date OBO Nib LEN 17 
The Heron Invasion 
By W. I. Lyon 
During the first week of August our state game warden telephoned 
that there were a number of ‘“‘White Cranes’ on the Des Plaines river 
just southwest of Waukegan. This was unusual news, and a hurried trip 
was made to the designated spot. On arriving, one American Egret and 
twelve Little Blue Herons in the white coat were found feeding in the 
river. This was my first observation of these birds in Lake County. They 
both are a very familiar bird of the landscape of Florida, and it seemed 
like a bit of the South moved to the North. The only reasons that can be 
offered for this unusual invasion is that of the shortage of water in the 
rivers, in this very dry season we have just passed through. 
The next day, while on a photographing trip, we “shot”? twenty-one 
Little Blue Herons in white plumage and three adults in blue plumage 
with the one Egret in the center of the group and a few ‘Teal in: the 
foreground of our photograph, making a very interesting subject. 
A week later, while observing the birds someone shot four Teal, and, 
acting as game warden, we arrested the guilty party. Later he was fined 
one hundred dollars for shooting out of season. The shooting seemed to 
drive the Herons away from that particular spot, and in driving about 
Lake County over fifty Little Blue Herons in the white coat were counted 
on Fourth Lake. There was report of at least a dozen on Third Lake 
the same day. 
About the last of August we made a trip to as many lakes as possible, 
and observed fully one hundred Little Blue Herons in the white coat, but 
could not find the American Egret. September fifth, the Herons were 
still reported in the county. Letters from Wisconsin tell of Little Blue 
Herons as far north as Sheboygan. 
The only previous record on Little Blue Heron about Waukegan, 
Illinois, is that of Stephen S. Gregory, Jr., a specimen collected on the Flats, 
August, 1925. The literature of this district gives the following: E. W. 
Nelson, Birds of Northeastern Illinois—1877—Great White Egret—a 
rather common summer visitant throughout Northern Illinois, generally 
arrives the last of July and departs in September. “Iwo were observed near 
Evanston, Illinois, March 31, 1875. Breeds in Southern Illinois; perhaps 
in other parts of state. 
Birds of Chicago Area, F. M. Woodruff—1907—The American Egret 
is either a visitant or summer resident in nearly every portion of Illinois. 
A pair were shot July 27, 1855, in Woodlawn, Chicago, now part of Jack- 
son Park. In 1889 birds seen at Grand Crossing; May, 1895, bird and 
eggs collected at Kouts, Indiana; is said to be abundant all through the 
summer on the Illinois River below Peoria. 
