65

65
1898
May 18
(No. 5)
Bittern was heard, while in the trees bushes
directly in front of the cabin and close to the
water’s edge the Water thrush was merrily
singing his sweet song entirely new to me.
I rose and opened the window at the foot of
my bed that I might lose nothing
though the door on to the roof was open
already. A Phoebe was singing close by the
cabin, and Red-wings were calling from the
meadows. Many other familiar birds were
making the air melodious. We went to
sleep again and were up and through
breakfast and off on a morning tramp
by 8 o’clock. We saw and heard an extra-
ordinary number of birds and species. There
had been a heavy migration, and the birds
were spending the days quietly resting & feeding
& singing ere resuming their northward
course. I cannot attempt to describe each
& every experience but I shall append a list of the
birds observed during the day.

Along the river front the Water Thrushes
were running about feeding and allowing us
to approach very near and observe them
closely. They are nervous birds, rarely still
and wagging the tail continuously up and down.