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Southwest Chapter activities included a breakfast cookout and birding at Collinsville Park April 3 and birding on the 
Edwardsville SIU campus on the 17th. The latter trip was attended by several persons who had attended a bird identification 
course given by John McCall at the Edwardsville YMCA. About 40 members and friends took part in the Marquette Park 
outing on April 24. The group was divided and led to different places (including Mark Twain Refuge) by the leaders, John 
McCall, Mildred Schaefer, Sarah Vasse and Lucas Wrischnik. Birds found included Prothonotary, Cerulean and Prairie 
Warblers; but the best find of the day was a yellow-headed blackbird. 
Lincoln Trail Chapter: The March meeting was a tour of the Paris Lakes area to view water birds, with Connie Foley, Edgar 
County Conservation Officer acting as guide. At Rocky Branch Nature Preserve in May, local members and friends were 
pleased to have as guests Dave Watson and Paul Thiedes from Vermilion County Audubon Society. (Affiliate) 
Fox Valley Chapter: At the April meeting Mr. Ray Schulenberg of Morton Arboretum, presented a program of slides of 
prairie plants and discussed the Arboretum’s Prairie Restoration Project. The April 3 trip to Jasper-Pulaski Game Preserve in 
Indiana must have been timed just right as hundreds of sandhill cranes were seen as well as many ducks and a Common Loon. 
Kaskaskia Chapter’s May program included slides of Shawnee National Forest. Five members of Kaskaskia Chapter took part 
in the southern IIlinois Spring Bird Count on May 1. They covered Marion County and found a total of 91 species. 
The Southern IIlinois Chapter has had some interesting field trips and several lively meetings. An excursion to see the 
courtship flight of the woodcock on March 31 was rather unsatisfactory, when the only woodcock audible proved extremely 
shy. On April 4, 39 birders visited Heron Pond (Johnson County) which has been acquired by the Nature Preserves 
Commission. Here again, the birds were uncooperative and no egrets were seen; although 9 were sighted later in the day 
roosting in one tree at the Crab Orchard Refuge. Field trips were also taken to Lusk Creek and the Union County State 
Forest, where the member's had a potluck supper and heard Dr. William George of SIU discuss endangered species of birds. 
In April, Southern and Fort Chartres Chapters joined forces for a tour of Lusk Creek, conducted by John Schwegman of the 
Nature Preserves Commission. Fort Chartres Chapter offers a monthly ‘’Nature Safari” for youth. The March tour of Shawnee 
National Forest, conducted by State Forester, Bob Burton, drew an attendance of 62 people (mostly children). 
Will County Chapter cooperated with the Nature Museum staff in conducting guided wildflower walks in Pilcher Park, Joliet, 
each Sunday during April and May. Bird walks were held each Saturday during the same period, with increasingly good 
turnout as the season progressed. A program of wildflower slides was presented by Mrs. Norman Mueller at the April meeting. 
The slides were taken at Vermont Cemetery in Wheatland Township, one of Illinois’ few remaining prairies. At the May 
meeting, Chris Cold, a local high school student, showed slides and spoke on the subject of ‘Birds of Prey”’. 
The Bureau Valley Audubon Club (Affiliate) has had visits from Ray Mostek, Past President, and Alice Palmer the Chairman 
of the State Affairs Committee. In February the group heard a most interesting talk on the changes in waterfowl! populations 
which have occurred as a result of pollution and the absence of the crustaceans which furnished food for the diving ducks. 
The Putnam County Conservation officer also stressed the danger to ducks from swallowing lead shot. 
Congratulations to the Springfield Aubudon Society (Affiliate) which now has over 250 members - an all-time high. Among 
the trips that the club has conducted were visits to the new Sangchris State Park (weather and birding were both bad), and a 
visit to Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria. Other outings featured the study of spring wildflowers, edible wild plants, and 
mushrooms. On June 6 the club had its annual dinner meeting with a program “Backpacking in Olympic National Park’’ by 
William Zachary of New Berlin. 
Tri-City Bird Club (Affiliate) in co-sponsorship with the Davenport Public Museum presented a program of “Spring Visitors 
and Summer Residents’ at the museum on April 27. W. Lonnecker of Bettenford was the photographer and P. Frazier of 
Rock Island was narrator. In spite of cold damp weather, 125 people were present for the May Dawn Concert on May 1. Pete 
Peterson, the compiler, reported 57 species found. Tri-City Bird Club honored Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Hazzard, who helped found 
the club 23 years ago, with a pot luck supper on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary on April 28. 
Sarah Vasse 
V.P. of Extension 
Box 142, Brussels, Ill. 62013 

