1878 Mt. Carmel, Illinois
Afternoon on Potoka Creek
May 2 (Thursday) Spent the forenoon
in the house skinning the birds shot
yesterday. Late in the P.M. drove down to
the river and took a paddle up Potoka 
for a few miles. It was cloudy and
dark so I saw few birds.
  Took. Op [Oporornis] formosus one; Cy. cyanea one;
Mniotilta varia one [male]; Scops asio one ([male] red)
Nests. Sialia sialis nest 5 eggs (fresh).
The owl came out of an hollow stub as
I paddled by; in less than a minute
dozens of birds collected about him making
a great outcry. The Bluebirds ['] nest was
a second laying: I found the first one with
young (on April 19) about 100 yds [yards] off to-day
the male was feeding them within twenty
feet of the new nest. Sialia is here as
much a bird of the dense forest as of the
open country. We have found several nests in
the heart of the woods. As I waited for the
wagon at the ferry at sunset, an immense
flock of Chimney Swifts collected over a tall
mill chimney & poured down into it for the
night.
  1878 Mt. Carmel Illinois
Fourth day on Potoka Creek
May 3 (Friday) Cloudy with frequent
heavy showers, clearing late in the afternoon.
Started early taking the skiff from the
ferry & spending the day alone on Potoka
creek. Paddled up some six miles getting 
home by dark.
Took Hel. [Helminthophila] perigrina four; P. [Protonotaria] citrea, nine,
Py. [Pyranga] rubra three; Cy.cyanea one; Cen. [Centurus] 
carolinus one.
Nests. Cardinalis vir. [virgianus] 3 nests 4, 4, & 2 eggs
" [Nests] Turdus mustelinus one 4 eggs.
Saw a great many broods of young
ducks all Aix Sposnsa [sic] [sponsa]: in one
little cove were three large broods with
their mothers. Saw a [male] D. [Dendroica] tigrina
Hel. [Helminthophila] perigrina were more abundant
than I have ever seen them before even in 
Me. [Maine]. They frequented the ash swamps &
the males sang freely. Found a nest
of Spiz. [Spizella] socialis placed in the
loop of a hanging piece of rope in
an old mill. Hel. [Helminthophila] ruficapilla
and My. [Myiodioctes] canadensis seen every day but not
common.

