132 



FLORIDA BIRD-LIFE 



Egret Feeding Young 



some search, a group of nests was discovered, which it was 

 believed could be studied and photographed from a neigh- 

 boring tree, distant some thirty feet. The umbrella blind 

 was therefore placed in the tree, at a height of forty-five 

 feet, and liberally draped with Spanish moss. It was 

 arranged to fall over a limb which, for several hours dur- 

 ing each of the three succeeding days, served as a perch 

 from which my notes and photographs were made. I have 

 had more comfortable seats, but few that were so enjoyable. 

 From the concealment of the same blind, it had been my 

 fortune to watch Flamingos, Pelicans and many other 

 ground-nesting birds at close range ; but never before had I 

 attempted to enter a bird colony in the tree tops, and the 

 experience was as exhilarating as it was novel. 



The Little Blue and Louisiana Herons soon returned to 

 their nests below, the former, noisy and quarrelsome, call- 

 ing at each other notes which sounded strangely like tell you 

 ivhdt, tell you what; the latter were less demonstrative and 



