12 ILLINOTS (AUDUBON A BUTE iy 
On April 22, 1966 the young pen arrived at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. 
She was transported by station wagon to Lake Rawson. 
Whisper was already established for another year at the lake. In the 
presence of the press, citizens of Bureau, the fishermen, members of the 
Audubon Club, conservation directors of Bureau and Putnam counties, 
and the Ranch House staff, the young pen was christened “Lady of the 
Lake” and released on the waters. It was a cold, windy day and, according 
to swan fanciers, it was late for that year’s meeting. When winter came, 
both swans were Mr. Pierson’s guests. 
By the spring of 1967, the swans had mated and built their nest 
in a small pool across the road from the lake. The pool, once used for 
live fish storage, was actually right beside the Rock Island Railroad 
tracks. Five eggs were laid. Something disturbed the nest, and two eggs 
were stolen; the rest did not hatch. 
The year of 1968 repeated the procedure of ’67. Although no eggs 
were stolen, they didn’t hatch either; and while Whisper and Lady 
lingered to protect the nest, a wild animal killed Lady and Whisper was 
injured. Whisper returned to the lake alone. | 
When the spring of 1969 came, another strange swan, first seen at 
Lake Arispie, several miles away, found its way to Lake Rawson. Whisper 
and “Lady No. 2” built a nest in a secluded part of the lake. Before 
the summer ended, “Lady No. 2” was killed by dogs. Tracks were evident. 
During the last two years of Whisper’s reign at the lake, he chose 
not to go to his usual winter shelter. When the men came to transport 
him, he took off, swimming at top speed; and the men abandoned the 
project. One night, he flew to the river. When found by an Audubon 
member who went on a search for him, he was on the Jones and Laugh- 
lin thermostatic-controlled cooling basin. The managers, alerted to the 
identity of their distinguished guest, agreed to see that he was fed. 
In mild weather he commuted back and forth to Lake Rawson. 
Once when visiting Lake Arispie, he was attacked by migrating Canada 
geese. Concerned onlookers rushed him to the animal hospital where it 
was found that his neck and head had been so badly pecked that the 
veterinarian wasn’t sure that he could be saved. In a few days, he had 
recovered enough to be released in the care of his benefactors. We saw 
him back at Lake Rawson. Later, he made an interesting river trip of 
about 20 miles to Starved Rock State Park where flood waters were 
forming a pool in the parking lot. A phone conversation with the ranger 
assured us that he would be cared for although they feared that his 
friendliness would be his undoing. 
By the end of his eleventh summer on the lake, another swan, gender 
unknown, was flying with him. On September 29th, 1974, the evening 
paper gave us the sad news: Whisper, flying low toward Lake Rawson, 
