66.

1916

(Bittern) somewhere near Birch Island and another at the extreme
western end of Great Meadow while a third frequented Bigelow
Brook meadow. All three of these could be heard more or less
distinctly from our farm house at evening when the air was calm.
Occasionally one or another approached it still more closely to
pump awhile in some grassy hollow in Howe's or Lawrence's fields
whence its stentorian voice came loudly to our ears, even through
closed chamber windows. Although scattered thus widely the Bitterns
seemed as numerous as usual. Whether or not they had their
customary success in rearing young I failed to ascertain.

115. Woodcock. Zephariah Prosser heard a woodcock peeping &
singing near his house in Carlisle on the evenings of April 11 [April 11, 1916],
12 [April 12, 1916], 15 [April 15, 1916] & 16 [April 16, 1916]. I noted the species at our farm only on May 9 [May 9, 1916] when
our little Irish Terrier,"Tim" flushed out a male under some scattered
pines near the south east corner of the cow pasture. That this
bird should have been found there at such a date, yet neither 
before not afterward, seems rather remarkable.

116. Wilson's Snipe. On the evening of April 16 [April 16, 1916] I heard from our 
farm door yard a Snipe drumming in the direction of Bigelow Brook
and on that of the 26th [April 26, 1916] another much nearer than the first and
seemingly over Lawrence's fields just across the road. Very many
birds were heard about the same time over a brook meadow
in Carlisle. They could not frequent any of the river meadows
this spring because of exceptionally protracted submergence there.

117. Greater Yellow Legs. The calling of one or more unseen birds,
presumably flying over flooded river meadows, was heard at
our farm house on April 24 [April 24, 1916] & at the Ritchie place on the 30th [April 30, 1916].