5.28.2005

Thoreau's Journal: 28-May-1854

The F. hyemalis, fox-colored sparrow, rusty grackles, tree sparrows, have all gone by; also the purple finch. The snipe has ceased to boom. I have not heard the phoebe of late, and methinks the bluebird and the robin are not heard so often (the former certainly not). Those tumultuous morning concerts of sparrows, tree and song, hyemalis, and grackles, like leaves on the trees are past, and the woodland quire will rather be diminished than increased henceforth.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

For the past week our woods here in the Keweenaw Peninsula, mixed deciduous and coniferous have been resounding with bird song. Male and female bluebirds have recently arrived and are taking up hesitant residence with the racket of our infernal lawn mower mowing the little patch of lawn around our house. The apple trees are blossoming out while Thoreau on this date in 1854 is already noting summer doldrums with the bird's "tumultous morning concerts...like leaves on the trees are past" Must be just a matter of latitude and environment by a large body of water.