1887                                            
Sept. 26
MAINE, (L. Umbagog.)
Cloudy and cold with high N.W. wind.
  Rose at day break and breakfasted about sunrise. While
guides were breaking camp I went in search of the Woodcock
that has whistled past our camp these two nights past. He
came from a ridge to the north and I found his signs there
among some brakes but failed to flush him. On the knoll
just south of the dam, however, "Don" pointed two birds - in
the open just outside a thicket of alders I missed a perfectly
fair shot at the first but afterwards killed him by a snap
shot in the alders. The other I killed at the first rise. There
was not the smallest bush within thirty yards of where their birds
lay.
[margin]Return from
camping on
Cambridge River[/margin]
[margin]Woodcock
at Sluice[/margin]
Red Crossbills & Pine Linnets about camp at sunrise. Saw two
White-winged Crossbills yesterday, one of the alighting on a lump
of mud in the middle of the river.
[margin]Loxia 
leucoptera[/margin]
  We started down stream at about 9 a.m. I cutting off
the first mile by walking about half that distance across the
meadows. On the way down to the head of the B. meadows
we saw only one Duck an A.obscura which swam around a
bend ahead of us and was not to be found when we reached
& passed the spot. At this place Duncan pointed out a crossing
place which had been evidently much used by bears this
season, a log fallen across the stream. They alway step in
the same spots & these had worn deep depressions in the bank
when they climbed it after leaving the log. We also saw
here a pair of Canada Jays, the only ones observed this
season
[margin]Bear signs[/margin]
  Through the entire length of B. meadows we paddled
stealthily, expecting to come on Ducks at every turn but seeing
nothing but a Marsh Hawk & a Wilson's Snipe. The first I
spared although I could have shot his easily enough
as he skimmed past close on the grass. Duncan's keen
[margin]Marsh Hawk[/margin]