1889
March 4
Enterprise to Palatka, Fla., via St. Johns River.
Clear and cool with strong N. wind.
  Left Enterprise at 9 a.m. on the small side wheel
steamer "H. B. Plant" and reached Palatka a little
after dark. Spent most of the day on deck.
The river was very beautiful for the forests are now
in almost leaf. The cypresses, however, are only
beginning to unfold their foliage. The 'bonnets' were
very luxuriant and the vivid green of some of
the larger beds was almost dazzling to the eye.
  During the entire day I saw only one
alligator, a small one basking on a log. Of
birds I saw seven or eight Aubingas, nearly as
many Great Blue (Ward's) Herons, about fifteen single
adult Ardea caerulea and a flock of perhaps twenty
mixed blue and white birds, probably of the same
species. We also passed a few high white birds
some of which may have been A. caudidissima[?].
Most of the single birds were very tame
several allowing the steamer to pass within
30 yds. without flying or even showing much
alarm. No large Egrets (A. cyretta_) were seen during
the day and, to my great surprise, only two
Coots. Of Cormorants we saw six or eight,
most of them in Lake Beresford.
  After sunset I saw a Night Heron, two Great
Blue Herons, and three Ducks which I took
to be Aix sponsa, all within a few minutes.
They were all flying, evidently shifting their
feeding grounds as such birds will at this
time of the day. The Great Herons came
sailing over the woods from the swamps