1898 
October 
Immense 
flock 
of 
Bronzed 
Grackles 
ty# 
/o 
C ONCORD . 
19 Spent the forenoon superintending work on the wood 
road behind Ball's Hill. I am carrying it around the north 
end of the little meadow and it promises to be very pretty 
just there. ■ 
In the afternoon, despite the rain, I spent nearly 
two hours in the woods on the Blakeman Ridge and Holden’s Hill. 
At times the rain came down in perfect sheets and the east 
wind roared through the tree tops and lashed the branches 
about. I was curious to see what wild creatures were out in 
such a storm. 
First I met a party of three Chickadees, half 
drenched but as cheerful and busy as usual. Next I saw two 
Gray Squirrels, one of which crossed a flooded swamp by 
leaping from branch to branch among some low alders and wild 
rose-bushes. He had evidently been to Holden’s Hill in 
search of chestnuts and he also seemed cheerful enough although 
his tail and back were sadly bedraggled by the wet. 
As I was standing at the west end of Holden’s Hill 
an immense flock of Bronzed Grackles came from up river and, 
passing directly over the Rusty Blackbird roost at Baaver 
Dam Lagoon, kept on eastward. Ten minutes later I found 
them in the oale and chestnuts on the Blakeman Ridge. They 
appeared to be looking for acorns and chestnuts for they 
flew from tree to tree, clustering all over the ends of the 
upper branches. As far as I could see, they were unsuccess¬ 
ful in their search (both acorns and chestnuts are scarce 
this &utumn). Finally they all took wing at once and, 
7 
