Was awakened early this morning by thunder and some rain, — the second thunder-shower of the season, —but it proved a fair day.
At mid forenoon saw a fish hawk flying leisurely over the house northeasterly.
At mid forenoon saw a fish hawk flying leisurely over the house northeasterly.
April 29, 2026
P. M. — To Cedar Swamp.
J Monroe’s larch staminate buds have now erected and separated their anthers, and they look somewhat withered, as if they had shed a part of their pollen. If so, they began yesterday.
It was quite warm when I first came out, but about 3 P. M. I felt a fresh easterly wind, and saw quite a mist in the distance produced by it, a sea-turn. There was the same phenomenon yesterday at the same hour, and on the 24th, later in the day. Yet to-day the air was not much cooled. Your first warning of it may be the seeing a thick mist on all the hills and in the horizon. The wind is southeast.
I see great devil’s-needles whiz by, coupled.
Do not sail well till I reach Dove Rock, then glide swiftly up the stream. I move upward against the current with a moderate but fair wind, the waves somewhat larger, probably because the wind contends with the current.
The sun is in my face, and the waves look particularly lively and sparkling. I can steer and write at the same time. They gurgle under my stern, in haste to fill the hollow which I have created. The waves seem to leap and roll like porpoises, with a slight surging sound when their crests break, and I feel an agreeable sense that I am swiftly gliding over and through them, bound on my own errands, while their motion is chiefly but an undulation, and an apparent one.
It is pleasant, exhilarating, to feel the boat tossed up a little by them from time to time. Perhaps a wine-drinker would say it was like the effect of wine. It is flattering to a sense of power to make the wayward wind our horse and sit with our hand on the tiller. Sailing is much like flying, and from the birth of our race men have been charmed by it.
Near the little larch, scared a small dark-brown hawk from an apple tree, which flew off low to another apple tree beside Barrett’s Pond. Just before he flew again I saw with my glass that his tail was barred with white. Must it not be a pigeon hawk then? He looked a dark slate as he sat, with tawny-white thighs and under head, —far off. He soon started a third time, and a crow seemed to be in chase of him. I think I have not described this white—barred hawk before, but for the black-barred vide May 8, 1854, and April 16, 1855.
The white cedar now sheds pollen abundantly. Many flowers are effete, though many are not open. Probably it began as much as three days ago. I strike a twig, and its peculiar pinkish pollen fills the air.
Sat on the knoll in the swamp, now laid bare. How pretty a red maple in bloom (they are now in prime), seen in the sun against a pine wood, like these little ones in the swamp against the neighboring wood, they are so light and ethereal, not a heavy mass of color impeding the passage of the light, and they are of so cheerful and lively a color.
The pine warbler is heard very much now at mid day, when already most birds are quiet. It must be the female which has so much less yellow beneath.
Do not the toads ring most on a windy day like this? I heard but few on the still 27th.
A pigeon woodpecker alights on a dead cedar top near me. Its cackle, thus near, sounds like eh eh eh eh eh, etc., rapidly and emphatically repeated.
Some birch sprouts in the swamp are leafed as much as any shrub or tree.
April 29, 2016
Barn swallows and chimney, with white-bellied swallows, are flying together over the river. I thought before that I distinguished the twitter of the chimney swallow.
H. D. Thoreau, Journal, April 29, 1856
J. Monroe’s larch staminate buds have now erected and separated their anthers. See April 29, 1855 ("A few of the cones within reach on F. Monroe’s larches shed pollen; say, then, yesterday. The
crimson female flowers are now handsome but small.");April 23, 1855 ("The anthers of the larch are conspicuous, but I see no pollen. White cedar to-morrow.") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Larch in Spring
The white cedar now sheds pollen abundantly. Probably it began as much as three days ago. I strike a twig, and its peculiar pinkish pollen fills the air. See April 26, 1857 ("The white cedar is apparently just out.") ; April 26, 1856 ("The white cedar gathered the 23d does not shed pollen in house till to-day, and I doubt if it will in swamp before to-morrow."); April 24, 1855 ("The [pollen] of the white cedar is very different, being a faint salmon.”) See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Cedar Swamps
About 3 P. M. I felt a fresh easterly wind, and saw quite a mist in the distance produced by it, a sea-turn, See April 28, 1856 ("On our return the wind changed to easterly, and I felt the cool, fresh sea-breeze."); April 30, 1856 ("The regularity of the recurrence of this phenomenon is remarkable . . . between one and four, the wind changes . . . and a fresh cool wind from the sea produces a mist in the air.") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Sea-turn
To make the wayward wind our horse and sit with our hand on the tiller. Sailing is much like flying, and from the birth of our race men have been charmed by it. See July 29, 1851 ("The sailboat is an admirable invention, by which you compel the wind to transport you even against itself. It is easier to guide than a horse; the slightest pressure on the tiller suffices. I think the inventor must have been greatly surprised, as well as delighted, at the success of his experiment.”)
How pretty a red maple in bloom (they are now in prime), seen in the sun against a pine wood. See April 23, 1856 ("The red maple did not shed pollen on the 19th and could not on the 20th, 21st, or 22d, on account of rain; so this must be the first day, — the 23d."); April 26, 1855 ("The blossoms of the red maple (some a yellowish green) are now most generally conspicuous and handsome scarlet crescents over the swamps. "); April 26, 1860 (" Red maples are past prime. . . .They are especially handsome when seen between you and the sunlit trees. "); April 28, 1855 ("The red maples, now in bloom, are quite handsome at a distance over the flooded meadow. "); May 1, 1856 ("It is the red maple’s reign now,. . . Looking over the swamps a quarter of a mile distant, you see dimly defined crescents of bright brick red above and amid a maze of ash-colored branches. ") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Red Maple
Barn swallows and chimney, with white-bellied swallows, are flying together over the river. See April 28, 1855 ("The chimney swallow, with the white-bellied and barn swallows, over the river. "); April 28, 1858 ("The barn swallows and a martin are already skimming low over that small area of smooth water within a few feet of me, never leaving that spot,"); April 30, 1856 ("Great number of swallows — white-bellied and barn swallows and perhaps republican — flying round and round, or skimming very low over the meadow, just laid bare, only a foot above the ground . . .There were a thousand or more of swallows, and I think that they had recently arrived together on their migration."); May 11, 1856 (" There are many swallows circling low over the river behind Monroe’s, — bank swallows, barn, republican, chimney, and white-bellied. These are all circling together a foot or two over the water, passing within ten or twelve feet of me in my boat. It is remarkable how social the different species of swallow are one with another. They recognize their affinity more than usual."); May 20, 1858 (“Hundreds of swallows are now skimming close over the river. . .. There are bank, barn, cliff, and chimney swallows, all mingled together.”) See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The White-bellied Swallow
April 29. See A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, April 29
Red maple in bloom
now in prime seen in the sun
against a pine wood.
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Red maple in bloom
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau
"A book, each page written in its own season,out-of-doors, in its own locality.”~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2026
https://tinyurl.com/hdt-560429
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