et aie sate beOeNw Bally nel san 23 
order. Some of the elms are dead but are still used for nesting. Much of the 
foliage on the living trees is white with guano. There are several cotton- 
wood trees in the area, but no nests were found in them. Two large elms 
each contain over 40 heron nests. All nests are not in use. There are indi- 
cations that old nests have been repaired and used for successive years. A 
representative from the St. Louis Audubon Society reported counting 450 
nests in the area last winter, when the absence of foliage made a nest 
census more accurate. Approximately 250 heron nests and 50 egret nests 
were counted during our visits. There was no outstanding difference be- 
tween the nests of the two species, making identification impossible unless 
the parent birds were on the nests or the young were big enough to identify. 
The stages of development ranged from eggs in various stages of in- 
cubation to young learning to fly. Many half-shells of eggs were on the 
ground, as well as assorted fragments of various species of fish, which in- 
cluded catfish, bluegill, gar, shad, carp, and buffalo. Some of the fish were 
eight inches long. Walking under the nests apparently excited the young 
birds, causing them to drop the fish and in some instances to fall from 
their precarious perches. The usual number of young in each nest seemed 
to be two. However, we did not climb any trees for close inspection of eggs 
or young. 
The breeding census on the above dates gave the following estimates: 
June 26, 1961 — 43 egrets and 1380 herons, all ages. July 12, 1961 — 75 
egrets and 300 herons, all ages. Estimated total, including all ages in both 
colonies, from 250 to 350. The greater number in July resulted from more 
developed young. Observers were: J. W. Galbreath, C. F. Scherrer, Lucas 
Wrischnik, James Arcynski, and R. H. Rodrian. All are members of the 
Cahokia Nature League. 
Anyone knowing of colonies of herons nesting farther north is requested 
to write to the author. 
9405 Richfield Road, East St. Louis, Ill. 
ft ft ft 
SANDPIPER REMINISCENCES 
By KARL E. BARTEL 
ON A BALMY Day in July 1923 I had my introduction to Calumet Lake and 
its bird life. I remember the event well because by the end of the day one 
leg was longer than the other. This all came about when my dad took me 
fishing at Calumet Lake. I vaguely remember getting off a street car and 
walking to the end of 111th Street. From there we walked south along the 
board fence of the Pullman car shops. At that time the distance between 
the lake and the board fence varied between three and four feet, but had 
a 45 degree slope. Along this slope I acquired one leg longer than the other. 
Little did I realize then that my life would be molded around this area. 
Calumet Lake in 1928 extended from 95th Street on the north to 130th 
on the south, Cottage Grove on the west, and Torrence Avenue on the east. 
On the lake were some dredges digging for clay which was then hauled 
somewhere to make common bricks. The lake remained unchanged until 
19382 or 1933, when 103rd Street was built across the north end. This 
created a new access to the lake, and the city of Chicago began to dump 
garbage in the lake approximately one-half mile east of Cottage Grove 
Avenue and south of 103rd Street. Thus sometime between 1933 and 1936 
numerous mud flats were created that made ideal probing areas for sand- 
pipers. 
