261
Lake Umbagog.
Curtis Meadow.
1897
Sept. 21
(No 2)
  Entering the creek we pushed out three boats as far up
into the grass as we could and spent two hours or
more there first eating lunch and afterwards basking
in the sun, smoking & talking.
  A Pileated Woodpecker that we had heard off in the
cedar (arbor vitae) swamp finally flew nearly over us and
alighted against the trunk of a tall, naked stub that stood
in the marsh about 40 yards away. Here it remained for
at least five minutes. It first moved slowly up the trunk
by a succession of short & rather labored leaps or hops. On
reaching a point near the top it stopped and clinging
to the trunk looked alternately down at us and off
over the forest. Its fine crest was erected most of the time;
the sunlight shining through it from beyond made it fairly
flame. Every now and then the bird would cackle without
moving anything but its bill uttering a long succession of
slowly given cucks. Finally it gave the short, tremulous
call (quite distinct from the cucks although not dissimilar
in tone) three or four times looking all the while towards
the west as if it expected an answer & finally flying
off in that direction. I have often been much nearer
to a Pileated Woodpecker than we were to this bird
but never before have I seen one to equally good
advantage or where I have received so distinct and
lasting an impression. What a superb creation it
is with its flaming crest and proud bearing! On this
occasion - as on many previous ones - it reminded me
of - or rather suggested - an Indian. I believe it the
wildest bird that inhabits New England - not the
shyest but the greatest lover of the primitive forest.
[margin]A fine view
of a
Pileated
Woodpecker[/margin]