LEE VAUD UB ONe BUECETIN 47 
Carbondale 
Mr. Carl Gower reports for Carbondale and contributes. some un- 
usually interesting observations about bird life at Horseshoe Lake in ex- 
treme southern Illinois. 
Notes were kept of two field trips during Christmas week and al- 
though nothing unusual was observed, the separate records of these days 
may be of some interest: 
Deceinber 26. Weather, fair. Blackcapped Chickadee, 6; Junco, 
33; Crow, 7; Field Sparrow, 26; Blue Jay, 16; Tufted Titmouse, 1; Quail, 
1; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Song Sparrow, +; Goldfinch, 5; Horned Lark, 
14; Robin, 2; Carolina Wren, 2; Cardinal, 6. 
December 28. Weather, cloudy. Junco, 75; Crow, 24; Field Spar- 
row, 20; Blue Jay, 8; Tufted Titmouse, 5; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Song 
Sparrow, 3; Robin, 2; Carolina Wren, 3; Cardinal, 3; Bluebird, 3; Lark 
Sparrow, 8; Mockingbird, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Short-eared Owl, 
2; Fox Sparrows are noticeably absent from these lists. 
During the past year it has been my good fortune to make several 
trips to Horseshoe Lake, a State Game Preserve, about six miles from 
Mounds and fifteen miles from Cairo. “This area includes an abandoned 
ox-bow bend of the Mississippi. “The Lake, as the ancient channel is called, 
is three miles long and about a quarter of a mile wide. “Vhe enclosed land 
is an island when the channel is full and on this island of 1,300 acres 
the state officials have 400 acres of wheat and rye for the benefit of the 
great hosts of waterfowl that resort here. A fine stand of cypress trees 
fringe the shore of the lake and stand out in the channel. “Ihe whole area 
is of great interest to students of plant and bird life. 
Of the rarer birds I have seen there during the past year, a flock of 
American Egrets are the most important. “They were reported there in 
May and stayed until about Sept. 15, by which time, unfortunately, the 
shallow lake channel was entirely dried up. Besides the egrets there were 
about 50 Great Blue Herons, 25 Little Green Herons, and I saw one 
American Bittern about the last of July. On two different occasions 
(Oct. 2 and Nov. 26), I'saw a flock of about 20 Black Vultures at this 
lake. “They were easily distinguished by their white under-wing feathers. 
On Novy. 24 I saw three Pileated Woodpeckers in the woods adjoining 
the lake and on Dec. 11 there were about 3,000 Canada Geese feeding in 
the wheat and rye field on the island. On the same day I estimated the 
number of Mallards and Lesser Scaups on the lake at about 1,000. The 
keeper told me that there was one fellow among the geese about twice as 
big as the others and snow white. I conclude that it was a swan but I did 
not see it myself. 
