Perea naUeDUB OUN WB oU cir be be N 21 
MISS MARJORIE POWELL 
Miss Marjorie Powell, who served ten years as president of the 
Bureau Valley Audubon Club in Princeton, died in June in her 
ancestral home, Old Ingleside, LaSalle County, where she spent 
her entire life. She taught school for 37 years in the county, was 
a founder of the LaSalle Historical Society, and a charter mem- 
ber of the Bureau Valley club. A student of ornithology, Miss 
Powell probably was best known for her knowledge of the vir- 
gin prairies of Illinois for her influence on hundreds of her 
students in the natural sciences. 
Statewide Spring Bird Count 
Is Scheduled for May, 1972 
Every spring enthusiastic birders get out to see how many species of birds 
they can find. The century run (100 species in a single day) is an ultimate 
goal for many observers; more experienced birders aim for higher species 
totals. Most people in Illinois are satisfied with their own personal achieve- 
ments, but few realize that their counts can be part of a statewide bird 
count that can contribute to the knowledge of birds in Illinois. 
Next year, on Saturday, May 6, 1972 (PLEASE RESERVE THIS DAY), 
we will have our first Statewide Spring Bird Count. It will be very similar 
to a Christmas Count since all observers will be counting on the same day. 
Instead of the traditional 15-mile diameter circle divided up into small 
sections, the entire state will be the boundary with counties being the sub- 
divisions. Our goal is to have observers in every county on that one day. 
Data will be recorded as on the Christmas Counts: total number of in- 
dividuals as well as total species; the number of miles walked and driven; 
the number of hours walked and driven; the starting and ending times of 
observation; the weather; etc. We should easily obtain a statewide total of 
over 200 species — maybe even 250. Details are currently being worked 
out; watch for additional announcements. 
On May 1, 1971, we had a spring count in southern Illinois. At least 37 ob- 
servers participated in 14 counties and identified 170 species. Due to poor 
weather conditions during the last week of April, many migrant species 
were not here yet; therefore, the maximum number of species was not 
found. 
The weather was pretty for birding on the Count Day, but was rather 
chilly in the morning: 38 with moderate northerly winds; it warmed to 
77 by early afternoon. A heavy cloud mass formed late in the afternoon, 
but rain held off until after dark. 
Observations began as early as 3:10 a.m. and continued up to 9:00 p.m. 
with an average of over 12 hours of observations per county. At least 16 
species were found in every county while 11 more were found in all but one 
