Upton Maine
MAINE, (L. Umbagog. [Umbagog Lake])
Lateness of season. List of birds that are here
1876. Notes of Botaurus lentiginosus [Notes] of Sp. varius [Sphyrapicus varius]
(May 26 [May 26, 1876]) The winter wrens were singing everywhere
through the woods and much more constantly
and energetically than I ever heard
them before. They act as if they were
breeding. Most of the warblers were
silent nothing but D. caerulescens [Dendroica caerulescens] et
coronata [Dendroica coronata] being heard. Nearly all were
in little companies and kept low
down among the bushes. Indeed I
saw several D. Blackburniae [Dendroica blackburniae] this
morning hopping around on the
ground in the sheep pasture behind
the house. There is still a good 
deal of snow in the woods in
the hollows & cedar swamps and on
the hill is a drift six feet deep in
an open field. After supper paddled
out on the lake and enjoyed a 
fine sunset. A bittern was uttering
its uncouth notes on the floating is. [island]
near the house and another answered him
from Stones landing. We paddled up very
near the first though we could not see
him. He regularly began with er-lump
then poomp, er-loomb five times in succession
making six utterances in all. Occasionally
a seventh was added as if he were not altogether
satisfied with what he had accomplished. The first
syllable has a watery, swallowing sound, the
second is exactly like a distan [distant] axe stroke
on resonant wood while the last sounds like
the echo of the stroke. The notes of S. varius [Sphyrapicus varius] 
are cleur cleur cleur & a snarling cry
somewhat like the mew of Mimus Carolinensis.
Turdus Swain. [Turdus swainsoni] and Junco albicollis singing
this evening. The lake is higher than it was 
[margin]ever known to be before. Saw several Chry. pinus [Chrysomitris pinus] et tristis [Chrysomitris tristis] and Scol. ferrugineus [Scolocophagus ferrugineus]
in pairs. [delete]Not[/delete] The [female] Picoides showed no evidence of breeding under ten days or two weeks the largest ovaries being not larger than No. 1 shot[/margin]