Haunt of the night herons.
Mass. (Middlesex Co.) [Massachusetts, Middlesex County]
1875. June 1- 1875
June 1 [June 1, 1875] the short bills among the fine meadow grass.
The song of C. stellaris [Cistothorus stellaris] is chip, chip, tr-r-r-r-r 
the final trilled quite prettily. That of C.
palustris [Cistothorus palustris] is likewise a trill but very
guttural & almost harsh: it reminds
me exactly of the rattle of a chain pump
but is less loud. Both species have a scolding
chatter indistinguishable per se, and very
like that of T. aedon [Troglodytes aedon]. Their flight is
slightly undulating and very short and feeble.
C. palustris [Cistothorus palustris] frequently mount straight
up in the air to the height of 15 ft. [feet] or so, sings,
& then drops again into the grass. Found
a partially constructed nest of C. palustris [Cistothorus palustris].
Next struck into the maple swamp beyond
Block Is. [Block island] where the night herons haunt and
searched it through so thoroughly as to satisfy
myself that the birds do not breed there. About
25 birds were roosting in the trees over the
brook and I shot down three of them in
three shots, as they flew over my head but
two scaling off a short distance I lost, though
I distinctly heard them crash through the leaves.
The only one secured was in very worn faded
immature pl. [plumage] & showed no signs of breeding.
Afterwards I searched all the other woods on
or near the meadows & am now sure that
these birds do not breed here at all, &
are probably barren individuals. About half
were immature. On the brook saw a single
Tringa mniotilta and this evening heard
the notes of these birds as they passed over
our place, and have heard them before several
times lately. Crossing the brook & entering
the maple swamp on the further side