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NEWS OF CHAPTERS AND AFFILIATES 
Lake-Cook’s sunflower seed project was a great success; thirty-eight people took advantage of this sale, buying 100 bags 
of seed at $5.50 each. The supplier is Mr. V. Wathen or Mr. Jim Magnusen, Rudy-Patrick Seed Division, W.R. Brace and Co., 
P.O. Box 404, Princeton, Illinois 61356. 
One of the more interesting field trips of Lake-Cook Chapter was the Oct. 10-11 camping trip to the Jasper-Pulaski 
Preserve, Indiana. All together, nineteen people made the trip. some attended only one day, but there were four families who 
camped overnight to enjoy a second day of birding. It was worthwhile, because among the 38 species of birds sighted, most of 
the group were able to see a golden eagle soaring in the area. Sandhill cranes were present in great numbers and everyone took 
advantage of the blind to observe the birds in the open field next to the ditch. The Chapter plans to repeat the trip again next 
year; camping facilities were great and, to top it off, there were only two other families camping in the area. 
The field trip described above also furnished part of the entertainment at the December meeting — movies were shown 
of the campout. Other movies shown at meetings this fall were ‘’Silent Spring’’, ‘“The Loon’s Necklace’’, ‘‘Audubon and the 
Birds of America” and a film by Ray Komorski on Paul Downing’s banding of chimney swifts. 
McHenry Chapter’s November field trips started out badly with only 8 species of birds found on Nov. 8 but the Nov. 14 
trip, with a larger turnout of birders did better with 24 species, including 14 species of ducks. At the end of the year this 
chapter was making elaborate plans for their Christmas Bird Count. 
Kane County Chapter: More than 20 members were present at the Lone Grove Forest Preserve near Kaneville on a 
sunny Nov. 1. Hills, woods and swamp comprise the terrain. A kingfisher was tallied and a few lucky ones saw a handsome 
red fox. The last phase of the hike featured a brave group who risked lost shoes and falls by invading the cattail swamp. 
Southwest Chapter had a good turnout for the tour of Nilo Farms Sept. 27. The weather was magnificent and the group 
stayed for an informal picnic lunch. The Olin Industries operate the farm as a hunting preserve, complete with game birds, 
dogs, and a full-time staff of guides and handlers. A demonstration of retrieving by black Labradors added an educational 
touch to the general tour of the area. Such private preserves may be the only way hunters can perform in the future. Let’s 
hope bird watching remains an “‘open field”’ sport. 
At the November meeting of Fox Valley Chapter, Dr. William Southern of Northern Illinois University at DeKalb 
presented an illustrated talk cn his research project into the migration of ring-billed gulls. The slides were excellent and the 
many photos of gulls overhead accented his statement: ‘’You don’t look up in a gull colony.”” During the five year period of 
the study, gulls are marked with a 1.5 in diameter tag and each colony being studies is marked with a specific color. Reports 
of observations of these marked gulls help to determine dispersal pattern, migration route and winter range. 
Several members of Fox Valley Chapter attended the Natural Resources Council of Illinois meeting in Joliet on Oct. 17 
and 18. The field trip to Goose Lake Prairie was well attended and featured prairie vegetation rather than birds. 
Kaskaskia Chapter held its annual election of officers of Nov. 9. The new President of the Chapter is Henry Hartshorn, 
Box 296, Rt. 1, Sandoval, Illinois 62882. Twelve members and friends of Kaskaskia Chapter visited the Devil's Prop area 
which was recently acquired by the Nature Conservancy. It is located two miles south of Divide in Jefferson County. The area 
features a sandstone outcrop supported by a pillar of sandstone. The botanist would be interested in the mosses, ferns, 
lichens, Indian grass, big and little bluestem, blazing star, goldenrods, asters and many species of trees and shrubs. The 
V-shaped ravine with steep exposed sandstones has been carved through the geological ages. 
Both Southwest and Kaskaskia Chapters sponsored high school students to the Conservation Workshop at the SIU 
Carbondale Little Grassy Lake facility during the past summer. The reports presented by these students indicate that this 
one-week workshop is very much worthwhile. 
Springfield Audubon Society (affiliate) members Florence Heckman and Eloise Hill took care of the publicity booth 
for [AS at a meeting of the Illinois Wildlife Federation in Springfield. |AS is especially grateful since most members were 
involved with the Annual Campout the same weekend. 
Springfield’s Annual Christmas Dinner was Sunday, Dec. 6; a slide program ‘’Nature Through The Year” was presented 
by Arthur C. Hollatz of Bloomington. 
The ten rnembers of Morgan County Audubon Society (affiliate) who visited Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge at 
Brussels on Oct. 10, were unusually lucky in finding not only an immature bald eagle (which had arrived a week ahead of 
schedule) but also a very rare red-throated loon. The whole trip was not spent watching birds, however; during lunch the 
children in the group succeeded in coaxing a monarch butterfly into tasting some 7—up which they had poured onto their 
fingers. 
Sarah Vasse, V.P. for Extension 
Box 142, Brussels, Illinois 62013 
