A blue heron-like bird, but with fawn-colored throat and breast and red feet?

May 16.

P. M. — Up Assabet. 

Trees generally leafing. Black willow leafs. Bass leaf is an inch over; probably began about the 14th. Panicled andromeda leafed in some places, probably a day or two. Grape buds begin to open. Swamp white oak leaf, probably yesterday. Silky cornel leaf, two days or three. 

A woodcock, near river. 

A blue heron-like bird on a tree over river, but with uniformly fawn-colored throat and breast and red feet. 

We hear these last two or three warm days the loud sound of toads borne on or amid the rippling wind. 

A green bittern with its dark-green coat and crest, sitting watchful, goes off with a limping peetweet flight.






H. D. Thoreau, Journal, May 16, 1855

Trees generally leafing. See May 17, 1852 ("The woods putting forth new leaves; it is a memorable season. So hopeful! These young leaves have the beauty of flowers")

A heron with red feet ?????  See  Compton, Confusion of Species.

A green bittern with its dark-green coat and crest. . . goes off with a limping peetweet flight. See  August 31, 1858 (“At Goose Pond I scare up a small green bittern. It plods along low, a few feet over the surface, with limping flight, and alights on a slender water-killed stump, and voids its excrement just as it starts again, as if to lighten itself.”) and note to  July 30, 1856 ("A green bittern crosses in my rear with heavy flapping flight . . . looks deep slate-blue above, yellow legs, whitish streak along throat and breast. . .”);