and a host of Chickadees and Red-eyes, besides
a number of Warblers that I could not identify.
Most of them birds kept so high in the trees
that I could not see them well and as we
were hanging in the meadow below I did not
like to fish often.
  Besides those small birds a noisy family
of three or four young Cooper's Hawks added interest
to the visit. They uttered a loud squeal repeated
three or four times in succession in a cracked
dry voice. They were quick of [?] and leaving
and just only enough to keep out of gun range.
Hawks are actually numerous now. I see several
daily.
[margin]Cooper's Hawks.[/margin]
  The paddle up river in the late afternoon
was very pleasant, the river perfectly, calm,
the sunset fine. A few Swallows skimming
about- not one 25 or 30 in all; Bobolinks
and Red-wings in larger flocks; a Bitten and a Green
Heron flying out the meadows; then Night Hawks
careening about out the river; several Yellow-Warbler
(pennsylvanica) singing (in air); King-birds uttering
their shrill metallic cries; and Water Thrushes
chirping sharply in the willow and corner thickets.
[margin]Birds at sunset along the river[/margin]
  Just below Ball's Hill I saw what I took
to be a half-grown musk-rat crossing the river
there about 100 yds. wide. I cut him off and 
as he passed within a yard of my boat I saw
that he was a full grown Norway rat. He dove
twice as adroitly as a musk-rat elevating the 
rump in the same way but passing less than
two yards under water each time.
[margin]Norway rat swimming and diving[/margin]