Screech owls at evening from over the river

September 9. 

I start many pigeons now in a sprout-land. 

I have noticed for a week or more some swarms of light-colored and very small fuzzy gnats in the air, yet not in such concentrated swarms as I shall see by and by.

Now for hazelnuts, — where the squirrels have not got them. 

Within a week I think I have heard screech owls at evening from over the river once or twice.

September 9, 2019

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, September 9, 1859

I have noticed for a week or more some swarms of light-colored and very small fuzzy gnats in the air. See September 3, 1860 ("Though it is warm enough, I notice again the swarms of fuzzy gnats dancing in the cooler air, which also is decidedly autumnal.")

I think I have heard screech owls at evening from over the river once or twice. See  September 23, 1855 ("I hear from my chamber a screech owl about Monroe’s house this bright moonlight night, — a loud, piercing scream, much like the whinny of a colt perchance, a rapid trill, then subdued or smothered a note or two.");  June 25, 1860 ("Hear four or five screech owls on different sides of the river, uttering those peculiar low screwing or working, ventriloquial sounds.")

The color of fruits and berries

August 22.
The elder bushes are weighed down with fruit partially turned, and are still in bloom at the extremities of their twigs. I am struck by the handsome and abundant clusters of yet green shrub oak acorns. Some are whitish. How much food for some creatures! Is not the high blackberry our finest berry?  I gather very sweet ones which weigh down the vines in sprout-lands.  The arum berries are mostly devoured, apparently by birds. The two-leaved Solomon's-seal berries begin to be red. The panicled cornel berries now white.  

Perhaps fruits are colored like the trillium berry and the scarlet thorn to attract birds to them.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, August 22, 1852

Perhaps fruits are colored like the trillium berry and the scarlet thorn to attract birds to them. See June 15, 1852 ("Flowers were made to be seen, not overlooked. Their bright colors imply eyes, spectators")

Abundant clusters 

of yet green shrub oak acorns –

food for some creatures