Lake Umbagog
1900.
Sept. 14
(No 2)
  Continuing on down the river we landed once to take some
photographs and then entered Sweat Meadow. The water was very low
but we found two Black Ducks and five Hooded Mergansers near
the head of the creek that wound through the bare mud flats.
One of the Mergansers returned later & flew part us several times.
We ate lunch here sitting on a rubber blanket spread on a
hillock in the marsh. Afterwards as we were taking some
photographs of the pond a Kingfisher hovered near us and
plunging into the water struck a fish so large that after a
brief struggle he was obliged to let it go being quite unable
apparently to raise it above the surface. I cannot recall ever seeing
this happen before.
Kingfisher
strikes a
fish too
large to
capture
  In the afternoon we went to Curtis Meadow. The water
was so very low here that we could not force the canoes
beyond the wooded point near the lower floating island but the
place was alive with large birds. There were three Black Ducks,
four Wood Ducks and two Hooded Mergansers swimming near the
point just mentioned, a Great Blue Heron standing on the shore,
and an immense brown Eagle & a brown Marsh Hawk flying
over the marsh. The Eagle came within shot before he saw us.
As we were taking some photographs two Great Horned Owls began
hooting in the woods to the westward keeping it up for fifteen or
twenty minutes although it was early in the afternoon (about 3.30)
and the sun shining bright & hot at the time. One bird's
hoot was regularly the typical hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo, hoo;
the other with equal regularity the typical hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo,
hoo. The hooting of the second form regularly followed that of
the first in quick succession; then there was a pause of several
seconds before the first bird hooted again. I do not
recall ever hearing these Owls hoot in broad daylight in the
north before but it has happened at least once in my experience
in the South - at Charleston years ago.
87