24 TH*E AJU DW ByO7 Ne (BOUT Eee 
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This area, although smelly, harbored many a bird lover, including Dr. 
Alfred Lewy, Amy G. Baldwin, Frank A. Pitelka, Dr. R. M. Strong, and 
others. My first interest in and encounter with birds was in 1928, but by 
1933 my knowledge was of such a caliber that I had applied for a Federal 
Bird Banding Permit. Although I began banding birds on February 11, 
1938, it was not until 1937 that I devised bird traps that would catch sand- 
pipers. On August 3, 1987, my first sandpiper traps were set at the 1031d 
Street mud flats and operated until August 15th. During this time eight 
species of sandpipers were trapped and banded, a total of 104 individuals. 
By 19388 the 103rd Street flats had disappeared, and the migrating sand- 
pipers had to find new feeding grounds. During the last few months of 
1937 and the first few months of 1938, Doty Avenue was built across Calu- 
met Lake. At 106th Street and Doty was a small mud flat that some sand- 
pipers soon found. It was here that on August 7, 1938, while observing 
birds, I spied one sandpiper with a band; and since I had not banded any 
this year as yet, I thought it might be one I had banded before. I rushed 
home, got some traps and set them up, and in one hour had captured the 
bird. It was one I had banded on August 4, 1937, a thousand feet farther 
west. Only six sandpipers were trapped in this location. 
In 1988 I also used two other sandpiper spots. One was Chicago Ridge, 
at 111th and Central, where on August 14th I banded five birds along 
Stoney Creek. Two of these were rare — a Western Sandpiper and a 
Baird’s. The next trapping site was at 135th Street and 76th Avenue in 
Palos Park. Here one Solitary Sandpiper was banded on August 21, 1938. 
Two sites were used in 1989. One was a ditch in Oak Hill Cemetery, 
where I worked; the other a small puddle along Cottage Grove Avenue, at 
120th Street. Here only two birds were captured. In 1940 Mrs. Baldwin 
discovered a new area on the east side of Wolf Lake, in Indiana. Here I 
set up traps for three days and captured 55 birds. One was a Long-billed 
Dowitcher, and two were Blue-winged Teal. This was the area and year 
most of my sandpiper trapping pictures were taken. 
By August 1941 a new dump had been started along Doty Avenue near 
120th Street, where sandpipers flocked because of the mud flats. It was at 
this site that I developed a strong resentment for bird observers who re- 
fused to stay clear of the traps when birds were working close to them. 
This trapping site was given up in three days because of the interference. 
Only 13 birds were banded here. By 1942 this site had disappeared. 
Because of heavy rains during July 1944, the former puddle at Cottage 
Grove and 120th brought in many birds through August. Here the traps 
were set up on July 29th and removed on September 9th. During this period 
of 48 days, 212 birds were banded (13 species). The area was not used 
azain until 1947, when only 14 birds were banded in 14 days, but two of 
these were Brewer’s Blackbirds. The area was used again in 1948, and this 
time 34 birds were banded. In that year a Marbled Godwit was observed 
here until it was shot by a hunter. 
I found no sandpiper banding sites in 1949. In 1950 Dr. Alfred Lewy 
secured a permit to enter the sanitary filtration plant at 125th and Cottage 
Grove Avenue. This was the best banding site I ever had. Here the traps 
were not disturbed for over a month, either by bird lovers or trespassers. 
About 1389 sandpipers were banded, plus such birds as the Sora Rail, Water 
Pipit, Swamp Sparrow, Long-billed Marsh Wren, Mourning Dove, and 
hundreds of Redwinged Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Starlings, and Song Spar- 
rows. On September 4, 1950, I also trapped one day on the west shore of 
Wolf Lake and banded 7 sandpipers. 
