tee wel Ub ON BS i DE DEN 17 
WINTER SEASON 
December 1, 1968-March 31, 1969 
EA: Calhoun Unit of Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge, except 
ere other area is specifically mentioned: 
istling Swan—Adult present December thru March 2. Immature seen 
on Dec. 21 only. These spent most of the time off the refuge on State 
of Illinois game management areas. The adult was easy to find, and 
a steady stream of birders came from the St. Louis area to put this 
bird on their year’s list. 
ite-fronted Goose—14 present on the refuge Mar. 29. 
e-snow Geese—Present in normal numbers during early part of the 
period. Less than 1% immatures in this flock. These normally winter 
here but this year left during January, perhaps due to harassment 
from the unusually large concentration of eagles. 
*ks—All duck numbers seem low with the only exception of Bufflehead 
which is never extremely common here. 
den Eagle—1 immature on refuge Jan. 7 and 8. Also seen several days 
later by a group from St. Louis. 
d Eagle—Peak of 198 (78 adults, 124 immatures) on census day Dec. 21. 
Total numbers remaining 100 or more thru Jan. One of these eagles 
was an abnormally-plumaged bird, extremely white from above when 
seen in flight, and showing a brown breast band quite similar to that 
of a Swainson’s hawk. 
‘mit Thrush—Seen near the refuge Dec. 21 and Jan. 19. 
lar Waxwing—Absent in this area and in Pere Marquette Park. This is 
unusual. 
ttle Warbler—Near the refuge Dec. 21 and Jan. 2. Group of at least 9 
on Mar. 2. 
ning Grosbeak—Not on the refuge but present in Elsah, Ill. all of 
February and March and in Grafton late March and early April. 
—Sally Vasse, Brussels, Ill. 62013 
Sighting reports and other material for the FIELD NOTES 
Section should be sent directly to the Field Notes editor, Elton 
Fawks, Route 1, Box 112, East Moline, Ill. 61244. 
ALBINO ROBIN: 
Bob Edwards, doctoral degree student in zoology at South- 
ern Illinois University, currently is studying an unusual 
albino robin. Edwards found the white-feathered bird in a 
nest in De Soto. The albino was the biggest and strongest 
fledgling in a family of four. The other three birds were 
normal in color. Edwards, who holds a master’s degree in 
ornithology, said he does not know exactly how often a 
pure white robin occurs in nature, but it is “pretty rare.” 
Albino birds and animals generally do not reproduce them- 
selves in nature, he said, because they are “selected 
against” by others of their kind. However, with artificial 
help by man, albinos can breed, he said. One example is 
the white squirrels of Olney. 
