1878 Mt. Carmel Illinois.
May 4. (Saturday) Spent the
entire day in the house skinning
birds.
1878 Mt. Carmel Illinois
Visit to the Duck Hawks['] nest
May 5 (Sunday) Clear and a
beautiful day. Started shortly after
breakfast with Mr Ridgway (senior)
and John and drove down the Ill. [Illinois]
bank of the Wabash to the Duck Hawks[']
nest. I took my noisless [sic] [noiseless] pistol and
shot a few birds by the way
Took Hel. [Helminthophila] perigrina three; Oporornis
formosus, one; Euspiza am. [americanus] two;
John Ridgway made a sketch of 
the Hawk tree and I watched the
old birds for a long time. Their flight
was extremely easy & graceful. Sometimes
they poised themselves in one spot
breasting a strong breeze like a Lagopus.
The [female] was the most daring & game
within given range several times.
They uttered a harsh kau, kau, kau.
At one time the female visited & fed
the young in the nest while John R.
was sitting nearly under the tree.
Every field now swarms with the
Black throated Buntings.