1888
(Nov. 15)
I walked rapidly towards him but when I was still
at least 40 yds. away the flock rose again. I mistakenly
fired a snap shot at the Long spur and, although he
had gained ten or fifteen yards by his flight, killed him.
Denton shot four P. princeps and a few Snow Buntings &
Horned Larks. We saw many Snow Buntings on the beach
just above high-water mark. In all we probably
saw 300 Snow Buntings, 50 Horned Larks and about 13
Ipswich Sparrows. I shot nearly as well as during my
last trip making one double at Horned Larks, and
missing very few fair single shots.
  Crows were migrating all day in small numbers
straggling along over the marshes and sand hills. There
were fully 200 Herring Gulls in the river. At high tide 
they collected in a snowy "bed" on the marshes, at low
water they were sprinkled over the flats. On the River
Marshes just north of Oak Island we saw a solid mass
of these Gulls sitting at high tide on an elevated part
of the marsh within 100 yds. of the railroad tracks.
They covered about half an acre and presented a
beautiful appearance.
[margin]Larus argentatus[/margin]
  While we were eating lunch a Tree Sparrow sang several
times in a bushy hollow on the edge of the sand
hills. There was a flock of about a dozen of them. I
killed two of them at a shot. One was the darkest
I have ever seen.
[margin]Spiz. monticola 
singing[/margin]
  The Snow Buntings were much tamer than usual.
Several times I got within ten or fifteen yards of
the outsiders of a flock. The great flock presented a
fine appearance as they wheeled low over the green turf.
[margin]P. nivalis[/margin]
  There were many Coots in the Plum Island channel
& a pair of Sheldrake in the river.
  Found a plant of the sea rocket (Kakile americana) in flower.