1890
March 9
Banana Creek, Florida 1890
Clear and cool with strong N. wind
  Started down the bay at 9 a.m. in a dory with 
a colored boy to row me, Cory going also in
the dug-out with [Quarterman?]. The flats above
the steamer's anchorage were bare and we had
to drag the boats across Off to the right sitting
in a dense snowy-white mass were about fifty
Royal Terns with four Brown Pelicans among them
all standing rather erect with bills resting on their
breasts like huge Woodcock. They resemble the latter
bird in general form still more closely when flying 
the neck always being drawn in & the bill
pointing downward at about the same angle
as the Woodcock's.
  Cory turned into Alligator Creek while I kept
on down to Banana Creek then turned to the W.
& finally entered a bay where I made a stand
on a point. About 200 Ducks mostly Widgeon
& Gadwall with many Shovelers also rose & went
out as we entered this bay & we passed fully
1000 more bedded with Coots in Banana Creek.
I sent the boy Bob out in the boat to stir 
them up and they soon began pouring into 
my bay in a steady stream but all passed
wide of me except one [?] Pintail which came
to the decoys but wide of them. I fired both
barrels & missed. Another Duck, a Scaup I 
think came over me from behind with a 
Duck Hawk in close pursuit both birds
passing within fifteen feet of my head
the Duck's wings making a [hurtling?] sound.
The Hawk seemed unable to overtake it &