1890
Oct.26
Lake Umbagog, Maine.
last night viz. four Whistlers, four Buffle heads
and four Sheldrake. Black Ducks were also
quacking near me but they soon flew and went
out over the woods.
[margin]Errol Hill Pond.
Whistlers
Buffle heads
Gooseanders
Black Ducks[/margin]
  For more than two hours I sat quietly among
the alders watching the birds just mentioned.
I hoped to get a shot at one of the Whistler
drakes but they kept out of range of the 
shore the whole time. For more than an
hour two of the Buffle heads were diving
within 40 yds. of me and once a Sheldrake
swam past within ten yards making a great 
plashing and sputtering as it forced its way 
partly under and partly above water through
a dense bed of frost blighted pickerel weed.
At length there was a whistle of wings high 
overhead at first light and [?] in the
distance, then louder and shriller, changing
finally to a rushing sound like that of a 
gale blowing through pines when a flock
of fully thirty Black Ducks came hurtling
down on set wings in a half circle striking 
the water all together with such force as to
send it high above their heads. It was a 
superb sight, the great birds rushing down
at meteoric speed, their wings held stiffly,
their necks stretched out, their feet dropped
with the webs wide spread. The noise they 
made in the perfectly still air was enough
to upset the strongest [?] for a moment.
They alighted a little to my left while six
others which followed them dropped in
[margin]Black Ducks
descend
from high
in air &
alight in
pond.[/margin]