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Good News On Lake States’ Eagles: 
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| The annual U.S. Forest Service survey of Bald Eagles and 
| Ospreys on national forests in the Great Lakes area indicates that 
| the eagle increased its numbers and the Osprey held its own 
during 1975, the Wildlife Management Institute reports. 
The number of young eagles known to have reached fledg- 
| ing age on the seven national forests was 192, nearly 30 more 
| than in any previous year of the survey which has been conducted 
| since 1964. The Ospreys produced 102 young to fledging age. 
| That is 16 less than last year. Biologists think several Osprey nests 
| were destroyed by windstorms and could account for the drop. 
In 1965 only 37 young eagles and 11 Ospreys were found on the 
forests. 
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PRAIRIE CHICKEN. Ron Westemeier reported that nest success for 
the Greater Prairie Chicken on the sanctuaries at Bogota was less than 50% 
for the third consecutive year. This summer, 58 nests were located. Even 
with the “poor showing”, Westemeier thought it was a better nesting season 
than the past two seasons and is encouraged with this year’s results. 
RAILS, GALLINULES and COOTS. King Rails were found throughout 
June in Mason County and one dead downy young (species unknown) was 
detected there 19 July (D. Bohlen); the species was also noted throughout 
the marsh at Chain-O’-Lakes State Park the last week of May (V. Kleen). 
A Sora was reported from Vermilion County, 1 July (M. Campbell) Central 
Illinois has been traditionally’ known to include the breeding range of the 
Black Rail; therefore, some observers have spent considerable time seeking 
these birds out; at least one, possibly two, was discovered (seen and heard) 
in Mason County, 20 and 25 June (D. Bohlen, et al.); owing to the small 
size of the habitat and extensive searching and trampling which would 
follow, the exact location is not presently being announced. (For complete 
details of the observation, see page 25.) Nesting Common Gallinules were 
successful throughout all of northeastern Illinois (m.ob.) and as far south 
as Fulton County (D. Bohlen). No Purple Gallinules were reported from 
their Lake Mermet nesting area this year. Singles to small groups of 
American Coots summered throughout the state; however, there was no 
breeding evidence for the southern half of Illinois. 
SHOREBIRDS, GULLS and TERNS. Apparently the Piping Plovers 
did not nest along the Lake Michigan shores again this year (L. Balch). 
Although not an unusual nesting species, an American Woodcock on a 
nest was photographed by B. Adams in Morgan County. The only young 
Upland Sandpipers reported were found in Vermilion County, 8 June (M. 
Campbell) and in Will County (no date—A. Duke); possible nestinig oc- 
curred near Springfield (D. Bohlen) and in Williamson County (V. Kleen). 
A Lesser Yellowlegs was still present in Mason County, 25 June; although 
