ILLINOIS AUDUBON BULLETIN 89 . 
Is the Fish Crow maintaining its population or expanding its range? We must find out! Are 
either of the chickadees ranges expanding (or contracting)? Do all observers know where 
one range begins and the other ends, where there is a zone of overlap or a zone where 
neither species occurs? What do we know about the titmice and nuthatches? A pair of 
Brown Creepers were again noted at Crab Orchard Refuge, this year on 13 June (B. Pe- 
terjohn, M. Morrison). How successful were House Wrens? Were they too successful (if 
there is such a possibility)? A pair of Bewick’s Wrens successfully fledged young from a nest 
at Geneva (C. Clark); other nests were not reported but observations included: one in 
Randolph Co., 10 June (V. Kleen); and two different individuals in Johnson Co., 13 & 18 
June, respectively (V. Kleen, M. Homoya). Were there no nesting Marsh Wrens? The 
arrival of singing Sedge Wrens was reported from around mid-July on (m.ob.); although 
singing occurred, no one definitely aluded to the fact that this meant nesting; at Belvidere, 
the birds were detected as early as 17 June (E. Burstatte). 
MIMIDS and THRUSHES. How far north and in what abundance did the Northern 
Mockingbird nest this year? Was this a good season for Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, 
American Robins and Wood Thrushs? Do Veeries still breed in Illinois? Are Eastern 
Bluebirds increasing in numbers again? How many bluebird trails are presently being 
maintained and how successful are they? Please submit an annual bluebird report for 
publication. 
GNATCATCHERS, WAXWINGS and SHRIKES. Just how common are nesting 
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers throughout the state? There were three breeding areas reported 
from the Chicago area (L. Balch). Were Cedar Waxwings widespread this year or only 
localized? They nested at Carbondale (B. Peterjohn), in Morgan County — nest built during 
the last week of July (P. Ward), and at Belvidere — where they used “handout” strings in 
their nests (E. Burstatte); they summered at Olney — but nests were not located 
(L. Harrison). What was this year’s breeding range limit of Loggerhead Shrikes? They 
were noted at three different locations near Monmouth (L. McKeown). 
VIREOS and WARBLERS. Even though common in southern Illinois, White-eyed 
Vireos went unreported except for birds in the northern part of their range — they were 
still fairly common in McLean Co. (D. Birkenholz) and abundant in Vermilion Co. 
(M. Campbell). Territorial male Bell’s Vireos were only reported from McLean (D. Birk- 
enholz), Vermilion (M. Campbell), Sangamon (V. Kleen, D. Bohlen), Warren 
(L. McKeown), Hancock (V. Kleen) and Franklin (B. Peterjohn) counties and in St. Clair, 
Monroe and Randolph counties where “the channelization of the Kaskaskia River, while 
detrimental to many species that formerly nested in the floodplain woods, has been 
beneficial to this species. Along a stretch of the channelized river north of the town of New 
Athens in St. Clair County, an average of 8 to 10 pair per mile of river was found. If 
extrapolated to the entire length of the river that was channelized, an estimated population 
of 200-300 pairs of Bell’s Vireos along that stretch of the Kaskaskia River is possible.” 
(B. Peterjohn). [However, even though it appears from this example that channelization is 
beneficial to at least one desirable species, that certainly is not the case for the large 
numbers of species dependent on the original bottomland floodplains nor is channelization 
an action approved by any person or organization interested in ecology and land, soil, water, 
plant or wildlife conservation — Editor.] There were no specific comments pertaining to any 
of the other three breeding species of vireos. There are at least 18 species of warblers that 
regularly breed in Illinois and 3 or 4 others which possibly do; very little is known about 
most of them. Before it is too late, we had better assemble some of this valuable 
information. Of all the species, habitats and nesting locations in Illinois, only the following 
notes were received. Territorial male Swainson’s ‘Warblers were reported from newly 
discovered locations in Massac and Alexander counties (M. Homoya) and nine territorial 
males were banded in a special study area in Jackson County (V. Kleen). There was one 
(possibly two) singing Worm-eating Warbler at Charleston through 30 June (L. B. Hunt). 
Blue-winged and Prairie warblers summered (probably nested) in Vermilion County (M. 
Campbell). Yellow-breasted Chats were observed in three locations in n. Warren County 
(L. McKeown) and were uncommon and local in the Chicago area (C. Clark). Questions that 
