10 THE AU 'D.U BO Ny BU Leb hei 
CODE: Seaton; western section of Mercer County (same as last year). 
Dec. 28; 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; temp. 30° to 35°; cloudy; wind NW, 8 
m.p.h.; seven observers; total party hours, 35; total party miles, 119 (18 on 
foot, 101 by car). One mocking bird has been observed several weeks at a 
bird feeder; other seen in hedge row feeding on wild grapes. Large concen- 
tration of Harris sparrows in area during October; three birds have re- 
mained to date. Participants: May, Richard, Ted, Teddy Ray Greer and Ear] 
Tomlinson of Joy, Ill.; Marjie and Robert Trial of Seaton, Ill. (Mercer 
County Bird Club). Seen in the area during census period: American 
Golden-eye; American Merganser; Herring Gull; Ring-billed Gull; White- 
throated Sparrow; Swamp Sparrow; Canada Goose. 
CODE: Spr’gfield; Springfield, Illinois. 74% mile radius centering on city 
square, including Lake Springfield, Clear Lake, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Car- 
penter’s Park, Winch’s Lane, Chatham Flats, and Sangamon River (same 
as last year). Dec. 23; 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; misty and drizzly, precipita- 
tion .20 inch; temp. 37° to 45°; wind slight; ground bare and unfrozen; 
lakes and river open. Seventeen observers in 5 parties. Total party-hours, 37 
(25 on foot, 12 by car); total party-miles, 155 (18 on foot, 187 by car). — 
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Allyn, Wayne Bailey, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bretscher, 
Beatrice Foster, Vernon Greening, Lena Hardbarger, Lois Hogan, Al 
Kaszynski, Emma Leonhard, Winnie Marshall, Harry J. McConnell, William 
O’Brien, Opel M. Rippey, W. A. Sausaman (compiler), Richard Ware 
(Springfield Nature League). The two Hutchin’s Geese were observed in a 
cornfield near Lake Springfield in a group of about 50 Canada Geese. Identi- 
fication, by careful analysis at close range, was made by veteran bird watch- 
ers Dr. Richard Allyn and William O’Brien. The Northern Water-thrush 
was found along the Sangamon River by Al Kaszynski, another veteran 
observer. In the 22 years the Springfield Nature League has conducted 
Christmas bird censuses this is the first record of the Northern Water- 
thrush and Field Sparrow and the second record of the Hutchin’s Goose 
and Brown Thrasher. 
CODE: Tri-City; Rock Island-Moline-Davenport area (7% mile radius 
centering on Memorial Bridge tollgate). Dec. 30; 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Over- 
cast, clearing in afternoon; temp. 24° to 47°; wind SW-S-SE, 9-29 m.p.h.; 
ground with '% inch snow, melting in p.m.; ponds and sloughs frozen, rivers 
open; 52 observers in 18 parties. Total party-hours, 103 (64 on foot, 39 by 
car), total party-miles, 602 (108 on foot, 499 by car). Deciduous woods 35%, 
open farmland 30%, river and shoreline 25%, coniferous plantings 5%, 
urban 5%. Seen in area during census period: Double-crested Cormorant, 
Rusty Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird. Bald Eagle count carefully checked 
by Census Committee in respect to field parties, time of observation, etc. 
All possible duplications were eliminated. Southerly winds, river channels 
as only feeding area, and recent seining in Mississippi providing dead trash 
fish were possible factors of the large concentration. The Varied Thrush had 
been a daily visitor to the yard of Fred Cook, Rock Island, Ill. Identification 
verified later by A. L. Baily, Elton Fawks, Dick Greer, Ted Greer, Jim Lewis, 
Peter Petersen, Jr., Bob Trial and others. The bird, a male, was observed by 
all within twenty feet. — 52 members of the Tri-City Bird Club; A. Lang 
Baily, compiler. 
