Oporornis agilis. Dol. orizivorus [Dolichonyx oryzivorus].
MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875.
Sept. 13 [September 13, 1875] Cloudy and rained most of the A.M. Cleared
up at sunset. Started off with Stone [William Stone] after
dinner and went up to the swamp. At the
foot of the lane found the same identical
pair of Op. agilis [Oporornis agilis] seen on the 11th [September 11, 1875]. Both
times the birds acted very peculiarly.
As I entered the bushes both flew up from
the ground and actually seemed almost
inclined to resent my intrusion, uttering
their peculiar note almost incessantly and
walking up the branch on which they lit &
jerking their tails up at frequent intervals
This latter habit I have never observed
before: indeed their actions were altogether
different from any that I ever noticed in
the species before. Both these birds were
very tame & I settled their identity
beyond any question by shooting both
of them. One was very fat, the other
quite lean. Saw here a Seiurus Nov. [Seiurus noveboracensis] also.
Went through to the maple swamp without
getting anything and was just crossing
the ditch on the Glacialis edge when a woodcock
rose out of the path without making a particle
of wind in his flight. I fired a hasty &
well nigh impossible shot & missed. Following
on "Shot" found and pointed him, and
as he rose Stone shot and killed him.
Striking across to the great meadows we
waited for the evening flight of blackbirds.
Stone got a shot into a flock of Molothrus
and killed 4. I shot into a large flock of
grackles at long range and got two both
young [males] changing. Am very sure that
the red wings have all left. Saw a few reed birds
and one Chordeiles popetue also 6 Hirundo bicolor