40 THE A*U:DUBON BULLE ies 
Horned Lark, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Black- 
capped Chickadee, Robin, Bluebird, Herring Gull, Red-tailed 
Hawk, Pin-tailed Duck, Mallard Duck and Green-winged Teal. 
River Forest 
Field notes from River Forest are contributed by Professor 
GoW. Ge hitrig: 
The outstanding feature of the past winter for our north- 
western suburb is the presence of that aristocratic erratic 
northern visitant, the Bohemian Waxwing. December 29 I saw 
a flock of about seventy-five flying over, uttering their “beady” 
note, like the Cedarbird. They then scattered in small flocks 
to look up the berries found so plentifully on hedges and plant- 
ings around the homes and in some of the large, park-like gar- 
dens of the village. Soon the berries of the high-bush cranberry 
(Viburnum opulus) and the privet were cleaned up. Flocks of 
ten or twelve were seen as late as Washington’s Birthday and 
on March twelfth. 
Some of our common birds seem to be getting used to our 
present mild winters. Thus I saw the Meadowlark—ours are 
mostly the small southern variety, the Florida Meadowlark 
(Sturnella magna argutula)—on January third, seven of them; 
and again on the twenty-eighth; and in February they were 
frequently seen and heard. They were common by the first 
week of the present month (March), a week or two before they 
normally are. The same holds good for the Robin. The only 
month in which I did not see any was January. The last one of 
1921 I saw December 30, and they came in migratory flocks by 
February twenty-second. That exceptionally mild Washington’s 
Birthday brought the contingent wintering right south of our 
area here. Flocks of from fifteen to twenty-five were seen on 
the twenty-third and soon after. The same day brought the 
Bluebirds, two being seen; they may be called common since 
March fourth, two weeks before their normal time to become so. 
The Killdeer is even a greater surprise, the first ones coming 
here February 18, then on the twenty-second. They were com- 
mon by March fourth, which is extremely unusual. 
The Bronzed Grackles and Redwings, however, seem to have 
stuck more closely to their usual program. They did not turn up 
here before the end of the first week of March. In fact, the 
first Redwing, a lonely one, I saw on the twelfth, when also the 
first Sparrow Hawk was seen. Of course Juncos, Fox Spar-- 
rows, and Tree Sparrows are here, but I have so far not seen 
or heard a Song Sparrow. : 
The Ring-tailed Pheasant is in our parts becoming as com- 
mon as the Meadowlark. One day I saw about thirty. The 
center of abundance for them is in “North Woods,” a_ large 
piece of park-like real estate, surrounded by a high fence, where 
