1888
(April 5)
beginning to come in puffs from the east rustling
the oak leaves, roughing among the pines, and ruffling
the great lake to the westward. Redwings & Song Sparrows
singing their notes of which the nearest sounding subdued
& distant. No hylas or frogs as yet.
  Below the next bend we set our sail and sped on our
way before a light S. E. wind running there nearly to Carlisle
bridge seeing only one Duck in the water a fine adult [male]
Sheldrake which, at a distance, resembled a cake of floating
ice. A Norwegian whom, in company with two others, we found
lying in wait for Ducks behind a brushy island told me
that he had shot a fine large duck the evening before.
It flew nearly half a mile, then dropped dead into the water.
Approaching the spot he found a "Hen-hawk" trying to
raise and carry it off. He finally consented to sell it to
me & we rowed over to his landing to get it. It proved,
as I expected, a [male] Sheldrake, one of the finest I have
ever seen. It was shot through the left breast.
  We next landed at the field where we got the [female]
Marsh Hawk a year ago. As on that occasion there were
many birds in the weed patches and stubble, chiefly
Song Sparrows & Juncos with a few Fox Sparrows &
two Grass Finches, a pair of Bluebirds, one Phebee, and
a Robin or two. Redpolls (Aegiothus) and Goldfinches heard
& seen flying over but none alighted. Several little
bands of Swallows (Y. bicolor) - or the same band several
times - passed through the opening & Spelman shot
one of them. Under the Scops hole was a single pellet
but no Scops within.
  Returning to the river we heard the honk of a
Canada Goose and looking up saw a large flock
of these birds flying northward at a great height, in