The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-14
INSPECTOR HANSEN TELLS
OF FLA'S MIGRATORY BIRDS
and THEIR HABITAT

Jacksonville, June Nv. S. Han
son. district inspector for Florida
United States migratory bird law
spent several days the past week il
the city, guest of the Seminole. Mr.
| Hanson is just from the East Coast
where he has been engaged for sew
eral days past in getting data for the
department of agriculture on the mi.
grations of birds along the Florida
coast, great numbers of the little
migrants preferring this route in
preference to any other in their an
nual flights to and from South
America, where they make annual
pilgrimages while seeking favor
able winter climate and select feed
ing grounds on the far-reaching
pampas of the Argentine country
This is inspector Hanson's third Wis
lit to the city this year, and he is
en- route to Tallahassee and Pensa-
cola. his eft ciGl 1T lin I'm to
all parts of Florida.
SANITARY at Bird Key
Only recently trip was made on
the naval tug Peoria eighty miles
beyond Key West Uncle Sam has a
wonderful bird sanitary at Bird Key,
on one of the outlying sand islands
in the Gulf of Mexico, where the in
spector states there are no trees on
the barren reefs that are designated
as islands in the biographies. At
this far away spot lives Warden
Bethel and his faithful wife, who
seldom see a visitor, and are render
ing a great service in protecting
thousands of water birds for the
government, for untold thousands of
gulls, terms and pelicans make this
reef-island their home during the
summer months, when they journey
from afar to lay their eggs in the
shifting sands and assisted by Old
Sol, rear their young in numbers I'M
walton has been under the watchful
eye of Capt Ashe, of Key West, for
many years, and the genial old war
den makes frequent trips over the
waters of his charge, which is in
areas about three miles wide and
ninety miles long, extending from
Key West to the farthermost reefs
in the Caribbean sea. -.
Everglades Being Drained
Returning from Key West, the in
spector spent several weeks in the
vicinity of Miami; then traversed
the Everglades to Lake Okeechobee,
where careful records were made OF
hosts of native birds that select this
favored section in which to rear
their young, secure in the fastness
of the rich Everglade marshes, sur
rounded by wonderful food supplies
Since the Everglades adjacent to
Florida's great inland sea have been
drained, heavy growth of sweet
myrtle bushes has appeared, and in
these,,shrubs are to be found' large
colonies of thes mailer birds, native
to the state, and they continue to
rear their young in the old home in
spite of the fact that the 'Glades are
being drained, and settlers are claer.
ing away the growth and planting
the rich muck lands for a distance
of eight miles from the shores OF
Lake Okeechobee. After spending q
week in the section around Lake
Okecchobee. which. it is claimed by
Mr.. Hanson to be the real garden
spot of Florida" trip to Fort My
ers was made via the canal leadins
into the famous Caloosahatchee
from Lake Okeechobee, some time
being spent recording the bird life
at Lake Hicpochee.
| From Fort Myers the inspector
went to Tampa and thence to the
| Manatee section, where he visited
the federal bird reservations at Pas
sag and Indian Keys, which are
! guarded most faithfully by Warder
Pillsbury, of Fort DeSoto, and it il
here that Uncle Sam has two of thu
NEST wonderful santuaries in thu
! Soutr.
Rare American Egret
In this section are to be foun'
! specimens of the rare American an
Snowy eeret. and limited numbe
of the beautiful roseate spoonbill o
pink curlew' as the bird was one
commonly known to early settlers o
the State. Passage Key is the nest
ing place of the many gulls and tern
that frequent the Florida East Coas
in winter, and the birds return her
to nest each summer under the car
of the government 1T is a grea
sight to see the beautiful whit
egrets and spoonbills rearing thei
young here under the protecting ey
ID .