20 THE AUDUBON BULLE Tia 
Report for Central Western 
Illinois 
By T. E. MUSSELMAN, Quincy 
OCTOBER 
URING October we had the normal flight of sparrows. The 
1) chewinks stayed with us until October 20. On the 26th, a large 
immature bald eagle dropped into a bunch of decoys in front of a 
duck blind, and was pumped full of lead by the two hunters. Its wing 
spread was seven feet three inches, weight eleven pounds, and was the 
biggest eagle I have ever seen. October 29 will be a day never forgotten 
in this part of the country. A high barometric pressure passed over 
Canada and a low barometric pressure was very pronounced south of 
Illinois, resulting in a general wind from Canada, south to the Gulf. The 
cold condensed the atmosphere which was extremely damp causing a fog 
which was almost impenetrable. At ten o’clock that night flocks of 
migrant geese began passing over. The flight extended over the entire 
state of Missouri and at least as far east as Jacksonville, Illinois. The 
lights of the large towns confused the birds over which they milled and 
circled for hours. Thirty-eight birds were killed in Quincy, some flying 
into the headlights of trains approaching the city. The Country Club 
ground was white with thousands of lesser snow geese as day broke. 
These quickly took wing at the approach of a hunter. Stories came to 
my attention, from different towns throughout Missouri, in all of which 
birds were killed by flying into wires or into lighted buildings. On the 
30th, I identified two scoters, a female white-winged and a male surf 
scoter, both killed on sand bars on the river above the city. 
NOVEMBER 
The first ruddy duck was killed November 2. On the 3rd, I identified 
a female albino mallard hen which was killed on Lima Lake. This bird 
had yellow legs, white toenails, pink eyes, and some brown feathers on 
the back. Its weight was one pound three ounces. A very good albino 
pintail was brought in to me. It had black feet and its plumage was 
more than half white. Its weight was fifteen ounces. November g, I saw 
a stray migrant shrike. On November 12, there was a continuation of 
fog and wind which paralleled the night of October 29. Over Illinois 
the atmosphere was clear. Missouri was covered with fog. A sudden 
cold snap in Canada precipitated a tremendous flight of ducks which 
passed over; those passing above Illinois never stopped. However, the 
fog over Missouri confused the birds which descended into the well- 
lighted towns. Fifty-eight were picked up at Ewing, Missouri, eighteen 
