4 THE AU DU BIOW) SBI yieieies 
Christmas Census — 1951 
THIS YEAR it was gratifying to receive bird census reports from seven 
Illinois counties besides Cook County. In addition, interesting comparative 
censuses were received from Indiana and Wisconsin. We invite all our 
members to participate in the year-end field trips and reports, particularly 
those from the western and southern counties. Since the Society so far 
can provide leadership for field trips only in the Chicago area, members 
who participate outside of Cook County must do so on their own initiative. 
The rewards of such activity are great, however, both in contribution to 
our knowledge of wildlife habits and enjoyment of the out-of-doors. 
fl fi ft 
Allerton State Park, Piatt county; 7%e-mile radius centering at Cerro 
Gordo and including Allerton State Park; Jan. 1; 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
with 1 hour out for lunch; sky overcast all day; temperature 19° to 23°; 
wind NNW, 10 to 15 m.p.h.; ground frozen but 95% free of snow; all 
observers in one party; 5% party hours (8% on foot, 2 by car); 85 party 
miles (5 on foot, 80 by car). Red-tailed hawk, 1; rough-legged hawk, 1; 
sparrow hawk, 1; bob-white, 16; ring-necked pheasant, 1; yellow-shafted 
flicker, 4; red-bellied woodpecker, 18; red-headed woodpecker, 1; hairy 
woodpecker, 3; downy woodpecker, 10; horned lark, 2; blue jay, 36; 
American crow, 332; black-capped chickadee, 31; tufted titmouse, 29; 
white-breasted nuthatch, 14; red-breasted nuthatch, 1; brown creeper, 11; 
starling, 177; house sparrow, 90; cardinal, 38; purple finch, 2; American 
goldfinch, 3; slate-colored junco, 25; American tree sparrow, 27; song 
sparrow, 1. Total 26 species, 870 individuals.—Miss Helen Gorham, Dean 
Gorham, Roger Simpson, Robert Kirby, Dean Fisher. 
ft Ey ft 
Decatur, Macon county; 7%-mile radius centering at Millikin university 
and including Lake Decatur, Sangamon river, Steven’s creek, and Fair- 
view Park; Dec. 29; 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; clear early in the morning, 
becoming lightly overcast by noon and continuing throughout the day; 
temperature 35° to 44°; wind SSW, 15-17 m.p.h.; 2 in. of crusted snow 
on the ground; all fresh water frozen except Sangamon river; 9% hours 
(7% on foot, 2 by car); 46 miles (12 on foot, 34 by car). Mallard, 3; 
black duck, 2; red-tailed hawk, 3; red-shouldered hawk, 2; sparrow hawk, 
4; bob-white, 33; ring-billed gull, 3; barred owl, 1; belted kingfisher, 2; 
yellow-shafted flicker, 5; red-bellied woodpecker, 7; hairy woodpecker, 9; 
downy woodpecker, 23; horned lark, 2; blue jay, 29; American crow, 106; 
black-capped chickadee, 24; tufted titmouse, 31; white-breasted nuthatch, 
1; brown creeper, 8; winter wren, 1; Carolina wren, 6; golden-crowned 
kinglet, 3; starling, 122; house sparrow, 125; cardinal, 69; purple finch, 
9; American goldfinch, 13; slate-colored junco, 24; American tree sparrow, 
13; song sparrow, 27. Total 31 species, 710 individuals. (Seen in area 
during week, red-headed woodpecker, 1; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 1.)— 
Dean Fisher. 
