68 
THE WILSON BULLETIN— June, 1922 
The village is located on the banks of the Wisconsin River, 
a mile below the huge power dam, completed about 1915. The 
water is backed up from here for fifteen miles or more, forming 
Lake Wisconsin, one of the most interesting bodies of water, 
from an ornithological standpoint, that it was ever my good 
fortune to visit. Hundreds of acres of heavy bottom timber 
c. 
was flooded, now standing in twelve to twenty or more feet of 
water, a wierd gray forest, the gaunt skeletons of the larger 
treees alone remaining. This body of water, a mile and a half 
to two miles across in some places, must be navigated with 
caution in stormy weather, being full of snags, and stumps of 
treees cut off in winter at ice level. This unique lake supports 
much interesting bird life, being alive at times in spring and 
fall with migrating water fowl. Here in summer Kingbird 
nests are to be found over a half mile from shore, in crotches 
as low as two feet above t lie water, while Purple Martins and 
Tree Swallows share the hundreds of natural cavities and old 
woodpecker holes with Great Crested Flycatchers and even a 
few English Sparrows ! Flickers, Red-headed, Hairy and 
Downy 'Woodpeckers also nest here as well as the Great Blue 
Herons and Double-crested Cormorants, to be described later. 
West and northwest of Prairie du Sac lies slightly rolling 
Sauk Prairie. The southern half is a sandy region, with many 
uncultivated fields, and knolls covered with coarse bunch grass, 
natural home of Prairie Hens, Western Meadowlarks, Migrant 
Shrikes, and in spring, swarms of Lapland Longspurs. This 
region borders the Wisconsin River valley on the south, with 
its heavy bottom land timber and backwater sloughs, where 
Pileated Woodpeckers, Barred Owls, and such southern spe- 
cies as Prothonotary Warblers, Blue-winged Warblers, Yellow- 
breasted Chat, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and others partial to 
such environment breed. Here also the rare Kentucky Warbler 
was taken in 1913 (see Auk, Jan. 1917, p. 67). Back from the 
river on both sides are extensive savannas or marshes as well 
as sandy oak ridges. 
The north half of Sauk Prairie is a fertile farming section, 
bordered on the west by wooded sandstone bluffs, inhabited by 
hawks, owls, Ruffed Grouse and others. North of the prairie 
is the rugged quartzite range known as the Baraboo Bluffs, 
which includes the beautiful Devil’s Lake region. 
This unspoiled range, so rocky and rugged that it still re- 
tains much heavy timber, is the source of Otter Creek and 
