1889
Oct. 3
Lake Umbagog, Maine.
Early morning clear, remainder of day cloudy with occasional
light rain. Wind bearing all around the compass, light
most of the day.
  Jim discovered a large flock of Scoters in the lake this 
morning and immediately after breakfast we started
after them taking both guns and bushing the boat with
grass. The first time we neared the flock they spread out
so that the outside birds could see the paddler. They
rose at about 60 y[ar]ds & I fired both barrels in vain.
The next time I got two. Then the big flock split up
into three or four smaller bunches which we pursued
all day. We also struck a small flock (about a dozen)
Surf Scoters (all gray birds) with which was a high
fine Velvet Scoter, an adult Male. I shot five of them
"Gray Coots" and six "Butter Bills", five of the latter
old males. I used both guns but had the best
success with the 20 g[auge] knocking down five Surf Scoters
at one discharge of the two barrels. One escaped by
diving and we lost two "Butter Bills" in the same
way.
[margin]Coot Shooting 
in the Lake[/margin]
  The big flock was composed almost entirely of adult 
male American Scoters with a few females and one
or two Surf Scoters. They presented a superb appearance
on the water, a shining black mass dotted all over
with spots of gleaming gold. They were very active &
playful at times. At others they merely drifted in
a compact line looking exactly like a black log.
They rose at frequent intervals and mounting high
in air circled and wheeled for many minutes at
a time, flying miles before re-alighting, and uttering their
wild, jingling chorus of "sleigh-bell" cries. They flew in various
orders sometimes in a V, sometimes in a long line
[margin]Butter-bill 
Coots[/margin]