vireo (green) olivaceus (olive-colored)
Sunday, September 2, 1979 — 7:30 am
McNaughton, Wisconsin
My college roommate and I were in the yard of a house in the woods. The vireo was singing in the very top of a tall, dead white pine at the edge of the woods behind the house.
charadrius (a plover and the watery places inhabited by such birds) semipalmatus (from semi, half, and palma, hand)
Saturday, September 1, 1979 — 12:30 pm
Ottawa National Forest, Michigan — Black River Harbor
My fiancée and I were walking east along the beach by Lake Superior.
The plovers were running along the sand in front of us right at the water’s edge. When we got close, they took off out over the water. They turned and zig-zagged in unison for 50 yards or so and landed again on the beach. This was repeated several times.
larus (ravenous seabird) argentatus (silvery)
Saturday, September 1, 1979 — 11:30 am
Ottawa National Forest, Michigan — Black River Harbor
My fiancée and I walked out to the end of a rock breakwater that extended about 150 yards into Lake Superior near the mouth of the river. The breakwater was made up of large rocks with gaps between, and we had to carefully climb, jump and step from rock to rock.
The Herring Gulls were standing on the rocks at the far end. As we approached, they flew out and landed in the water about 50 yards out in the lake.
mergus (diver) merganser (from mergere, to plunge, and anser, goose)
Saturday, September 1, 1979 — 11:00 am
Ottawa National Forest, Michigan — Black River Harbor
My fiancée and I were crossing the suspension bridge across the Black River on our way to the shore of Lake Superior. A female Common Merganser was swimming with five young in the Black River, close to the bank, upstream from the bridge.
On April 6, 1980, I saw my first male in breeding plumage. A flock of both sexes flew across Baker’s Lake in Barrington, Illinois, and landed near a mixed raft of other ducks.
capella (diminutive of caper, goat, in allusion to its goat-like bleating sounds during territorial flights) gallinago (a hen)
Saturday, September 1, 1979 — 8:00 am
Manotowish Waters, Wisconsin — Powell Marsh Wildlife Area
My fiancée and I spent a weekend in Northern Wisconsin with a couple friend. One day we drove to Black River Harbor on Lake Superior. On the way up, we stopped at Powell Marsh. A Common Snipe was picking about on a small mud flat in the open part of the marsh near the parking lot.
