P. M. — Boat to Nut Meadow.
MAY 18, 2015
Large devil’s-needle.
Sassafras well open. How long? Celtis will probably shed pollen to-morrow; shoots already an inch long. Sorrel pollen.
First veery strain.
Green-briar leafed several days. Veronica serpylli folia well out (how long?) at Ash Bank Spring.
See the yellow-legs feeding on shore. Legs not bright-yellow. Goes off with the usual whistle; also utters a long monotonous call as it is standing on the shore, not so whistling. Am inclined to think it the lesser yellow-legs (though I think the only one we see). Yet its bill appears quite two inches long. Is it curved up?
Observe a blackbird’s (red-wing’s) nest finished. At Clamshell a bay-wing sparrow’s nest, four eggs (young half hatched) -- some black-spotted, others not.
These last warmer days a great many fishes dart away from close to the shore, where they seem to lie now more than ever. I see some darting about and rippling the water there with large back fins out, either pouts or suckers (not pickerel certainly). Apparently their breeding-season arrived. Is not this where the fish hawks get them?
Rhodora; probably some yesterday. Black scrub oak pollen. Fir balsam pollen; say begins to leaf at same time.
The clump of golden willows west of new stone bridge is very handsome now seen from hill, with its light-yellowish foliage, because the stems of the trees are seen through it.
H. D. Thoreau, Journal, May 18, 1855
Large devil’s-needle. See April 27, 1856 ("I see a rather large devil’s-needle coursing over the low osiers in Pinxter Swamp. Is it not early for one?"); May 23, 1856("A warm summer-like night. A bullfrog trumps once. A large devil’s—needle goes by after sundown."); May 30, 1860 ("Saw some devil’s-needles (the first) about the 25th."); June 6, 1852 ("First devil's-needles in the air, and some smaller, bright-green ones on flowers."); June 8, 1855 ("A great many devil’s-needles in woods within a day or two."); June 6, 1857 ("I see many great devil's-needles in an open wood") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Devil's-needle
First veery strain. See May 17, 1852 ("The first veery note."); May 17, 1853 ("the veery constantly now."); May 17, 1856 ("Hear the first veery note."); May 23, 1857 ("Hear the first veery strain.") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Veery
Tell tale, great yellow-legs. See May 31, 1854 ( "It acts the part of a telltale." "watchful, but not timid, ... while it stands on the lookout ... wades in the water to the middle of its yellow legs; goes off with a loud and sharp phe phe phe phe. ...")
The clump of golden willows west of new stone bridge is very handsome now seen from hill, with its light-yellowish foliage. See January 21, 1855 ("Few twigs are conspicuous at a distance like those of the golden willow. The tree is easily distinguished at a distance by its color."); May 14, 1852 ("These willows have yellow bark, bear yellow flowers and yellowish-green leaves, and are now haunted by the summer yellowbird and Maryland yellow-throat") ; May 15, 1853 ("The golden willow catkins begin to fall; their prime is past."); May 16, 1854 ("Yesterday, when the blossoms of the golden willow began to fall, the blossoms of the apple began to open."); May 19, 1853 ("The days of the golden willow are over for this season; their withered catkins strew the causeways and cover the water and also my boat, which is moored beneath them. ") See also A Book of Seasons, by Henry Thoreau. Willows on the Causeway. Compare May 18, 1853 ("A singular effect produced by a mass of ferns at a little distance, some rods square, their light yellow green tops seen above the dark masses of their fruit. ")
The clump of golden
willows west of new stone bridge
handsome seen from hill.
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The clump of golden willows west of new stone bridge
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 © 2009-2025
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