1890
April 15
Seconnett [?Sakonnet] Point, Rhode Island
  Slightly cloudy in early morning, clear the rest
of the day. [?Light] air from N.[North] for an hour after
sunrise, then N.W. to 2 P.M. changing to S.W. 
  Rose at 4 A.M. and got off at about the same
time as yesterday going to the same place but
exchanging stations I taking the outside berth. 
The sun rose just as we emerged from the [?]
looking like a huge somewhat irregular globe of
red-hot metal lying on the rim of the horizon. 
The sea was a dull lead-gray, a slight swell
running. Old Squaws and Sheldrake flying in
small numbers but all apparently "traders". A
few trading Coot, mostly Butter-bills, also passed
and at one time a few flocks, apparently flight
birds went by to the eastward. From the
first, however, it was pretty evident that we
should get no shotting and by seven o'clock
there were so few birds moving that we gave
it up and came in.
  I had only one shot, at a fine adult [male]
Surf Scoter which swung in over the [?].
I fired both barrels and he went down on a 
slant striking the water so near me that I
put in another shell and finished him
before casting off from my moorings.
  M. got two shots one at a Black Scoter
the other at a Surf Scoter. Both birds
flew several hundred yards & dropped dead. 
Both were superb specimens.
  We saw nothing interesting this morning
save some Horned Grebes in the [?]
and a Flicker which, just as were starting