54 THE AU:D UB O NeeBU SEEN 
Birding at a Fish Hatchery 
Miss Frances Dobson, Secretary of the Nature Study Soctety of 
Rockford, contributed to Bird Lore for September-October a very inter- 
esting report, which 1s reproduced here: 
Since the establishment of a State Fish Hatchery near the city, the 
nature students of Rockford have had a wonderful opportunity to study 
shore- and water-birds during the Spring migration periods. 
About five years ago one of our bird lovers first noticed a few ducks 
and sandpipers near the pond which then comprised the hatchery. Since 
that time, with the addition of more ponds, the birds have come in in- 
creasing numbers, until this year they were there literally in hundreds. 
The ponds are drained about the middle of April and the fish re- 
moved and used for stocking nearby streams and lakes. It is then that 
the waders come in flocks by the hundreds. ‘Then we find the Yellow-legs, 
both Greater and Lesser, the Pectoral Sandpiper, the Solitary, and a little 
later the Least and Spotted Sandpipers. 
The ducks and terns come in smaller numbers. This year the Mal- 
lard, Scaups, Blue and Green-winged ‘Veal, the Buffle-head, Pintail and 
Shoveller have been among those seen. For about ten days a Lesser Snow 
Goose made the pond his resting place. Whether he strayed from his 
flock or stopped because of injury is not known, but all who made a trip 
to the hatchery during that time were rewarded by a glimpse of him. 
On May 4 three female Wilson Phalaropes were seen, the first to 
be reported in this region, turning and turning like tiny mechanical toys 
which never run down. ‘he supposition is that they turn in this man- 
ner on fresh-water ponds to stir up the water in order to bring food to 
the surface, but whatever the cause it is a strange sight to see. 
Of the plovers seen, the most interesting was the Semi-palmated, 
which darted here’ and there along the water’s edge in search for food. 
‘The Black-bellied Plover made his appearance on May 12 and remained 
for about ten days. As he was the only one of his kind and stayed in 
about the same general location he was very easy to see and study. His 
strange markings made him conspicuous. A Florida Gallinule as well 
as several Coots paid the hatchery a visit. An Osprey always seemed 
to be on duty, wheeling about over the ponds in search of prey. Last year 
the oddly marked turnstone was seen, but was not reported this year. 
It is hoped that in coming years more and more birds, especially those 
of the rarer species, will find their way to this spot to rest after their long 
flights and delight the students of bird life. 
