Readers of Walden will remember Thoreau’s account of chasing a loon across the surface of Walden Pond and his observation, “I rejoice that there are owls. Let them do the idiotic and maniacal hooting for men.”
Those passages grew from the close observations of birds he made in his Journal from 1837 to 1861. Thoreau once said his Journal could be called “Field Notes,” and most of it is devoted to descriptions of his daily walks in Concord, including descriptions of dozens of species of birds.
One April morning in 1872, William Brewster (1851-1919) took the train from Cambridge to Concord to go birdwatching with a friend. Making their way to a nearby farm, a local resident expressed surprise at their coming all the way from Boston to hear a Woodcock sing.
Enter the fascinating world of bird watching with the Friends of Minute Man National Park. For many bird watchers, spring migration is the most exciting time of the year. Observe birds in their colorful breeding plumage, listen to their songs, and learn which are passing through on their way north and which will stay to nest right at Minute Man National Historical Park.
