188
Bethel, Maine.
1898.
August 21
  A sultry day, cloudy for the most part, with frequent showers
and occasional bursts of sunshine.
  Left Boston yesterday morning at 9 A.M. and reached
Bethel at 4.30 P.M. traveling all the way by rail.
Dr. Gehring met me at the station and drove me to his 
house where I am to stay until to-morrow.
  We spent the greater part of to-day sitting on the piazza
or walking about the grounds near the house looking at
the Dortons' interesting collection of flowers. There were
a good many common birds about, Goldfinches, Chippies,
two Phoebes, Song Sparrows, several Hummingbirds etc. A
Red-eyed Vireo sang listlessly at intervals in the early
forenoon. Bobolinks were also heard clinking a dozen times
or more between 9 and 11 A.M. I think they were 
passing overhead and probably migrating. Gilbert saw five
Baltimore Orioles, two in our plum, three in another.
[margin]Small birds.[/margin] 
  Night closed in dark and showery but by half-past
eight the stars were out &, I think, remained so most of
the time until morning. As soon as it had become fairly
dark I began to hear the lisping calls of migrating
Warblers and every few minutes the flight call of a Wilson's
Thrush. This continued up to the time I went to bed (11 P.M.)
and afterwards, whenever I was awake, I heard [delete[?][/delete] both
calls through my open windows. Rarely if ever have I
known such a tremendous "rush" lasting through an entire
night. During most of the time when I was listening
the calls came at intervals of only a few seconds and 
often from three or four points at once.
[margin]Heavy
nocturnal 
migration[/margin]