Lake Umbagog, Maine.
Pine Point
1894.
Sept. 23
  Sunday. Clear with a violent S.E. wind, the Lake very rough
in the afternoon.
  As I was bathing at the float this morning I heard a
Kingfisher rattling almost continuously and looking out over
the Lake saw the bird about 200 yards from shore flying
at a height of fifteen or twenty feet above the water making
towards our cove. About thirty yards behind the Kingfisher
was a Duck Hawk coming very swiftly with rapidly vibrating
wings. He overtook the Kingfisher without the least apparent
effort but when he was within a yard of it, it plunged
down into the water making a great splash but not
going beneath the surface and almost immediately rising &
flying towards the shore again. The Falcon meanwhile had
been carried by his great velocity twenty yards or more
beyond the spot but he turned quickly and again overtook
the Kingfisher with the greatest apparent ease. Instead of
killing it, however, as now expected him to do he rose slightly
above it and shooting past close over its back turned to
meet it. The Kingfisher doubled, or course, but being now well
within the cove was still able to direct its course towards
the woods. The Falcon pursued a little further, then gave
up the chase and came directly over me giving me
a fine view. I saw distinctly that he was a young male.
Bill Sargent also saw this chase. He is inclined to
believe with me that the Falcon could have caught
the Kingfisher had he really tried but that he pursued
it more in sport than earnest. This confirms the
impression which I found on Indian River in 1890
when I saw a Duck Hawk chase a Blue-bill & after
overtaking & passing it turn back without molesting it.
[margin]Duck Hawk
& Kingfisher[/margin]