ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



13 



Photo by John Baird 



WHERE PRAIRIE AND RIVER MEET IN THE FOREST PRESERVE 



Birds and the Forest Preserve 



The Forest Preserve as a bird refuge is a success. Already we have 

 noted a marked increase in the number of song birds visiting and inhabiting 

 our woods. As we acquire more connected areas and can afford better 

 protection, we expect much greater results. We are pleased to find that 

 protection of birds is a very popular movement. We seldom have trouble 

 with people molesting our birds, — I wish we could say the same in regard 

 to wild flowers. Not only are the song birds increasing, but the quail and 

 pheasants are here in much greater numbers. Where a few years ago we 

 had three small coveys, there are now reported fourteen or fifteen coveys 

 of considerable size. The water birds soon learn that they are protected on 

 the Deer Grove lake and on the DesPlaines River, and they feel at home 

 and stay on these waters a much longer time than was their former habit. 



In our Nursery we are planting such trees as will provide feed for 

 birds and also we are growing acres of broom corn, millet, hemp and 

 sunflowers, which will be distributed to reliable caretakers for winter feed. 

 The millet is left in bundles and will be fed in that way. Also, we have 

 planted in two places wild grass to attract the water, fowl. 



The Women's Clubs of the Districts persuaded the schools to make bird 

 houses in their manual training work. They gave an exhibit of these houses 

 and they were donated to the Forest Preserve. This work was a great 

 success and we have this year over 3000 houses which were placed on the 

 Forest Preserve. Although these houses arrived late, seventy-five percent 

 of them were occupied this year. As a whole they were exceptionally well 

 made according to the principles of the best bird house building. Mrs. 

 Welsch, Secretary of the State Federation of Women's Clubs, informs me 

 that the Women's Clubs will continue the same policy of furnishing bird 

 houses to the Forest Preserve District. We realize the value of the birds to 

 the Forest Preserve not only because of the charm of their song and the 

 delight they are to the eye, but also from the standpoint of material ad- 

 vantage of the trees — we know that without birds we would have no forests 



