DH Esa U DUB ON Bile bel ieN 17 
Statewide Observations 
By Wildlife Specialists 
Note Major Increase In 
Waterfowl Population 
by JAMES LOCKHART 
ne of the grandest spectacles of the year got underway in October when 
illions of waterfowl migrated from their nesting grounds in Canada and 
1e Dakotas to the wintering grounds in southern Illinois, Arkansas and 
ther states down the Mississippi flyway. 
Frank Bellrose, Havana, a wildlife specialist for the Illinois Natural 
istory Survey, saw three times as many ducks in the Illinois River 
alley on his Oct. 21 census flight as he did on the same day last year. 
e observed close to 60,000 ducks on the Illinois river from Hennepin to 
eoria and about 120,000 below Peoria. In 1968 Bellrose saw about 59,000 
ucks on the same stretch of the river. 
Bellrose observed about 14,000 mallards on the Rice pond, near Chilli- 
tthe. On Goose pond, just to the south, he counted 12,000 mallards and 
400 blue and snow geese. Other areas with large concentrations of water- 
ywl on the upper Illinois river were upper Peoria lake where 4,000 
1allards were resting; Weiss lake, north of Sparland, with 2,900 mallards; 
nd Siebold, near Henry, where more than 5,000 ducks and 250 blue and 
low geese were observed. On Lake Senachwine, north of Henry, were 
000 snow and blue geese, 1,500 Canada geese and 3,500 mallards. 
Below Peoria, Bellrose saw 17,300 mallards and 500 blue and snow 
eese on Spring lake, near Banner. There were 1,100 mallards and 600 
eese on Rice lake, a state hunting area south of Banner. On Big and 
‘oose lakes, east of Rice lake, were 3,800 mallards, 150 pintails, 300 teal 
nd 75 Canada geese. 
On Clear lake, farther downstream, were 3,600 mallards and a thou- 
and blue and snow geese. Bellrose counted 6,800 mallards, 250 pintails, 
600 teal, 2,800 scaup, 175 Canadas and 200 blue and snow geese on the 
hautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, north of Havana. 
More than 12,000 mallards were on Ingram lake, south of Havana. 
nother large concentration of mallards, about 16,000 of them, plus about 
