24 THE -A;0'D UscB'O NBO Dilek Ties 
Bloomington 
From Mr. Harold B. Wood, Health Director, of Bloomington, 
Illinois, come these notes under date of March 14th: 
Your call for a list of wintering birds noted in today’s paper. 
The following have been common at Bloomington during the 
past winter: Blue Jay, Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, Cardinal, 
Chickadee, Tree Sparrow and Yellow-shafted Flicker. In De- 
cember a Tufted Titmouse was occasionally in our yard. To the 
feeding box made by my son, Merrill Wood, and to the suet in 
the trees have come numerous Jays, aS many as five Cardinals 
at a time, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and a Brown Creeper. 
We have seen an occasional Marsh Hawk, and on Christmas 
three Evening Grosbeaks (undoubted). 
I have heard three distinct and different calls of Owls but 
cannot identify the species. 
Robins first appeared here the morning of March 2nd; we 
heard the first Meadowlark March 8th (we live near the edge of 
the city); Blackbirds first arrived March 9th; and on March 
14th a Song Sparrow was heard. 
Elgin 
Mrs. N. I. Childs sends under date of March 5th the following: 
I have been fortunate in having Downy and Hairy Wood- 
peckers, Creepers, Nuthatches and Chickadees come to my suet 
basket all winter. 
Last summer the Downy had her nest in my yard and hatched 
two young ones. I think one of them was not normal for the 
mother took it when it was about a week old and flying high 
above the drinking fountain dropped it . I went to it immediately 
and found it still alive, but it died soon after. 
For years I have had Wrens in my boxes, but last summer 
the Downy would not let them even stay in the yard. I love the 
Wrens very much and hope the Downy will not be quite so selfish 
this year. 
Miss Gertrude Higinbotham writes: 
We are enjoying your “Check List of the Birds of Illinois.” 
Everyone interested in the study of our bird friends should cer- 
tainly have a copy. 
We first began the study of the birds in 1914, and have cer- 
tainly considered our time well spent. By always keeping water 
and food (suet and seeds) where the birds can obtain them, we 
always see between sixty and seventy different kinds of birds 
in our yard, which is an ordinary city lot. 
On October 26, 1922, we had the treat of seeing our first 
Red-bellied Woodpecker. (Notice the ‘Check List” says they 
are rare in this section) December 29, 1922, we saw him again 
and the Red-headed Woodpecker at the same time. Both were 
on our bathing pan. On a visit to Trout Park on January 19, 
