Lake Umbagog.
Lakeside.
1896 
Aug.14 
(No 2)
annoying it a good deal for it dipped or dodged repeatedly. 
On reaching the road nearly in front of the hotel it turned sharply 
to our side and plunged headlong into the top of an apple tree 
driving out a large Sparrow (probably M. fasciata) which at first 
flew upward & out on the field escaping the talons of the Hawk 
half-a-dozen times by doubling at the last moment but which 
finally sought refuge in a dense growth of golden rod & Eupatorium 
by the roadside. The Hawk alighted on a tower wall within
a yard of the spot where the sparrow had disappeared and sat 
there motionless in a crouching position watching, its plumage
ruffled, its small head bent downward. The Sparrow wisely 
kept close hid and after about ten minutes the Hawk 
lost patience and flew down the road to a fence post
where it perched in an absolutely erect position its feathers drawn 
in so tightly that it looked like a continuation of the post. 
Soon after this it plunged into another apple tree without 
moving anything & then made for the woods. All the while 
several Barn Swallows & a pair of King Birds were hovering
over and darting down at it uttering their shrill alarm 
cries incessantly. I could not understand why it did
not try to catch own of the slow - morning clumsy King Birds
which, surely, would have proved an easy prey.
[margin]Cooper's Hawk
chases a
Song Sparrow.[/margin]
The only birds singing to-day were Red-eyed virios 
and a Grass Finch which gave its song once in full 
loud tones near the house early in the forenoon. 
The Song Sparrows were silent for the first time. 
They are very numerous in the roadside thickets.
The Savanna Sparrows still haunt our meadow in 
swarms & there are hordes of young Chipping Sparrows 
in the orchard.