1896
Aug.11
(No 3)
Lake Umbagog
Cambridge River Marshes
  I passed a most uncomfortable afternoon at Upton for
when the breeze failed, as it frequently did for half-an-hour
at a time, the heat was simply suffocating. The men were
quite unable to bear it at the boat and at times they
had to withdraw to the shop & work there.
[margin]A hot afternoon[/margin]
  A Goldfinch sang for hours in wild cherry near the landing
but his was the only bird voice that broke the sultry
silence. In the thickets of raspberry bushes along the road
I found a number of Song Sparrows. Great Blue Herons were
flying to & fro between Cambridge River and the marshes
along the Lake shore. Six or eight of these big birds were
often in flight at once.
[margin[Goldfinch singing[/margin]
[margin] Great Blue Herrons[/margin]
  At sunset I started back landing at Peaslee's Cove
and taking my supper at the delicious cold spring.
All about me grew ferns, mosses & wild flowers - Tansy,
Eupotorium, Fire Weed, and Jewel Weed (Impatiens). The
air was cool and damp and only an occasional
mosquito came to mar the perfect comfort of the place
& hour. The silence of the surrounding woods and fields was
a little oppressive, however. Actually the twilight fell without
a single bird song.
[margin]Peaslee's Spring[/margin]
  As I resumed my way, however, & paddled down the 
river path-way lighted by the strong after glow in the
western sky I heard an Olive-backed Thrush calling
Ti-chur-r-r in the depths of the dark forest on my
left. Two Swamp Sparrows sang a few times, also, and Great
Blue Herons barked hoarsely they sailed past in the
gloom. Off the river's mouth I saw the wake of swimming 
Ducks & through my glass made out three Whistlers paddling
along in close company.
[margin]Swainson's Thrush[/margin]
[margin]Great Blue Heron[/margin]
[margin]Ducks[/margin]