Lake Umbagog.
1896
June 5
(no 3)
  Returning to Sweat's Meadow, pursued all the way by a great
cloud of the most ravenous mosquitoes, we rowed out to some
floating islands on two of which we landed and made a careful
search for nests. Each island was acre or more in extent with
patches of short but dense wild grasses alternating with thickets
of Sweet Gale, Cassandra, Andromeda polyfolia, and Kalmia glauca
the last in full bloom, the Andromeda also in flower but with
its pretty little bells faded and dropping at the touch. Among
these shrubs on one of the islands were quantities of Caltha palustris
which I have never before seen in bloom.
[margin]Sweat's Meadow[/margin]
[margin]Floating islands[/margin]
  A better place for Rails, Blackbirds, Bitterns & Black Ducks to
nest than these floating islands could scarcely be found but
we could start nothing but one female Red-wing and a few
Swamp Sparrows. A nest with 4 fresh eggs of the latter species
was found by Watrons & taken.
[margin]Red-wing B
Swamp Sp.[/margin]
  While we were searching the islands a [female] Golden-eye came flying
about over the meadow uttering her Krur, Krur, ca-ca-ca
ca-ca-ca incessntly. Half an hour later we found her
nest in a tall larch stub 40 ft. above the water. There was a
good deal of down adhering to the entrance hole (which was
nearly round and scarce larger than a Flicker's) as well
as to the upper branches of the tree so our expectations were
raised higher but when Watrons cut into the trunk he
found only one addled egg and a number of egg shells from
which the young had evidently only recently escaped. No doubt
the brood were swimming or hiding somewhere near but we
saw nothing of them
[margin]Nest of
Whistler[/margin]
  Two Hooded Mergansers came into the meadow and alighted in
the open water & a Herring Gull flew high over it. Red-wings,
Grackles, Tree Swallows & Kingbirds numerous among the stubs.
A Winter Wren singing at the mouth of the brook.
[margin]Hooded Mer
Herring Gull
Red-wings
King Birds
Tree Swallows[/margin]