A cool, white, autumnal evening.

August 28. 

Sunday. P. M. – To Cliffs.

See many sparrows in flocks with a white feather in tail! 

The smooth sumach leaves are fast reddening. 

The berries of the dwarf sumach are not a brilliant crimson, but as yet, at least, a dull sort of dusty or mealy crimson. As they are later, so their leaves are more fresh and green than those of the smooth species. 

The acorns show now on the shrub oaks. 

A cool, white, autumnal evening.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, August 28, 1853

See many sparrows in flocks with a white feather in tail! See August 19, 1852 ("The small fruits of most plants are now generally ripe or ripening, and this is coincident with the flying in flocks of such young birds now grown as feed on them."); September 3, 1857 ("A slate-colored snowbird back"); October 10, 1853 ("There are many small birds in flocks . . . and especially large flocks of small sparrows, which make a business of washing and pruning them selves in the puddles in the road, as if cleaning up after a long flight ");  October 12, 1859 ("I see scattered flocks of bay-wings amid the weeds and on the fences."); October 13, 1855 ("Larks in flocks in the meadows, showing the white in their tails as they fly, sing sweetly as in spring.")

The smooth sumach leaves are fast reddening. See August 27, 1852 ("Lower leaves of the smooth sumach are red."); August 31, 1858 ("The smooth sumach’s lower leaves are bright-scarlet on dry hills.")

The berries of the dwarf sumach are not a brilliant crimson. See August 25, 1851 ("Rhus copallina, mountain or dwarf sumach"); September 14, 1859 ("The mountain sumach . . . berries are a hoary crimson and not bright like those of the smooth."); October 2, 1856 ("The mountain sumach now a dark scarlet quite generally.")

The acorns show now on the shrub oaks. See September 13, 1859 ("I see some shrub oak acorns turned dark on the bushes and showing their meridian lines, but generally acorns of all kinds are green yet.") and note to October 21, 1859 ("A great many shrub oak acorns hold on, and are a darker brown than ever. ")

A cool, white, autumnal evening. See August 19, 1853 ("We have a cool, white, autumnal twilight, and as we pass the Hubbard Bridge, see the first stars."); September 11, 1854 ("This is a cold evening with a white twilight, and threatens frost, the first - in these respects- decidedly autumnal evening. It makes us think of wood for the winter."); September 29, 1854 ("This evening is quite cool and breezy, with a prolonged white twilight, quite Septemberish.")