Continuance of summer birds. Evening flight
of the blackbirds, Ectopistes migratorius
MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875.
Sept. 9 [September 9, 1875] Clear and hot; wind S.W. [Southwest]. Rose at 5.30 and
started for the swamps. Finding no large
birds on the ponds I turned my attention 
to collecting but found the woods almost
destitute of birds. Shot a single Emp.
flaviventris [Empidonax flaviventris], a very fine autumnal specimen
of T. fuscescens [Turdus fuscescens], and a Vireo noveboracensis.
Saw Hirundo horreorum et riparia [Hirundo riparia] and
Chaetura pelagica, Hydemeles Ludovic. [Hydemeles ludoviciana], S.
noveboracensis [Seiurus noveboracensis] et aurocapillus, [Seiurus aurocapillus], Dol. orizivorus [Dolichonyx oryzivorus],
etc. After breakfast drove up as far as the
willows with Stone but saw nothing worthy
of note. In P.M. with S. [William Stone] went up to
Block is. [Block Island] to await the evening flight of
blackbirds. Large numbers of Molothrus pecoris
flew first and we shot 4 or 5 in transitional 
plumage. Just at dusk all the Quis. aenius [Quiscalus quiscula aeneus]
came in one immense flock, a perfect
cloud of birds composed of thousands of
individuals; as they approaced [approached] the roosting
place the leaders swooped down nearly
to the ground, all behind imitating the movement
and producing a sound like the wind
roaring through the pines in winter. I shot
a wild pigeon that was sitting on a
dead tree in the marsh. Heard a [male] Cis. stellaris [Cistothorus stellaris]
singing. Saw two Chordeiles popetue and have seen 
others migrating at frequent intervals since
Aug. 21st [August 21, 1875]. Icterus Baltimore left about Sept. 5 [September 5, 1875]
Hel. ruficapilla [Helminthophila ruficapilla] were all gone by Sept. 1st. [September 1, 1875] and
probably a little earlier: the last specimen I saw
lingered about our linden trees till the last
days of August. S. noveboracensis [Seiurus novenoracensis] is still
very abundant and none of the Vireos are 
missing as yet. Did not recognize any Agelaius phoe. [Agelaius phoeniceus] this
evening.