32 ILLINOIS AUDUBON “BU Th ae 
Campbell) and Normal, 12 May (D. Birkenholz). A Red-throated Loon near 
Champaign was quite unexpected 30 March through 6 April (R. Boehmer, 
R. Graber, m.ob.). An Eared Grebe was observed at Jacksonville, 11 May 
(D. Bohlen, et aL) and a Red-necked Grebe was present on Lake Springfield 
from 4-8 April (D. Bohlen, m.ob). The only White Pelicans reported were a 
group of four on 4 June which totaled 16 a week later at Lake Baldwin (B. 
Boyd); 22 appeared at the Marshall County Conservation Area, 14 June (M. 
Mahoney). The first Double-crested Cormorants were noted in Fulton 
County, 29 March (V. Humphreys—CIMT); others appeared statewide 
between 5 April and 10 May; maximum numbers were 31 at the Thomson 
nesting colony, 19 April (B. Shaw), 29 at Lake Chautauqua, 22 April (R. 
Sandburg) and 19 at Sangchris Lake, 20 April (D. Bohlen). 
HERONS, EGRETS and IBISES. Little Blue Herons continued their 
expected mid-April movement through Illinois arriving at Springfield, 16 
April (D. Bohlen); Mason County, 19 April (D. Bohlen, et al.—CIMT); and 
Savanna, 23 April (*J. Rees—CIMT); others appeared in Vermilion County, 
4 and 31 May (M. Campbell—CIMT): Cattle Egrets were regularly reported; 
90 were counted at Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson County, 27 April (B. Peter- 
john). One Snowy Egret was observed. at Nigger Lake in Mason County, 11 
May (D. Bohlen, et al.). Black-crowned Night Herons moved sporadically 
through the state in early April; these birds were considered scarce ‘this 
year in the Chicago area and in fact, the remnant population usually found 
at Calumet failed to return at all; at least 22 birds were observed during 
the period in central Illinois (D. Bohlen). There were few records of Yel- 
low-crowned Night Herons this season, but the six-plus records in the 
Chicago area were noteworthy there; an early arrival had appeared in 
Jackson County by 29 March (*R. Palmer). A Glossy Ibis was identified and 
photographed near Pecatonica, 23 May (F. Brechlin, J. Armstrong); another 
was observed near Danville, 27 May (*R. Schifo); five unidentified dark 
ibises flew over Grayslake, 25 May (R. Russell, et al.). | 
WATERFOWL. Single Whistling Swans were present at Peoria and Lake 
Chautauqua, 15 February (V. Humphreys—CIMT); a flock of 20 arrived in 
Whiteside County, 28 March and were still there the following day (B. 
Shaw); another flock of 28 stopped in the Des Plaines River for two days, 
4 and 5 April (J. Neal). The group of 100+ Canvasback in Lawrence County 
was exciting for local observers, 8-15 March (D. Jones). A high of 39 Buffle- 
heads was reported from Harristown, 10 April (R. Palmer). The presence 
of a male Harlequin Duck at Evanston, 9 May, was at least three weeks 
beyond the expected date of departure. A pair of Ruddy Ducks was still 
present at Springfield, 25 May (D. Bohlen) and a single in Vermilion County 
through 8 June (M. Campbell—CIMT). There were documented inland 
records of all three species of scoters this spring: one White-winged at 
Peoria, 3-28 March (V. Humphreys, Z. Williams, m.ob); one Surf in the 
Mississippi River in Whiteside County, 10 and 11 May (E. Fawks, et al., | 
photographed); and one Black at Peoria, 24-25 March (*R. and S. Scott). 
The migration of Red-breasted Mergansers was good; there were 31 males 
at Peoria, 3 March (V. Humphreys) and over 1400 (both sexes) at Chicago, 
21 April (L. Balch); late-departing individuals included’ one in Vermilion | 
County, 18 May (M. Campbell—CIMT) and two at Sangchris Lake, 11 May 
(D. Bohlen). © , | 
