I next landed opposite the steamer's anchorage
at a point where some fifty Ducks were
sitting on the eel grass. They were Widgeon, [?]
Shovelers and a few Pine-tails. There were also
about thirty A. [?] both white and blue and
a large flock of A. [?] besides some [?] major
the latter two species singing in medley making
a great racket. Beyond the point was a bed
of perhaps ten thousand coots with many Scaup
Ducks among them. Royal Terns were flying about
in every direction. A few Buzzards also soared
or scaled along the shore and a Marsh Hawk
was beating the palmetto scrub beyond the line
of mangroves that bordered the water.
  Our landing, or course sent all these birds off
in various directions but many soon came back
after I had concealed myself and I passed
several hours very pleasantly watching them.
Only a few Ducks came to my decoys & my
gun missed fire at the best chance I had
- at a bunch of Blue-winged Teal. I killed
a fine drake Shoveler and shot down a single
Teal which rose & flew off when I showed
myself the gun snapping again. Behind me
in a mangrove sat a white [?] [?] 
with a broken wing. A pair of Shrikes was 
perched near me on a dead branch occasionally
pouncing down among the eel grass. Some of
the Buzzards came directly over me within
a few yards looking down at me curiously.
The bed of Coots drifted in within a hundred
yards at one time. I returned later in the [Bells?].