242
Upper Megalloway River, Maine.
1898
September 20
(No 3)
 Just after supper as we were sitting around the
fire smoking & talking we heard a Great Blue Heron
making a continued loud squawking in the distance
up river. A little later a deep, hollow groaning sound
come from the forest behind us. I do not remember
to have heard anything like it before & I cannot
imagine what animal could have produced it.
[margin]Upper Mettalluc Pond[/margin]
  Still later something flitted by just within the extreme
outer circle of light from the camp fire. It looked
like a large bird but just beyond the spot when I
had lost sight of it I came suddenly face to face
with a Saw-whet Owl. He was perched on a drooping
spray of arbor vitae scarce six feet above the ground
and within five feet of my head, balancing himself
gracefully with half-opened wings. Such a pretty, alert
little creature, as unlike as possible to the grotesque,
blinking birds we find dosing by day in our
Massachusetts woods. I wish I could have had a better
look at him but the moment after I discovered him
he took flights again and brushing close past me flitted
back towards the camp apparently alighting nearly
over it although I failed to find him again.
[margin]Saw-whet
Owl visits
our camp[/margin]
 I forgot to write that Melvin, on entering the pond, 
found three Carolina Grebes swimming together near
the Outlet. I saw one of them afterwards while
I was engaged in fishing.
[margin]Pied billed
Grebes[/margin]
 Two Partridges were heard drumming to-day
one on the river bank, the other near camp this
afternoon. Will Sargent hunted up both killing one of them.
[margin]Partridges[/margin]
 Soon after we went to bed a forceful gale of wind
swept over us threatening to blow down the tents.