oh he Woresident ‘s Message 
Recently, while casting about for a subject for the Fall Presi- 
dent’s message, consideration was given to a general article on 
birding rather than something heavy political or controversial. We 
continue to add new members to the I.A.S. and many are beginners 
in the fascinating and interesting world of birding. 
First, WHY DO PEOPLE OBSERVE BIRDS? I believe they 
observe birds because birds are interesting and easy to see (most of 
the time, anyway); they are colorful and diverse; they sing, fly, 
migrate, and share our lives in many ways. As a group, birds are 
plentiful and may be found in every type of habitat. The list of birds 
seen in Illinois contains about 375 species. One may study year- 
round residents, occasional visitors, migrants and even strange 
releases or escapees. With a little luck, some leisure time and a few 
well-timed visits to proper habitats, one should be able to find 100 to 
200 species or different kinds of birds in Illinois. Do not be disap- 
pointed if you are unable to identify every bird that you see, 
immediately. In a short time, the successes will out-number the 
failures. One of the basic premises, which I firmly believe in is: the 
number of species found is directly proportional to the number of 
hours spent in the field. 
There are two basic tools for birding: one is a decent pair of 
binoculars and the other is a good field guide. The binoculars will 
help to give you a closer look at the bird and the field guide will help 
you to identify it. Most birders use binoculars which have 6, 7 or 8 
power and an objective lens of 30 to 40 mm in diameter. Any of 
these are adequate for birding. The I.A.S. office has a good explan- 
atory pamphlet on binoculars available that may be obtained on 
request. (Please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope). There 
are several good field guides available; however, two stand out above 
the rest: A Field Guide to the Birds, by R. T. Peterson; and A Field 
Guide to the Birds of North America, by Robbins and Zim. These are 
also available at The I.A.S. bookstore. 
Two more items that should be included when birding are a 
checklist and a field note book. The checklist will help you to keep 
track of the number of birds seen and the notes will help to identify a 
bird at some later time. Field records of sightings should include the 
date, time, location and weather conditions. For unidentifiable 
species, any and all field marks should be recorded. 
Developing the skill of finding and recognizing birds is satisfying 
and challenging enough for many. It is an art that sharpens the eyes 
and fine-tunes the ears. However, birding can also satisfy those with 
(Cont. page 36) 
