Friday, April 18, 2014

Snipes' crazy flight

April 18.

P. M. — To stone-heaps by boat. 

Scared up snipes on the meadow's edge, which go off with their strange zigzag, crazy flight and a distressed sound, — craik craik or cr-r-ack cr-r-rack. One booms now at 3 p. m. They circle round and round, and zig zag high over the meadow, and finally alight again, descending abruptly from that height.

Was surprised to see a wagtail thrush, the golden-crowned, at the Assabet Spring, which inquisitively followed me along the shore over the snow, hopping quite near. I should say this was the golden-crowned thrush without doubt, though I saw none of the gold, if this and several more which I saw had not kept close to the water. May possibly be the aquaticus. Have a jerk of the forked tail.

Saw another warbler about the same size, in the same localities, somewhat creeper-like, very restless, more like the Tennessee warbler than any, methinks. Light-slate or bluish-slate head and shoulders, yellowish backward, all white beneath, and a distinct white spot on the wing; a harsh grating note[?]. 

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, April 18, 1854

One booms now at 3 p. m. See April 18, 1856 ("This evening I hear the snipes generally and peeping of hylas from the door. "); April 18, 1860 ("Melvin says he has heard snipe some days, but thinks them scarce."). See also A Book of Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Snipe

Was surprised to see a wagtail thrush. See April 25, 1854 ("Saw my thrush of the 18th by the pond."); April 24, 1856 ("See a brown bird flit, and behold my hermit thrush, with one companion, flitting silently through the birches. I saw the fox-color on his tail-coverts, as well as the brown streaks on the breast. Both kept up a constant jerking of the tail as they sat on their perches. ")

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