rose within twenty yards but before I could get off
my gloves, cock the gun etc. were nearly out of range.
I fired one barrel only and that without success.
The birds alighted again on the marshes but rose
the moment I appeared over the ridge although they
were fully 200 yards away.
  I also fired a long and fruitless shot at a
Meadow Lark of which bird I saw at least a dozen.
Horned Larks were numerous in all the ploughed
fields but I did not shoot at them to-day.
  Reached the house at dark after a long and
very pleasant walk in the bracing wind.
  During the early part of the afternoon we drove
around the park. On the east side saw a bird
which we took to be a Podiceps holbolli sitting or
rather lying on the top of a kale-covered rock
several rods from shore. It raised its long, slender
neck and watched us shyly but did not start
although we passed within seventy yards or less.
[margin]Red-necked
Greebe lying
on top of
a rock[/margin]