1890
June 29
Martha's Vineyard, Mass.
Clear and warm. Wind light from N.E. to E. in morning, fresh
from S. to S.W. in afternoon.
  Started down the Bay in a cat boat with Capt. Pease at
9a.m. Opposite the wharves a [male] Sheldrake (serrator) lay on
the shore sunning itself. It afterwards took to the water
& was [?] run down by a sail boat as it paddled about
just off a dock. It seemed to be wounded & feeble.
  Beat down about 2 miles against a light head wind
& landed at a sand spit (covered in places with beach grass
& [?]) which separates Cape Pogue Pond from the bay.
About 100 (50 pairs) of Wilson's Terns [?] here. Found
twelve nests with eggs but took only one set. I think
there were a few Arctic Terns among the others but certainly
not more than 2 or 3 pairs. Saw only our Roseate & that
evidently a passing bird [?].
There were two pairs of Least Terns on a gravelly point
where we landed but I searched in vain for their
eggs. After we had pushed off & hoisted the sail, however,
one of them alighted, walked a few steps, and settled
down evidently on the nest. I marked the spot to a
yard, returned and went to it but had to look fully
two minutes before I could make out the two eggs
so closely did their color match that of the pebbles
among which they lay. I took them but later in the
day discovered that they were [?] hatching, one being
actually chipped with the chick peeping.
  Found several [?] Terns nests by lying down in
the grass & watching the birds. They would begin to
drop on the nests, often within gunshot, in the [?]
of a few minutes. There were a few Piping Plover &
Spotted Sandpipers also breeding here. I found a