1887                                                         
Sept. 15  
MAINE, (L. Umbagog)
Clear and warm; wind W. to N.W. a perfect day.
  Starting at 9 a.m. I drove through Upton to the bridge over the
Swift Cambridge. Frist tried the edges of the farm beyond
but they are not suitable grounds for Woodcock & I saw no
signs of birds there. On a knoll just beyond this bridge,
however, I found three cock and on a hillside opposite
two more, killing all five in six shots. All were among
brakes, quite outside the woods or in openings among
pasture spruces. They were fine birds in nearly full
autumnal feather and shrill "whistlers" rising strongly
and flying fast. Don made three fair points &[and] drew
on the other two birds, I saw the fifth and last bird
on the ground, lying crouched in an opening in
the brakes about ten feet ahead of the dog. I missed
the first shot on the fourth bird but killed him the 
second rise. My first three shots were hard ones, the last 
three open and easy.
[margin]Woodcock
shooting on
the road
to Andover[/margin]
  In the woods by the roadside I heard in the early
morning a Dendroica caerulescens sing as loudly and
perfectly as in spring. Later I also heard a Virio solitarius
singing steadily.
[margin]Dendroica 
caerulescens in
full song[/margin]
  In the afternoon had a long and delightful sail
in the little Rushton going up the Lake as far as the
Heyward farm, paddling through the grit behind
Great Island, and sailing all the way home. At
sunset a Barred Owl began hooting in the woods
on the west side of the Sweat Cove. I have heard
it in nearly the same place twice before. Saw two Eagles
and heard a Wood Pewee.
[margin]Sailing on
the Lake.[/margin]
[margin]Barred
Owl.[/margin]
[margin]Eagles.[/margin]
[margin]Wood Pewee[/margin]
  The foliage is turning fast now and there are
patches of gold and crimson sprinkled over the
carpet of green on the mountain sides.
[margin]Autumn
foliage[/margin]