60 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
The Saw-whet Owl at Glen Ellyn 
The addition of a new bird, C. a. acadica, to our local fauna seems 
an event worth noticing, especially when it takes place on one’s birthday, 
Nov. 2, 1931, as so happened, and perhaps fittingly referred to here as 
the birth of a new species, locally at least. 
This was due to the luck and experience of my sharp-eyed bird friend, 
Harry G. Aberdeen, who in walking hurriedly south on Forest Avenue 
in the early forenoon of that day spied it in a small-sized Maple not far 
from the sidewalk, but not being quite sure of his identification, a descrip- 
tion of the Owl was given over the ’phone, from which it was quite easy 
to make out as being the bird named. 
Unable to visit the place immediately, the writer did not go there 
until about an hour later and found it in the same spot designated, point- 
ing it out to a friend with him at the time, but with some difficulty, so 
well was it concealed beneath a spray of leaves the wind almost constantly 
blew over it. 3 
As was rather expected, it proved to be an adult Saw-whet Owl. 
Quite strangely, too, this happened on the home-grounds of a neighbor and 
friend, S. I’. Jacobs, where on the night of Oct. 18th, about 9:30, his 
son Dana discovered a large Opossum (D. virginiana), a good descrip- 
tion of which was given to the writer later, and, in this connection, that 
also may be remarked on as a rare visitor to these parts. 
Meadowlarks were singing joyfully the forenoon of Dec. 17th, a gen- 
erally fair day with a temperature of 40 at 2 P. M., wind W. by S.W.; 
they were also reported as seen in the same locality about a week before to 
the number of a dozen. A pair of Starlings came quite regularly to the 
home of my informant also. On Dec. 3rd a male Flicker was seen by the 
writer from his chamber-window puncturing a persistent pear hanging to a 
tree close by. A Brenzed Grackle has been reported seen Dec. 5th, a small 
thrush also, possibly the Hermit, though the writer is inclined to believe 
it was a Fox Sparrow instead, which sometimes winters here in limited 
numbers. An occasional Junco is in evidence now and then, some Tree 
Sparrows, a few Blue Jays; three Crows are spending the season, depart- 
ing each afternoon for a roost several miles south of here. Dec. 23rd a 
Brown Creeper was seen. We, of course, have regularly with us some 
Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and a couple of White-breasted Nut- 
hatches, also several Cardinals, for the most part highly colored males. 
BENJAMIN GAULT. 
