Bernicla Can [Bernicla Canadensis]
Concord river
MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875 April 8th 1875
Apr. 8 [April 8, 1875] A clear beautiful morning - cloudy by noon -
heavy storm in P.M. with rain sleet & snow.
Rose at 5.30 and with C.M. Carter took
the 6.15 train to Concord. Found Jim
at the court house and spent a few minutes
talking with him. Then proceeding to Sted.
Buttricks we got Jim's boat and started
down river. On the Great meadows saw
a few birds but did not get a shot.
Then we went ashore and brushed the
boat. Proceeding on our way we passed
Ball's hill and seeing what we took for
a whistler (B. Am. [Bucephala americana]) in the river below I
took the paddle and propelling the boat
very slowly and carefully we approached
within 30 yds when Charlie [Charles M. Carter] shot him
dead as he sat on the water. What was
our surprise upon picking him up to
find that we had killed a fine loon,
in adult plumage. He was the smallest bird
I ever saw and weighed only 6 lbs. [pounds] though
in good condition. As the boat (brushed
with pine boughs) approached he turned
and swam directly for it probably
taking it for an island. A little below
this place we found ducks very abundant.
The water was all over the meadows and
extended back into the woods and paddling
through the thickets we passed from one
little lake into another, some of them
very beautiful with their shores of thickly
growing evergreens. Got only one shot
at ducks - a long one at two duskies, which
Charlie [Charles M. Carter] fired and missed. We also fired