83
1897
May 28
Lake Umbagog.
  Early this morning we felt nearly sure that the present
protracted and most tedious storm was at an end. The wind
changed to S.W. and all around the western horizon the clouds
began breaking away showing blue sky in places. But by 10 A.M.
the[y] thickened and settled low on the mountains again and
during the remainder of the day and well into the night
shower succeeded shower in rapid succession. The wind was light
from the S.W. with several intervals of dead calm. It was
much warmer than yesterday.
[margin]The storm
continues[/margin]
  Four of us started for the Outlet at 9 A.M. Watrous &
Gilbert in the St. Lawrence skiff, Jim & I in one of the
larger boats. The Lake was almost perfectly calm and
over every acre of it, from the narrows to the Outlet,
Swallows in greater or less numbers (but as a rule
very evenly distributed) were skimming close to the
surface. The Swifts, of which we saw fully 100, were
flying much higher and usually about or over wooded
points.
[margin]Swallows &
Swifts over
the Lake[/margin]
  Four Herring Gulls were seen off Black Island, two
standing on isolated rocks, two swimming well out in 
the Lake. 
[margin]Herring
Gulls[/margin]
  Whenever we passed within ear-shot of the shores we
heard a medley of bird voices swelling up from 
the woods but I noted nothing of special interest 
among the performers. Parula, Blackburnian and
Black & Yellow Warblers seemed to be the most numerous.
Every rocky point or island had its pair or
more of Spotted Sandpipers.
[margin]Birds along
shores of
Lake.[/margin]