The Audubon Societies 



i8s 



water. I saw no signs of anyone having been 

 in that section for the past two weeks and 

 don't think anyone will attempt to molest 

 the birds while Jackson is in charge of them. 



"It is a sight to see the amount of game in 

 the section that I have just been in, and you 

 can be in Jackson's camp and hear Wild Tur- 

 keys gobbling in every direction. On Tues- 

 day morning two large wild gobblers came 

 right by his camp, and I saw several doe deer 

 and fawns around the saw grass, besides the 

 country in the swamps is cut up with deer 

 tracks. There are also many bear and panther 

 in that section. 



"I have gone over the situation of bird pro- 

 tection thoroughly with Jackson and feel that 

 he will do everything possible to guard these 

 birds and get good results. I believe that 

 the birds that are now going to the Clifton 

 Lake Rookery will eventually nest there if not 

 disturbed. 



"I have advised Jackson not to have any 

 set time to come in for supplies as someone 

 may be on the lookout and might know when 

 he left his camp and attempt to shoot the 

 birds when they came in. I have further ad- 

 vised him not to leave his camp nor to get 

 far away at any time if he has any idea there 

 is likely to be anyone around. I have further 

 arranged that in the event that he should not 

 show up within a week or ten days, that his 

 son, A. L. Jackson, shall go to him and see 

 what is the trouble. 



"I have every confidence in Jackson as a 

 warden and fully believe he will give entire 

 satisfaction as he has always done when em- 

 ployed by the National Association." 



On the Sea Islands 



Strung along the coast of the state of 

 Georgia there are a number of islands exqui- 

 sitely beautiful and extremely interesting. 

 Brief mention of one of these was made above, 

 viz., Cumberland Island. Another one fur- 

 ther up the coast is Ossabaw owned by 

 Strachan & Co., of Savannah. On April 12, 

 1922, as the guest of H. B. Skeele, President 

 of the Savannah Audubon Society, and ac- 

 companied by Mr. Dixon, representing the 

 owners, I visited this 30,000-acre game-pre- 

 serve. Here in a pond, estimated to contain 

 fifteen acres, was a magnificent colony of 

 Herons containing Little Blues, Great Blues, 

 and Black-crowned Night Herons. Some 

 Least Bittern, forty Water Turkeys, and 

 other water-birds were observed. The colony 

 also includes a wonderful group of Egrets. 

 Mr. Dixon and the writer counted about two 



hundred at one time. This was the beginning 

 of the nesting-season and many Egrets had 

 not yet arrived. Furthermore, the observa- 

 tion was made near the middle of the day 

 and many of the birds were away feeding. 

 Probably a thousand Egrets are nesting here 

 this summer. About three-fourths of them 

 are of the larger species. 



On April 13, we visited St. Catherine's 

 Island, the northern end of which lies about 

 a mile below the southern end of Ossabaw. 

 This is owned by the Rauer's Estate. Like 

 Ossabaw it is protected at all times from the 

 ravages of gun-fire, except during the winter 

 months when wild ducks, deer, and an occa- 

 sional Wild Turkey are taken. Here, on a 

 pond covering about five acres, were perhaps 

 one-quarter as many Egrets and other water- 

 birds as were found in the colony on Ossabaw. 

 Both of these rookeries are carefully guarded, 

 and as the owners also protect the feeding- 

 grounds of the Herons and Egrets, there is a 

 splendid chance for saving them through the 

 years. 



On April 14, the writer visited McClelland- 

 ville, S. C, and, in company with L. A. 

 Beckman, superintendent of the Santee Gun 

 Club, inspected the Egret rookery in the rice- 

 reserve pond on this old plantation. The 

 breeding-season had but recently started and 

 no young birds were in evidence, but scores 

 of Egrets were seen sitting on their nests in 

 cypress trees as we passed in our boat nearby. 

 We estimated the number of occupied nests 

 anywhere from 300 to 500. The birds were 

 so tame that they often lighted within 50 to 

 60 feet of us. The Santee Gun Club has pro- 

 tected this colony for many years and has 

 also extended protection to the Egrets on 

 their feeding-grounds. This organization 

 some months ago decided to abandon the 

 rookery with a view of economizing, and 

 H. T. Fleitman, treasurer, so advised this of- 

 fice, thinking perhaps we might take up the 

 burden which they had been carrying for 

 many years. During my visit, arrangements 

 were made for two men to guard the Egrets 

 the present season. 



Another interesting fact is that E. B. 

 Whitehead, United States Game Warden, 

 located at Thomasville, Ga., has recently dis- 

 covered two very fine colonies of Egrets in 



