76 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



The nesting season in South Carolina is in the latter part of 

 March and in northern Alabama probably in April. 



Food habits. — According to Barrows, the great blue heron 

 "feeds mainly on fish and frogs, but also eats immense num- 

 bers of crayfish, small snakes, salamanders, insects (among 

 them grasshoppers), meadow mice, and almost anything of 

 an animal nature."t 



The stomach of one of these herons taken at Orange Beach, 

 Alabama, contained remains of 11 fishes, including 4 gizzard 

 shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) and 1 catfish; one from near 

 Stockton contained 3 sunfishes; and one from Mobile con- 

 tained 1 fish and remains of wasps and damselflies. 



WARD HERON: Ardea herodias wardi Ridgway. 



State records. — The Ward heron is the southern and slight- 

 ly larger form of the great blue heron. Its range is not 

 definitely known, but is assumed to include at least the lower 

 half of the State. In the coast region these herons are par- 

 ticularly numerous, and in the interior moderate numbers are 

 found in the swamps and along the larger rivers. 



At Orange Beach, in January, 1912, we found them common 

 about the marshes bordering the bay and on the outer beaches. 

 A specimen taken there proved to be typical wardi. A colony 

 is reported to nest in a cypress swamp near Orange Beach. 

 At Bon Secour, in October, 1908, they were equally numerous 

 and not quite so shy as usual. In the marshes bordering 

 Mississippi Sound and on Petit Bois Island, Gutsell found 

 them common during the summer. In the big marshes about 

 the head of Mobile Bay a few are always to be found, both in 

 winter and summer, but they are less numerous there than 

 nearer the coast. On a trip to Stiggins Lake, May 25 to 28, 

 1914, we saw perhaps 20 individuals, and secured 1 specimen. 

 An immature bird was taken, also, at Dog River, below Mo- 

 bile, July 4, 1913. 



This species is reported as a common resident and breeder 

 at Greensboro (Avery) and a rare summer resident at Au- 

 taugaville (Golsan). 



tBarro-ws, W. B., Michigan bird life, p. 136, 1912. 



