1888
May 29
Oden, Michigan
Clear and cool with strong W. wind.
  After breakfast I took a short walk with my
gun and shot three small birds a My. canadensis
& D. coronata by the bath house and a [male] G. philadel.
in the upland clearing opposite the station.
  Shortly after I had returned Dwight came rushing
in after his gun he having seen a pair of Pigeons
in the swamp near the bath house. We started
after them at once and found them just where
he had left them (although a train had passed
within 50 yds. of them in the interim) sitting in
the topmost branches of a tall maple. Each
selecting a bird we fired together. Both Pigeons
went off in different directions, each severely wounded,
Dwight's bird crossed the railroad & was lost to
sight in the swamp beyond but following its course
we quickly found it, a beautiful [female] stone dead
and without a blood spot or missing feather.
My pigeon went only about 100 yards and then
fell apparently also dead on the edge of the wind
fall but although we spent the entire forenoon
searching the ground inch by inch we failed
to find it. While thus engaged we saw a
pair of Brown Thrashers the first observed here.
Later in the day the [male] was in full song in
the thickets opposite the station.
  At sunset Night-hawks came about the
house sweeping through the doorgard close
to the ground just as they do in Maine.