1893
June 21
(No 2)
Vernon, Connecticut

  The country about Vernon is similar in many ways to
Worcester Co. Mass. and about equally broken & hilly. Many
of the hills and ridges are in pastures, others covered with
woods. Chestnuts appear to be the prevailing trees in these
woods but oaks are common also. The bear oak which we
did not see at Saybrook grew here plentifully. The black
& yellow birches were common and generally distributed and
we saw a few firm young paper birches. The common
hornbeam was also noticed in many places but it was less
numerous than in southern Connecticut. The hemlock was
common and appears to flourish here and there were
several groves of pitch pines but we saw no white pines
except a few growing near houses & evidently planted trees.
[margin]Character
of the
country[/margin]

  The birds were such as would be likely to be met with
in a similar walk in E. Mass. [?] Wood Thrushes, Oven Birds,
Chestnut-side Warblers, Blue Jays, Red-eyed Vireos, Tanagers,
Cat Birds, Brown Thrashers, Field Sparrows, Indigo Birds, Blackbirds,
etc. There were two Warbling Vireos, a Grosbeak & many
Baltimore Orioles & Robins besides Chippins & Purple Finches
in the trees that shaded the streets of the quiet little
village and in the fields outside we heard a
Meadow Lark.
[margin]Birds[/margin]

  We saw a male Marsh Hawk cross a bushy swamp &
then, flying only a yard or two above the ground, plunge
into a dense woods of oaks & chestnuts, a most unusual
thing for this species to do.
[margin]Marsh Hawks[/margin]

  As we were sitting on the ground in young oak woods an
immature Buteo latissimus alighted directly over our heads not
twenty feet above us. After looking down at us curiously for a moment he
flew off [?] by[?] Red [?] & Corn Birds.
{margin]Broad-wing
Hawk[/margin]