erica nee ae BrOoNer is00) is eR TL N 5 
On the return trip I took pictures of Bird Island, which was literally 
covered with pelicans and cormorants. I also attempted a snapshot of 
the eagles on the nest, but missed them. 
Friday, April 11. — This morning, the channel marker at the boat 
house was occupied by a pair of dainty least terns. The male was 
uttering a shrill scream, or squeal, as he offered the female a minnow. 
She was playing indifference and would not accept it, though I saw that 
she ate it when he left, apparently to search for a larger or sweeter morsel. 
I explained to my wife that this was a courtship performance and 
that the female, like a woman, was just being coy, to which she replied: 
“and isn’t the male just like a man in making such a fool of himself?” 
Today we went to the oyster bar to get oysters; there was a wide 
difference of opinion as to whether we gathered, dug or picked them. I 
fear I was not very helpful as I continually grabbed clumps of shells 
ecntaining more barnacles than oysters. Although they were plentiful, 
it took four of us (with two ‘“supervisors’”) nearly an hour to dig and 
shell three pints. If you have felt that oysters are expensive, let me assure 
you that regardless of what you pay when next you eat them, it is not 
enough. However, we had lots of fun and a delicious feast at dinner. 
Saturday, April 12. — My daily efforts to find the source of an un- 
familiar raucous call have finally been successful. The sound was coming 
from the mangroves where two fish crows had just descended. Presently 
one flew up to a dead limb and obliged me with his terrible vocal efforts 
for several minutes. The call has only two notes: a loud staccato “wah ha,” 
with the accent on the first note and the timbre quite different from the 
caw of the common crow. 
There are a few palm warblers about, but the prairie warblers continue 
to be the dominant bird of the islands. They are in numbers that could 
almost be regarded as loose flocks. I saw at least twelve in a live oak 
tree at one time. 
The permanent residents refer to the white ibis as a curlew and assure 
me that it is not uncommon on the keys. This unquestionably is true, 
but I have not yet had the good fortune to observe it. For that reason 
I came over to the mainland this afternoon as I hope to see it, as well as 
the wood ibis and some other birds I have not found on the keys. 
Sunday, April 13. — Last night I stayed at Ft. Myers in a hotel at 
the edge of town, where I was awakened this morning by a regular chorus 
of mockingbirds. There were probably not more than three, but it 
sounded as though a dozen birds were singing. To me, the brown thrasher 
has a finer song, as all of its notes are musical, but the mocker certainly 
has a wide repertoire. 
There are so many references to Royal Palm Hammock in the litera- 
ture of Florida ornithology that I took a bus down the Tamiami Trail to 
that point. It was a most disappointing trip, as a pair of snowy egrets 
were the only unusual birds I saw. 
Monday, April 14. — Early this morning, I left Punta Gorda in the 
“run boat” to return to Cabbage Key. This boat delivers ice and gas to 
