ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 41 



pecker and occasionally a Red-breasted Nuthatch, besides the many reg- 

 ular winter residents. Robins have been reported off and on for the last 

 four weeks. There are a number of these as well as Bluebirds here now 

 (March 5). The Fox Sparrow with the earliest local record of March 

 6th arrived this year February 22nd. 



It is rather singular that with the proximity of the Wisconsin lakes, 

 the nesting grounds of the Yellow-Headed Blackbird, that but three reports 

 of this bird are a matter of record with the local Nature Study Society. 

 There appears in the publication "Birds of Rockford and Vicinity" one 

 each for May 6th, July 10th and October 7th. The first record is of a 

 bird north of the city, apparently migrating and completely exhausted; 

 another for July 10th by an observer now in California, and the last one 

 by the author of "Three Migrating Birds," Oct. 7th. 



Madison, Wis., is but 75 miles distant. The Yellow- Headed Blackbird 

 is known to nest there abouts, yet the species is rarely seen here, though 

 sufficiently large and conspicuous to attract attention. No doubt our city 

 is passed at night during the initial migratory flight south, but the north- 

 ward movement nearing the end of the journey nets no more records and 

 offers little whereon to base deductions. 



The Western Meadowlark has been variously reported for this region 

 for a number of years. Its early spring record is March 25th and fall, 

 November 7th. Naturally the unusual song of the bird attracted early 

 attention, the bird making its first known appearance north of Rockford, 

 following its southward spread through the valley of the Rock River. 

 Since the days of its advent in 1913, the bird has steadily spread east, 

 west and south. We have noted it everywhere in Winnebago County, also 

 have noted it in Walworth and Rock County, Wisconsin, Boone, Ogle and 

 Stephenson County in Illinois, these counties surrounding our Winnebago 

 County. It has been noted in these columns that this species is inter- 

 breeding with the Meadowlark, the resulting song clearly denoting the 

 parental influence. This hybrid should furnish considerable interest to 

 the scientist. * 



The Yellow-Breasted Chat of which there are a few scattering records 

 for the past years appears to have been more numerous in years gone by. 

 Mrs. Charles T. Sackett was so fortunate as to record its nesting here for 

 many years up to 1909. The chosen nesting grounds were in close prox- 

 imity to a clear running creek, heavily wooded, near a heronry of the Black- 

 Crowned Night Heron. This bird paradise, known as the "Crows Nest," 

 is situated 5 miles north w r est of Rockford and is little disturbed, though 

 thousands of crows roost near by. 



The Dickcissel has a local record of May 1st — August 24th. It is one 

 of the latest arriving of all the Sparrows but is not especially abundant, 

 many observers closing their field books at the end of the year without 

 entering a single record. 



Waterloo: Mr. H. I. Featherley, Teacher of Agriculture, writes: 

 "With the co-operation of the superintendent and teachers of the public 

 school here, we have organized a Junior Audubon Society with 140 mem- 

 bers. It is organized as a part of their regular nature study class work, 



