1890
March 8
Banana Creek, Florida 1890.
Cloudy most of the day. Wind N. strong & cool.
  At daybreak Carolina Wrens & Maryland Yellow-throats
were singing in the scrub about the house, Towhees
[?] calling. There are five or six Savanna Sparrows
that resort at all hours to the clearing.
  With my glass I could see hundreds of [ducks?]
from my window and opposite the boat house
within 150 yds. a flock of seven or eight Teal (2
discors) most of them males in full plumage showing
the white crescent on the head which gleamed in
the sunlight as they turned their heads. Near them
were several Shovelers, the darker [suspect?] fellows
with green-black heads, snowy shoulder & flank bands
and chestnut painted sides. They are the most
showy Ducks at a distance that we have seen.
  Started off in a boat at 8.30 going first
well down towards "no 70" into a small bay.
A number of Scaup Ducks rose and passed high
overhead? I fired a right & left killing with my
first & missing with my second barrel.
  Two Florida Black Ducks & some Shovelers rose from
the mouth of a creek & I accordingly made a
stand & set out my decoys there. but as nothing
came to them I took them up & started back up 
the bay. Three White Pelicans were sitting near
the middle & after we had passed them
they rose & came directly towards us showing 
off at about 70 yds. when I fired a shot
at them. They flew precisely like Brown Pelicans
alternately flapping & sailing all together.
I afterwards saw a flock of six sitting on 
the water looming up like great white Swans