Grebes, seven or eight Coots, three Blue-winged Teal,
and a pair of Larger Yellow-legs, the latter flying.
The Coots were scattered about among some tall
dead weed stalks. I heard their peculiar talking
before I saw them. The Gallinule was swimming in
clear water near some grass. The Teal were all males
in full plumage. They were too shy to permit me
to approach within shot. I fired shots at a Grebe
but missed. While driving around this pond Bingo
made a point on the edge of an impenetrable
thicket of greenbriars. Two Quail flirted up & dropped
again before I could shoot; I heard others walking
on the leaves. "Bingo" would not enter the thicket.
We found the next bevy on a hillside among dense
broom sedge and young pines. "Bingo" came off his
point, found us, and then led me back. The birds
rose wild and I missed with both barrels. They took
to the woods where I could not find them again.
"Bingo" soon after found a bevy in wild plum
bushes in a deep hollow. I made a double as they rose.
Willis failed to mark the survivors but I finally started
five in some pines & missed a high shot at them.
The last covey found to-day was lying among some sprouts
of a young live oak in a ploughed field. They rose wild
& I fired only one barrel getting my bird. One of them
alighted in a furrow in the field but neither the dog
nor I could flush him. I finished the day by
killing two Snipe & missing two others on the edge of
a pond where I shot at a pair of ducks on the 18th.
Birds singing freely early this morning. Heard Cardinals,
Mockers, Bluebirds & about 5 Towhees probably P[ipilo]
erythrophthalmus. Saw many Meadow Larks in flocks all
silent. Purple Martins about gourds near the negro cabins.