1889
Sept. 4
Cloudless and still, a heavy fog in the early morning and smoky
haze all day. Very hot through the middle of the day.
  To Upton Hill at 10 a.m. taking Don & my new 20 g. guns.
Left "old John" tied in Bragg's shed and struck down through
the spruce grove to Morse's run. There has been no shooting
there this season & I expected to find Woodcock numerous
but I beat the entire upper edge of the hillside alders
without starting a bird. Starting back on the lower edge
Don ran up a large bird which rose with a heavy flutter.
It gave me an easy shot and I killed it - the first shot
with the new gun. At the west end of the alders I started
a second bird which I riddled as it was disappearing
among the alders. Shortly afterwards two more got up & went
off unseen & unshot at both whistling loudly. Don quickly
found one & pointed at it but again I could not see it when
it rose. At the third rise I got a difficult shot and
missed. It went down into the alder run where I failed
to find it but then Don ran in on a large mouthing
bird which did not whistle and which I killed easily
enough. Returning to the alder belt we started three more
birds. I fired three times at one missing two snap shots &
finally killing it in the open. The other two birds flirted
along a few yards at a time and ran like Quail upon
alighting. I actually failed to overtake & make them fly
long enough to give me a shot. It was terribly hot
in this valley and I only hunted about two hours.
[margin]Woodcock 
shooting 
on 
Upton Hill[/margin]
  On the roadside I saw many Sparrows, chiefly Chipping
and White-throats, and a few Juncos. In the alders
two Solitary Vireos were in full song & there were a
good many Warblers in small flocks. The dog disturbed
them so that I did not get a fair sight at many
of them. Identified two D. maculosa & a Canada Warbler.