26 



THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Natural Bird Haven Near Shawneetown 



North of the quaint and interesting old town of Shawnee- 

 town, now the oldest town in the state of Illinois, lies a string 

 of small lakes. It was my pleasure while camping there this 

 Summer to discover a natural bird haven, in fact we found more 

 different kinds of birds in this small area than in any other 

 place of which we know. We camped at "Big Lake" which is 

 the largest of these lakes and is just two and one half miles 

 north of Shawneetown. About one hundred yards west of a row 

 of cottages built here this summer, lies a thickly wooded area of 

 not more than twenty acres through which runs a slough, and it 

 was here that I spent the whole of my last afternoon, enjoying 

 the bird life. Several varieties of warblers flitted along the 

 slough and filled the air with their music. To a nearby bush 

 came a Cardinal and trilled his beautiful song, some Purple 

 Grackles came and quarrelled their way on. High in a tree the 



Veery sang his song in queer conversational style. Bright 

 patches of blue, (the Indigo Bunting,) flitted here and there. 

 From under a brush pile hopped the Yellow-breasted Chat, and 

 a tiny Ruby-throated Humming-bird perched himself saucily on 

 a limb near by. We were able to identify eighteen different birds 

 and there were several more which baffled us. 



How long the conditions so favorable to the extensive bird 

 life found here will remain undisturbed we do not know. A 

 company bought the lake and adjoining land this Summer and 

 have erected a hotel and cottages and have cut quite a lot of the 

 fine cypress tree for building purposes. We took occasion to 



