ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 33 



lives of local ornithologists, making them ask: — "What's next?" The 

 first one was noticed near Bowmanville in October, despite the mildness of 

 the season, in November several were seen in Evanston by Mr. and Mrs. 

 Pattee, others were seen by Mr. C. C. Sanborn, and at several places in 

 the Dunes, at Mineral Springs and Dune Park by Mr. H. Stoddard, and 

 at Millers (three) by the writer. 



In such a mild winter as this last one, ushered in by an equally mild fall, 

 one would expect some of our hardier summer residents such as Robins, 

 Flickers, Meadowlarks, Blackbirds, Killdeer, and others to remain here in 

 numbers, or at least their successors in the migration that take their places 

 for a few days with us during fall, or that many of the hardier migrants 

 such as the Myrtle Warbler, Fox and White-throated Sparrows, Rusty 

 Grackles, etc., would do so. But this has not been the case to any marked 

 degree, except in that favored corner of our area, at LaGrange, and 

 Hinsdale to Willow Springs. Here, as in other years, "flocks" of Robins 

 and numbers of Meadowlarks found it more congenial than just a few 

 miles farther north, and stayed all winter — precisely why it is hard to say. 

 The one exception, that is a species that this winter remained with us in 

 some numbers, is the Song Sparrow. That has been reported by several 

 observers from several localities. December 19th it was seen at Palos by 

 Mr. Paul, January 8th in Jackson Park by Mrs. P. B. Coffin, on the 25th at 

 River Forest by the writer, also on February 6th and 28th as well as on 

 the 14th by Miss E. Craigmile. But this seems to be shared in by a large 

 part of North America. The writer was struck by the frequent occurrence 

 of the Song Sparrow in the last Christmas bird census published in "Bird 

 Lore." He counted up and found that out of 78 reports from Canada, the 

 New England states. New York, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 

 the Song Sparrow is given in 39 of the lists, from as far north as the 

 Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada, where the writer in six years never 

 found it in winter, although once a flock of Robins remained. 



Among the birds that tarried longer than usual last fall, or intended 

 to stay all winter, or that came here from the south much earlier than in 

 other years, or are at least notable, the following have been reported : Two 

 belated Black-bellied Plovers and a Pigeon Hawk were seen at Beach, by 

 Mr. C. C. Sanborn. The latter rather rare in our area. A late Night- 

 hawk was seen in the Dunes by Mr. H. Stoddard, who also saw several 

 Harris Sparrows, a western migrant which lately seems to come thus far 

 east more regularly than formerly. On December 26th Mr. Gregory saw 

 a belated Lincoln's Sparrow at Beach, as well as a Northern Shrike. Beach 

 is a great place for rarities, rivalling the Dunes in this respect. Here also 

 the most unexpected find of the season was made, a Black-crowned Night 

 Heron in immature plumage. This was shot January 4th by a would-be 

 hunter who was promptly apprehended by the ever alert game warden of that 

 district, Mr. J. F. Kern, who brought him to trial, and a fine of $25.00 

 was assessed against him. 



Willow Springs yielded another Northern Shrike, a Saw-Whet Owl and 

 a Red-headed Woodpecker. Mr. DeLanbenfels of LaGrange reported the 

 Brown Creeper for January 8th. This was also seen at River Forest, in 

 Thatcher's Woods, February 6th and 20th. A Flicker stayed at Arlington 



