Lake Umbagog.
Outlet Marshes.
1896.
September 5
(No 2)
and eight Semipalmated Sandpipers. The Baird's Sandpiper
eluded me but I shot three of the Solitaries and getting
the Ereunetes well "bunched" killed all but one by a
single discharge from the 20 gauge. I committed this
act of slaughter chiefly in the hope that I might
find one or more E. occidentalis among the slain but
all proved to be typical E. pusillus. It is curious
that I have never been able to add occidentalis to
the Umbagog list for surely it must occur here.
[margin]Bairds' S.
Solitary "[/margin]
[margin]Ereunetes/[/margin]
  Keeping on down river I found on the flats opposite
Leonard's Pond two more Ring-necks feeding with three
Ereunetes and not far off a flock composed wholly of
the latter species & containing fully twenty-five birds.
Again visions of possible Western Sandpipers entered my
mind but I had no heart to destroy more of the pretty
little creatures on the chances even although those that
I might kill could be used on our camp table.
  I had just passed them when I heard one peeping
shrilly and turning saw a single bird coming directly
towards me with a Pigeon Hawk in close pursuit.
The Sandpiper was evidently doing his best but the Hawk
overtook him with the utmost ease just as the two
were within about 50 yds. of me. The Sandpiper doubled
sharply, however, at the last moment & the Hawk
overshooting his mark by some ten yards [delete]but[/delete] turned and
quickly closed again. Again the quarry doubled & this
time the hawk abandoned the chase in evident
disgust & flew straight away over Leonard's Pond
while the Sandpiper alighted with his companions
who had not risen at all during the episode.
[margin]Pigeon Hawk
chases a
Sandpiper[/margin]