1901.
Oct. 4
(No 3)
apparently was uttering its creaking notes. There
was such an uproar that I felt at one time as
if I must stop my ears. But before darkness
fell the Grackles as well as the Rusty Blackbirds
& Cow-birds had become wholly silent.
  Just as the sun was setting a Great Horned
Owl began hooting near at hand apparently
in the woods on Holden's Hill. A Bittern
passed high overhead and then descended
on a long incline to the middle of the
Great Meadow. A perfect swarm of Titlarks
(fully 75) circled about looking for a place
to alight. As Twilight gathered Carolina Rails
began calling & flashing among the reeds all
around the lagoon. I heard at least 5
different birds & probably twice that number.
They made all sorts of interesting sounds, the
commonest a cup or kep, very variable in tone,
at times exceedingly frog-like in quality, yet not
really like the note of our N.E. frogs.
They also gave the whinny frequently and occasionally
the er-e but the latter note lacked the
sweet, plaintive quality it has in spring & was,
indeed, rather harsh and displeasing.
  Raymond Emerson tells me that about two days
ago he saw two flocks of Black Ducks and
a flock of fully 50 very small Ducks which
he took to be Teal & which were flying high
over Flint's Bridge.
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