. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. HUNTING WITH A MICROPHONE 705. TO SHOOT THESE WOOD IBISES, THE AUTHOR STOOD WAIST-DEEP IN A SWAMP Flocks of the flinthead, silent ghost of Florida marshlands, are often seen in the skies, soaring in great circles like buzzards. It was difficult to get the sound truck near the birds, but this made little difference because they are virtually voiceless when fully grown. Breeding in colonies sometimes numbering several thousand pairs, they nest year after year on the same platforms of sticks, built high in trees. When fishing in a
. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. HUNTING WITH A MICROPHONE 705. TO SHOOT THESE WOOD IBISES, THE AUTHOR STOOD WAIST-DEEP IN A SWAMP Flocks of the flinthead, silent ghost of Florida marshlands, are often seen in the skies, soaring in great circles like buzzards. It was difficult to get the sound truck near the birds, but this made little difference because they are virtually voiceless when fully grown. Breeding in colonies sometimes numbering several thousand pairs, they nest year after year on the same platforms of sticks, built high in trees. When fishing in a pond, the wood ibis often muddies the water with its feet to force fish to the surface. It is the only stork found nesting in the United States. Their eyes, which are extremely quick to notice any motion, are apparently not very keen at seeing objects at rest. On one occasion two old gobblers approached within thirty yards of Stoddard and me as we crouched immovable behind the sound mirror in full view. RECORDING THE LIMPKIN'S EERIE CRY From Beachton, at Stoddard's suggestion, we went south to the Wakulla River, Flor- ida, where we hoped to get within record- ing distance of the limpkin, or crying bird, another of the main objectives of our trip. Here a magnificent underground stream, crystal clear, comes to the surface as a spring 185 feet deep and flows gently to the Gulf. Its waters teem with fish which can be observed easily even at considerable depth. The banks of the river are clothed with beautiful moss-covered cypress where hundreds of anhingas, or snakebirds, nest, as well as many herons, ospreys, and other fish-eating birds. Most interesting of all, however, are the limpkins. About the size of bitterns but related to the cranes, they are dark brown spangled with white. They have been at- tracted to this beautiful stream by the abundance of a large, aquatic snail {Ampul- laria, now called Pomacca), which is their principal food (opposite page). The snails are largely
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