1894.
Sept. 9
(No 2)
Lake Umbagog, Maine.
  Late in the afternoon a flock of eight Ducks
which I took to be Scoters came flying up the Lake &
alighted about midway between Pine & Moon Points. Jim
& I started for them at once but they proved to be
Black Ducks. They alighted, again, in the river and
when we reached Richardson's Carry a very large flock
rose and after circling about dropped in the Lake
several hundred yards out. For nearly an hour they
floated & swam slowly about on the smooth water;
then they started for the shore but they did not
come near us. A single bird, however, came flying
in through the Carry and I dropped it into the
rushes where Jim quickly found it.
[margin]Black Ducks
alight in
middle of
Lake by day,
a very
rare occurrence
here.[/margin]
  For the next half hour there was scarce a minute
when one or more Black Ducks were not in sight.
Singly, in pairs, in small bunches, or in flocks of
twenty to forty they came high & low from every
direction, wheeled & circled against the bright western
sky & then alighted in the marsh. Such a quacking
& plashing as they made! The entire marsh seemed
alive with them. Yet I did not get another shot.
[margin]Evening flight
of Ducks[/margin]
  At frequent intervals we heard the squeaking cry (a
murmuring whistle it may be called) of Wood Ducks and
there were incessant calls from various waders among
which I recognized that of the Golden Plover, Grass-bird,
(T. maculata), Summer Yellow-legs, Semipalmated Sandpiper
and Solitary Sandpiper.
[margin]Golden Plover[/margin]
  We started a Bittern and saw a Marsh Hawk.
  Just before sunset the marsh sang for many minutes
with the rolling croak of Leopard Frogs (On the 7th
a Bull Frog tromped loudly once). Altogether the evening
was one of the most interesting that I have ever passed here.
[margin]Leopard
Frogs croaking
at sunset.[/margin]