Poet meee G BON BU Dame Tt TN 15 
feature will be the addition of the Migration Tables. From these tables, we 
will be able to keep annual records of each species as it migrates into and 
out of the various districts of the state. Each of the 18 districts has its own 
compiler for the migration data and such information should be sent 
directly to those compilers (their addresses available on request). In cases 
of significant records—either dates or numbers of birds—special notes or 
documentations must accompany the reports. All other material should be 
sent to the editor. 
In the very near future, H. David Bohlen of the Illinois State Museum 
will complete the up-dated ‘‘A Distributional Check List of the Birds of 
Illinois.” Thereafter, the FIELD NOTES section of the Audubon Bulletin 
will be the published record for all future ornithological records of Illinois. 
By publishing all these data in only one journal, future researchers will 
not have to spend extra time and energy searching and verifying records 
from obscure sources. We already appreciate the demonstrated willingness 
of Illinois observers to organize and centralize all bird data and your 
continued support will help make the data complete and accurate. 
THE SPRING MIGRATION REPORT! 
This first report is primarily introducing the readership to the style 
and format of the Seasonal Reports. It primarily covers the months of 
April and May. Only a few of our active birders made contributions to this 
report; since this report will be the official record of all ornithological 
records of Illinois, we hope that all observers will make contributions. 
April and May were characterized by variable weather conditions; late 
frosts in April were followed by scattered thundershowers and tornadoes 
in May, that caused considerable flooding and damage locally. Tempera- 
tures averaged fairly close to normal. 
Most observers are always out in 
the spring; therefore, the migration 
arrival dates were easy to obtain— 
this is reflected in TABLE 1. How- 
ever, departure dates were a little 
more difficult to obtain—this is re- 
flected in TABLE 2. These tables 
summarize the earliest arrival date 
and latest departure date for sel- 
ected species in all the districts (The 
total compilation is available on re- 
quest). FIGURE 1 shows the coun- 
ties in each district. A zero (0) in- 
dicates that the species was not 
reported during the period; a plus 
(+) or dash (—), the species was 
reported, but not early or late 
enough to be considered the first 
arrival or latest departure, a “W”, 
migrants could not be safely differ- 
entiated from wintering individuals; 
an “S”, departing inviduals could 
not be differentiated from summer- 
ing individuals. 
Many people assisted with the 
accumulation of data; much thanks 
is expressed to them all. The fol- 
7ROOUP/S 
MIGRATION 
Dis 7TRICTS 
FIGURE 7 
