2 TeEVE “AW DtU3B QUIN Baers (ats 
After 31 years, the American egret may have reestablished itself 
as a breeding bird in the Illinois Valley, where it was once the most 
abundant of all the breeding herons. Previous to 1938, the last known 
colony of the American egret was located, according to R. M. Barnes 
of Lacon, Illinois, a few miles below Hennepin along the Illinois River. 
Formerly containing hundreds of nests, it was reduced to five or 
six by 1907, and these were destroyed by plume hunters in that year. 
POST-BREEDING MIGRATION 
In the Illinois Valley the post-breeding influx of American egrets 
in 1988 did not occur until the first part of July. Twenty-two birds, 
the first noted, were seen on July 3 on lakes near the mouth of the 
lllinois River. A concentration of 120 American egrets was found 
on July 10. The birds were standing in the shallow water of a cut- 
over swamp, two miles north of Hardin. The number present there 
fluctuated throughout the summer, but at least that many were pres- 
ent when it was visited by C. T. Black, August 28, 1938. 
A remarkable concentration of egrets was observed along the 
Sangamon River, near Chandlerville, on September 22, 1938. From 
750 to 1,000 birds were estimated frequenting a small lake that was 
rapidly drying up. They attracted wide attention inasmuch as they 
were in view of motorists crossing the Sangamon River on Illinois 
Route 78. 
During late summer egrets were observed congregating in roosts 
each evening at certain points along the Illinois River. It was noted 
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American Egret and Nest 
