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Rusty Blackbird

Nelson Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Wilson Snipe

Blue-winged Teal

518. Melanerpes carolinus

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Rusty Blackbirds were common. They spent a good deal of time sitting around in the bare tops of the elms. I shot two but could only find one of them.

In the grass I saw two or three Nelson Sparrows. One sat on a wire fence and watched me go by. It was perfectly quiet and harmonized well with a background of dead grass.

Swamp Sparrows were spread all through the grass that stood in the water. They flew up farther ahead than the Nelsons but usually dropped back into the grass or flew into the willows and began to scold me. Their flight was like that of a Song Sparrow but more exagerrated.

From some weeds I scared up five Wilson Snipe and secured one of them. The others went quite a distance before alighting. Rob Dickie said they were common if one knew where to find them.

By the Slough I saw those Teal feeding next the bank. They tipped up after stuff on the bottom. They all kept close together. There were seven of them. I walked straight by and as they were quite a ways down they did not fly. I came up behind the bank and got four of them before the rest went clear away. One was only winged and crawled up and hid in the grass but when it saw me coming went back into the water and dove when it came up I shot it again for fear it would stay down. I nearly got mired while picking them up. The rest cleared out entirely.

October 2, Sunday.

518. Melanerpes carolinus. A. Wetmore. Slentz Creek, North Freedom