1890
Oct.26
Lake Umbagog, Maine.
  Dead calm all day the sun shining feebly through
thin clouds or [?]. Cold last night, [?], falling 
to 28 [degrees].
Left camp at 8 a.m. and rowed directly to Sweat 
Meadow. On the way did not see or hear a bird
of any kind, not even a Chickadee. Entering the
meadow we found the water frozen everywhere
among the grass. Eleven Black Ducks alighted
in the usual place but they soon saw us and
went out most of them going over the birch ridge
to Errol Hill pond. Some Tree Sparrows were twittering
in the meadow and I heard Snow buntings in
the air. A Shrike making its peculiar harsh
jarring cry among the stubs. A Blue Jay screaming
in the woods. Just as we landed the Shrike
flew across the meadow and perching on the top 
of a tall stub began singing sweetly and continuously.
Its song was very like that of a Brown [Thrasher?]
but a little lower and more broken. I have rarely
heard one to such advantage before. I finally
shot the bird with much reluctance.
[margin]Sweat Meadow
Black Ducks
Tree Sparrows
Snow Buntings
N. Shrike[/margin]
  Next crossed the ridge to Errol Hill pond. [?]
Jim in a hollow with "Don" I picked my
way slowly and carefully through the swamp to
the west end of the pond. As I was on my
way in I heard & saw two small flocks of 
Black Ducks rise and go out, apparently of
their own accord for there was nothing to alarm
them. On reaching my objection point I peeped
over through the alders and found precisely
the same birds that I left in the pond
[margin]Errol Hill Pond
Black Ducks[/margin]