1891
May 31
(No. 6)
Mass.
North Truro. - Soon after our arrival we strolled across
the fields towards the Eel Pond, which is perhaps
a quarter of a mile from the house. The fog
had become so dense that on reaching the edge
of the high, steep bank where the path descends
to the boat house we could see only a small
portion of the pond and its extension marshes.
The bank is covered with dense thickets of bayberry,
blueberry, beach plum, wild rose etc. more or less
overrun with poison ivy and a number of birds
were singing here, among them Cat-birds and
Yellow Warblers neither of which frequent the
shrubbery about the house. On the edge of the
marsh in a willow thicket we saw a Water Thrush,
two [?]-backs, and several Maryland Yellow-throats,
the last singing. A Night-hawk, the only one
seen during our stay, passed directly over us
flying in over the hills.  It had hardly disappeared
when we heard in the distance, but evidently
approaching rapidly, a loud, continuous chug-
chug-chug almost exactly like the puffing of
a steam-tug and presently a Loon came
hurtling overhead and was almost immediately
lost to sight again in the fog. The sound was
evidently made by his wings but I cannot
remember ever hearing anything like it from a
Loon or indeed from any bird before.  It seemed
to us fully as loud as the puffing of a tug a
few hundred yards off. The bird was in full
breeding plumage
  The chief interest of course centered about