bo 
T HE. A U’D U BON’ YB Ul EL Eaieien 
lot of red top, brome grass, Kentucky and Canada bluegrass. There were a 
few spots of billowing cord grass. Big bluestem, fruiting late in the season, 
made a background for blazing star. The trees were scattered cottonwoods, 
hedges of willows, and a few young elms. Dog bane (Indian hemp) and 
Canada thistle grew in profusion in one field; there were Bouncing Bet, 
_ black-eyed Susan, red clover, sweet clover, curly burdock, prairie dock, 
common milkweed, yarrow, wild roses, lots of purple asters, and goldenrod. 
With the progress of the breeding season, the plovers changed their 
location within the area, according to their needs and the variation in the 
cover. On arrival they settled in grass about 4 inches high, with scattered 
tussocks. Here, too, was the greatest criss-cross of telephone poles. Chosen 
nesting sites appeared to be deep, lush stands of quack grass near trees or 
shrubs. The post-nesting period brought a short trek to feeding grounds 
where the grass was shorter and more sparse, but with deeper cover 
available. 
Among other birds found here were the short-eared owl, two pairs of 
pheasants, bobolinks and numerous meadowlarks, song sparrows, robins, 
starlings, Brewer’s blackbirds, and two pairs of sparrow hawks. One spar- 
row hawk nest was in the hollow limb of a cottonwood tree near the 
feeding grounds. 
Our own notes taken on the spot and mostly descriptive, follow, just 
about as we set them down: 
April 17, 1948: Late afternocn. For the first time this season we saw 
upland plover, four of them in the grassy field of a subdivision west of 
Evanston. There was more or less squabbling. 
April 26. 6-8 pm. Clear and sunny. At first we sighted just one 
plover feeding alone in a block. Later another joined it; they fed for a 
while, then flew to another block. The female seemed lighter in color. 
However, it is said there is no distinction in color between the sexes. 
We guessed at sex by behavior. 
Every time she changed location, he flew to the top of a telephone pole 
and whistled, then remained for a while as if on watch. When she was 
settled, he flew down and joined her. Or he flew from one tussock to an- 
other and whistled; or from pole to pole in a deep, scalloped flight, always 
raising his wing's and whistling on alighting. Sometimes they flew up from 
the ground together, but he went over the wires and alighted on a pole, 
while she just cleared the wires in an arc of flight underneath and then 
settled back in the grass. She never whistled, but as he alighted he raised 
his wings and bent his knees as if he were pumping out the sound with 
his head and neck. We suppose this is courtship flight, and he was also 
advertising his territory. It was a beautiful sight and the whistle is 
wonderful. 
May 1. Sunny, cool, east wind. Grass about 4 inches high. No plovers 
visible at 3:30 p.m. We left and returned at 5 p.m. Two plovers were 
feeding in the field. We first glimpsed the male on a tussock, then the 
female nearby. When we drove to within 25 feet of them they were watch- 
ful of the car at first, then relaxed and paid no attention. Grass was giving 
