1892
Oct. 4
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- the downward strokes being correspondingly
(or nearly so) pronounced. The wing beats were
curiously moth-like and also suggested the fluttering
of a Hawk caught in a trap. They did not raise
the bird perceptably but on the contrary his
course was as level and gliding as if he were
sailing on set wings. At first I suspected that he
was wounded–perhaps shot through the head and
"turning" – but a moments observation convinced
me that such was not the case. After circling
over the same spot for at least two minutes
he scaled off on a downward slant towards
the meadows. I have never seen a Marsh Hawk
behave thus before at any season. The fluttering
was practically incessant during the entire period
of circling. The circles were not regular but of
varying diameters. The bird did not rise much
if at all excepting at first when he was clearing
the tops of the trees.
  Just as we were about leaving my cabin
Pat. came running to tell me that a "duck"
had alighted in the river off my landing. It
came, he said, from down river. On looking out
through the bushes I saw that it was a Coot
(Fulica). At first it kept well out from shore &
cruised about with head & neck erect but after
a little it swam into the edge of the belt of
Pondeteria & lily pods. After we had embarked I
rowed rather noisily to within two yards of
this bird when it flew about 100 yards & realighted.
[margin]Fulica am.[/margin]