Fisher — On Florida Winter Birds. 43 



swamp-loving- birds. From the launch, on the way through 

 the lake, I counted fifty-six Osprey's nests in the cypress trees 

 surroundin.g the lake, but I did not see a single Osprey. Our 

 g-uide told us that they were-down on the Gulf at this time of 

 year. He further informed us that, althoug^h the Ospreys 

 build their nests and rear their young around the lake, they 

 go to the Gulf, which is fifteen or twenty miles distant, to fish, 

 and that they bring food for their young" froiu that distance. 

 He thinks they nest up around the lake to avoid the Bald Ea- 

 gles which stay around the Gulf. 



We went up Indian Bayou about five miles, where we found 

 a landing — an open space with a few scattering pines, which 

 was slightly higher than the surrounding country, but only 

 very slightly higher. The lowness and levelness of this whole 

 region may be better realized when we consider the fact that 

 the tides were not only considerable on the lake, having come 

 up the river from Apalachicola Bay, but that at our camp, 

 five miles up Indian Bayou, we had a tide of two or three feet. 



We remained in camp here six days, and since hunting deer 

 was the primary object of the trip, bird-study was only inci- 

 dental. If one does not mind wading in water, this is a great 

 place to hunt. Wild Cats, Otters, Deer, and Black Bears are 

 rather plentiful, and there are still a few Panthers. Wild Tur- 

 keys are by no means rare, but we saw none on this trip. 



W^e saw Florida Blue Jays about Apalachicola, but I was 

 surprised to find them absent around Lake Wimlico. Not one 

 was seen during the six days, but their absence is probably ex- 

 plained by the absence of oak trees and the consecjuent absence 

 of acorns. 



Pied-billed Grebes were much rarer than I expected to find 

 them, since they are so common in West Florida during the 

 winter months. 



The rarest privilege of the trip from the standpoint of a 

 bird student was our experience with the Sandhill Cranes. 

 Every morning at daybreak we could hear their " sonorous 

 croakings." 



