E. Traillii [Empidonax traillii]. Breeding habits of Mel. palustris [Melospiza palustris]
1875. Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
June 1 [June 1, 1987] Clear but very cool with E. [east] wind. Started for
the swamps at 8 taking lunch with me
and with other preparations for spending
the whole day. As I entered the brickyard
swamp almost the first bird I heard was
E. Traillii [Empidonax traillii]. His harsh que wishy varied to
que queah or the single note pip came
up from the water willow thicket almost incessantly
and if good spirits could be taken as an
indication, he certainly seemed as much
at home there as among the thickets of
Bear river at Newry Me. [Newry, Maine] Going in pursuit
I shot him easily enough and had scarcely
got him done up in his paper cone when
I heard another: this one proved very shy
and I chased him a full half hour
before getting a shot. In the afternoon I
heard a third in the Pine swamp but failed
to secure or even get a sight at him. 
Crossing the Wat. br. R.R. [Watertown bridge Railroad] track I struck into
the swamp again and found a nest of Mel.
palustris [Melospiza palustris] with 5 eggs. It was built in the
usual way in a cavity - so to speak - hollowed
out in a bunch of old dry grass which
canopied, sorrounded [surrounded] it on every side.
The swamp sparrow creeps quietly out when
you get within a few yards of her a
slight rustling betraying her movements
then as she gets a few yards away she
gives a chirp of unconcern and goes to
washing herself, drinking, or even feeding
busily, keeping however a sharp eye on
the intruder. The first time i saw this
done I thought these actions real and
simply the result of the birds indifference