Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, July 18, 1914

The fishing-trip.
A fine, windy day. The walk out an enjoyable one. The air is warm but fresh and the breeze is cool.
Wheat in shock-yellow fields.
All things have an air of compactness. The clouds seems solid. The ground is hard by the alternating process of dashing rain and hot sun. The trees, tho windblown, seem a solid mass.
Songsparrows the only song.
Rolly chipper of goldfinches a new note—roadside birds.
Come to bridge. Jim sets turtle lines and fishes a while.
Proceed north along creek. Clumps of beautiful butterfly weed along the stream. Watch visitors and one clump. Monarch butterfly—looked as tho freshly out—first I have seen. Skipper, bumble bees, one or two milkweed longhorn. They are more plentiful on common milkweed species.
The late summer & fall season of wildflowers has commenced. Blue Vervain is in full bloom. Ground cherries and horse nettle are blooming. Also swamp loosestrife. Foam-flowers abound in Mosquito Grove. Arrive at camp. Soon at fishing, I go north. See heron.
Tiny frogs in Mosquito Grove.
Ironweed in bud.
Visit East Pond. Dried up. Little toads. Muskrat hole. Water Beetles. Sit on edge of pond.
The wind has brought a beautiful blue haze.
Come back to camp. Wind getting cold.
Make visit to west pond. Scare up five sheitpoke. Wish I had been less hasty. Kingfisher flies up with frog in beak and flies in direction of beech. I proceed south along pond. See one perched on limb. Not near enough to notice any markings. Harsh guttural cry. Suddenly flies up. While perching seems to have no neck. In flight about a foot of red scrawny neck shows itself.

Charles E. Burchfield, July 18, 1914