1896
October 5
Lake Umbagog to Boston
  Cloudy but with a clear, strong light and occasional brief
intervals of sunshine.
  I left the Lake at 7.30 a.m. on Mr. Gill's stage. Mr. Mc.Glidden,
the Bethel photographer, was with us and we both took a
number of pictures along the road (most of my negatives
turning out very well when I developed them a day later).
Small birds were scarce and I saw nothing of much
interest until reaching Poplar Farm. We stopped here for
dinner and Mc Glidden and I crossed the rim to 
look at the trout pond. On our way back and just
as we were at about the middle of the suspension foot
bridge a light-coloured bird started directly beneath us and
skimming close over the water flew down stream for a few
rods uttering a sharp whit, whit, whit very like the call of a
Spotted Sandpiper anxious about its young. Almost at the first
glance I recognised this bird as a Red Phalarope which,
of course, I was greatly surprised to meet in such a place.
It alighted again in the middle of the river where it floated
lightly and steered the swift current with apparent
ease but it took advantage of the eddies as much as
possible and presently began working about the lower sides
of some large boulders where it seemed to find food in
abundance for it pecked rapidly and incessantly at their
rough surfaces wet with the lapping of the waves. It also
fed on the surface of the swirling eddies moving about very 
rapidly and in devious courses. It was very tame but
whenever I got within about 20 ft. it would rise up & fly a
few yards uttering its sharp whit. Finally I went to the 
house, got my 32 cal. collecting pistol and returning shot the bird.
It drifted down stream an eighth of a mile or more before I found a
chance to reach and draw it in with a long pole.
[margin]Red Phalarope in Bear River[/margin]
  Reached Boston at 2 p.m. and took the 3.30 p.m. train for Boston.