01 1915 J Kennard, The Okaloacoochee Slough. loo 



On Sunday, March 22, we rested and put in most of our time 

 making up skins. The day was overcast and inclined to be rainy, 

 but not enough so to discourage the birds. Cardinals, Mocking- 

 birds, Tufted Titmice and White-eyed Yireos were singing in the 

 trees about us, the occasional scream of Florida Bluejays could be 

 heard, and once in a while the rattle of a Kingfisher flying overhead. 

 Pileated Woodpeckers and Barred Owls called frequently from the 

 slough behind us, and occasionally the squeak of Wood Ducks 

 could be heard in the stream, which fairly teemed with them. 



Right in front of my tent were several depressions in the dirt 

 made by Turkeys when " dusting." A pair of Swallow-tailed Kites 

 frequented the nearby pine wood, and the "hollering" of Sandhill 

 Cranes could be heard in the distance. Chipping Sparrows, 

 Florida Meadowlarks, Great Crested Flycatchers, Florida Grackles, 

 Florida Red-wings, Buzzards, Florida Red-shouldered Hawks, 

 Florida Crows, and Fish Crows, were nearly always about camp, 

 and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were flitting among the grape- 

 fruit blossoms overhead. I heard one Blue-headed Vireo. " Flint 

 Heads," White Ibises, and Herons of various sorts were generally 

 in sight, and every once in a while a yell from Tom proclaimed a 

 "Pink" going by. 



Some few " Flint Heads " were always on the move, flying back 

 and forth from their rookery. The prairie was often dotted with 

 them, seeking insects, I suppose; and on moonlight nights numbers 

 of them could be seen feeding in the sloughs. About daylight they 

 begin to come out of the swamp in numbers, flying over camp with 

 loud rhythmic whistle of wings, mostly in a northerly direction; 

 straggling along in small companies; perhaps a couple, three, five, 

 seven, or nine at a time, and in one extreme case, twenty-two. In 

 flight they remind me of Brown Pelicans, a few flaps of the wings 

 and then a soar, but their company drill is not nearly so good as 

 that of the Pelicans, who follow their leader with such remarkable 

 regularity. 



Every once in a while in the early morning, or lat& in the after- 

 noon, one hears a great rushing sound like that of a closely approach- 

 ing wind storm, and a huge flock of beautiful White Ibises goes 

 rushing overhead. In flight they are much more rapid than the 

 Wood Ibis, and seem to set their wings to soar only when swooping 

 down to alight or when turning in their flight. 



