, flying very gracefully but in an erratic 
manner very like a big moth or perhaps still more like a 
Night-hawk, alternately appearing and disappearing as it 
rose against the light in the west or dipped down close to 
the surface of the ground. After a few minutes it returned 
to the stake. Its manner of alighting and taking flight 
was very abrupt and decided. It flew a second time soon 
after this and did not again return. On the evening of 
November 1st I saw what appeared to be the same bird, 
beating the meadow at the Holt very much in the manner of 
a Marsh Hawk and on the next evening an Owl of similar 
H 
