1886
May 24
  Warm and still, the sky obscured by a dense 
haze through which the sun shone dimly all day.
  Starting at 10 a.m. I paddled down river to
Ball's Hill stopping only once and shooting a 
Vireo gilvus. V. flavifrous and a [female] Icterus battrimove
all in the same shot.
  The river was smooth as glass, the air perfect
by still and the songs of birds could be heard for 
unusually great distances. It was a real singing day,
too. and the birds kept it up almost without cessa-
tion from morning until night.
  Along the strip of day meadow bordering the river
Bobolinks were holding high carnival and chasing the 
females in the intervals of their songs. They were quite
as numerous as of yore and I saw not less than a 
dozen. The Red-winged Blackbirds have sobered 
wonderfully within the past week. Their mates are 
non-sitting and I startled many from their nests
in the sweet flag, or blue-joint as I paddled along.
  A new comer on the river was the Black-billed
Cuckoo, of which I heard several. The King-birds
have also increased materially since my last trip,
at least fifty being seen to-day.
  Opposite Ball's Hill, a fine drake Wood Duck rose
from the button bushes in shore and circled around
the boat just out of range; his brilliant coloring
showing plainly. He crossed the point over the woods
and disappeared down river.
  Landing at the hill I spent several hours along 
its base and sides, as well as on the top. Birds
were numerous with a fair sprinkling of migrants,
chiefly Black-polls and Water Thrushes.