ILLINOIS AUDUBON BULLETIN 21 
HERONS, EGRETS, IBISES and BITTERNS. Although reported from 16 Districts, 
Great Blue Herons notably scarce this spring; one colony with 19 nests counted was 
observed in Pope County, 16 March (J. Smith). Except for the earliest report all 
observations of Little Blue Herons were of single birds; the first birds of the season (28) 
were observed at E. St. Louis, 27 March (J. Eades); others appeared throughout the state 
between 16 April and 1 May (m.ob). An early Cattle Egret had arrived at E. St. Louis by 
27 March (J. Eades); others appeared more regularly after mid-April; May records away 
from known breeding colonies included five at Charleston, 19 May (L. B. Hunt) and one 
at Decatur through 21 May (T. Nearing). Even though Great Egrets were reported from 
17 of the 18 Districts, they were apparently rather scarce this spring; the earliest 
reported arrival was observed at E. St. Louis, 27 March (J. Eades). Four Snowy Egrets 
arrived at E. St. Louis, 24 April (J. Eades); the only other records were of birds found in 
May: one in Whiteside Co. 15 May (B. Shaw); one in Jackson Co., 28 May (B. Peterjohn); 
and two at Lake Renwick (Will Co.), 31 May (D. Bohlen). A Louisiana Heron was 
discovered at E. St. Louis, 24 April (*J. Eades) and remained there through 30 April 
allowing most birders on the statewide hot-line to see it if they wanted to. There were no 
significant comments about Black-crowned Night Herons; they were reported from eight 
Districts and should have been found in others, especially in the south. Regular numbers 
of Yellow-crowned Night Herons were found; the one at Urbana, 23 April was considered 
unusual for that area (J. Frank). The first county record for a Least Bittern was obtained 
at Charleston (Coles Co.), 23 May — good record for a county without cattail marshes (L. 
B. Hunt). One Glossy Ibis was present at Havana, 21 May (*R. Sandburg, P. Gibson). 
Adult Yellow-crowned 
Night Heron at 
Hennepin Bridge, 
Bureau County. 
Photo by Jim Hampson. 
WATERFOWL. With the advent of warm weather beginning in mid-February, 
ducks and geese pushed northward way ahead of normal schedule. Much of this 
movement is recorded in the arrival migration table. The first Greater White-fronted 
Geese (25) were found at Horseshoe Lake (Alexander Co.), 15 February (B. Peterjohn, et 
al.); two others were present in Knox Co., 18 February through 24 March (R. Hodgson); 
three arrived at Lake Sangchris, 19 March (D. Bohlen) and 20 more near Havana, 20 
March (R. Sandburg). A single Snow Goose that wintered at Hutsonville remained there 
through 1 May (*H. Abbott). Late-departing Gadwalls included three at Illinois Beach 
State Park, 19 May (J. Frank), one at Springfield, 23 May (D. Bohlen), and one at 
Decatur, 21 May (R. Palmer). As usual, a few divers lingered well into May, some even 
