at a Grackle was immediately followed by an outcry
from several Carolina Rails scattered about on the
different islands. I landed and tried to find
them but in vain.
  We spent most of the forenoon shooting Blackbirds
and Swallows & during this time made two interesting
observations. The first was the identification of a strange
cry which we heard at frequent intervals in several
directions. It was very like a Yellow-billed Cuckoo's but
hoarser a loud coo - coo - coo - coo, cooa, cooa, coo-a. the
final syllables guttural & long drawn. This cry we soon
traced to be a pair of Thick-billed Grebes which were
doubtless preparing to breed in the floating beds of dead
cat tails. The other observation was as follows: we saw
a [male] Quiscalus aeneus fly to its nest in a small larch
& spreading its wings strike downward with its bill. To
the west we could see another bird which we took to
be the [female] Grackle. On approaching nearer however, we
started it out when we saw that it was a Crow,
D. climbed to the nest & found in it a single
Grackle's egg broken in two with most of its contents
gone. We also saw here here an Eagle & an Osprey.
The nest of either one or the other occupied the top
of a dead tree near the shore.
  After lunch landed on the high shore & took
a long tramp through the woods. Many small
birds singing nearly the same kinds as on the 26th.
Wood Thrushes very numerous. One which I wing tipped
was pursued & caught by a Chipmunk bit a 
large hole in the back of its neck & practically killed
it. I had to throw a stick at him to make him let it go.
On the way out of the cove at sunset I shot 4 E. Traillii
in alders over the water.