Volume 18, Number 1 2009 OCIE TY

BIRDS Volume 18, Number 1 2009 OCIE TY President's Message Dear Members: Publisher I'm watching a pair of American Robins in my side yard Illinois Ornithological Society working constantly to feed their newly hatched brood, thinking: Jenny Vogt, President "That is their full time job." No time to mutter about wanting to Sheryl DeVore, Chief Editor do something else. They are busy. They lmow what to do and Marj Lundy, Vice-President they do it. Their purpose is pure. They have a family to feedand Alex Meloy, Treasurer protect and that is what they do. Period. No discussion. No com GeoffreyWilliamson, plaining about having to take out the fecalsacs. No saying; "Let's Membership Secretary just order in bugs for dinner tonight." Board of Directors Is a bird ever unemployed? They seem to have something Steven D. Bailey to do all day. At the very least they are watching out for prey or Joan Bruchman maybe keeping an eye out for a good sack of tent caterpillars. Jeff Chapman While we are driving to the grocery store or the daycare, they are Scott Cohrs searching for a good swarm of gnats or are stashing the kid in a Brian Herriott tree and saying. "Keep quiet and out of trouble and I'll bring you Marj Lundy something nice and juicy when I come back." Jenny Vo gt Thinkabout purpose. A bird's purpose is so essentially simple. Jeffery Walk Barbara Williams Simple joys are always out there and IOSers belong to a group of people who are aware of one of the pure, simple things life offers Associate Editors us: Watching birds. We can look out the window, walk down the Steven D. Bailey Paul R. Clyne street, or ride a bike and find the most amazing birding encounter Jeffery Walk at the most surprising time. That bird just enriched your life just by being a bird! He's never going to be unemployed. Staff Illustrators A bird's existence though, seems to depend on man's action Peter Olson or inaction. IOS provides several means to help birds in the state Michael L. P. Retter of Illinois. This year, in fact, IOS has administered funding for Jenny Vo gt Barbara Williams nine grants supporting birds or bird-related projects in Illinois. With your annu�l membership renewal, please consider donating Pre-Press Production to IOS at a higher level. These include Contributing: $50-$99; Kathy Ade Supporting: $100-$499; Sponsor: $500-$1,999, and Patron: [email protected] $2,000+. Since we are a volunteer organization, your donation Printing goes directly to the bottom line to support IOS 's mission of sci CityWide Printing ence, education, and birding. Des Plaines, Illinois In each issue of Meadowlark we have published a list of Editorial Advisory Board members who have contributed at a higher level. To keep the Steven D. Bailey published list of generous members accurate, we will now publish Paul R. Clyne it annually. I want to thank all the patrons, sponsors, supporters, Vernon M. Kleen and contributors who so kindly contribute more to IOS. Robert Montgomery Douglas Stotz F. Best regards and good birding, Robert Szafoni Jeffery Walk Je nny Vo gt, President Letter from the Editor MEADOWLARK Jenny Vogt's president's message about the employ A JOURNAL OF ILLINOIS BIRDS ment of birds got me to thinking about employment Volume 18, Number 1 - 2009 vs. volunteerism. We work because we love it, or ISSN 1065-2043 we need to make money to feed the family, we need health insurance, we need something to do, and so Visit Our Website at: http://www.illinoisbirds.org many other reasons. But why do we volunteer? As I writer, I interview volunteers who served in Articles --------------- various capacities, and always ask to name their main reason for volunteering. The answer surprised me. Birdnotes from a bygone era 2 Of course, they want to help others. But an equally - Steven D. Bailey important reason is to experience camaraderie. I heard it over and over again. And I think the reason I continue to edit Me adowlark and come to the Mississippi Kites nest in Rockford: 8 board meetings, and come to our spring weekends, is yes, because I love and want to help birds, but also Illinois' most northerly breeding record · because of the camaraderie. - Dan Williams IOS volunteers have a special spirit, a special desire to help birds, help people learn to bird - and even more importantly, help buoy one another up to ------------ be the best we can be, to support one another in times Departments of trouble and pain and to congratulate one another in Field Notes: The 2008 breeding season 12 times of joy and excitement. - Steven D. Bailey There have been so many times in these past 19 years that I've been involved with IOS that some thing tragic has happened to me or some other vol unteer - divorce, death in a family, illness in a family, lost jobs, you name it. And it always seems that the volunteers are there to hold your hand, offer you a word of compassion, do one little thing that really makes a difference. / If you are missing that in your life and you love About Our Cover: birds, consider volunteering for IOS. Get to !mow the IOS Board Member Barbara fine board members, photographers, writers, mem Williams created this issue's bership chairs, envelope stuffers, artists, newsletter cover of Mississippi Kites. writer and designers, spring weekend greeters, field She's been a devoted student of trip leaders, web designers, web masters, all the folks natural history for many years who help make IOS what it is. and has been a birder since she Because, it's true what you' ve heard: When you saw her first Scarlet Tanager at volunteer, you get back so much more than you the age of 4. She ran the biology department at the Burpee give. Museum of Natural History for 13 years. She lives in Thank you, wonderful volunteers, for not only Rockford with her husband, Daniel. doing so much for IOS, but also for helping me be a better person just for knowing and working with you. Copyright© by the Illinois Ornithological Society. No part of this journal may be reproduced without the written permission ofIOS and the chief editor, except brief passages of a paragraph or less in which attribution is made to the journal and author. Volume 18, Number 1 1 Birdnotes from a bygone era By Steven D. Bailey This article begins a regular "Once about seventy-five birds lit est and biologically most diverse series of contributions making on the frozen surface of Dead River, areas in the state (McFall and historic comparisons between Karnes 1995). For a good his Illinois birds and birding in making a picture I shall long remem tory and description of the area earlier days with contemporary ber, but it was for only a minute as see Ross (1963) and Greenberg bird status and knowledge. A the last ones had hardly alighted (2002). Much of the following great deal of similar fascinating historic bird information comes and important knowledge can be when the first were up and away." from two articles published in the gleaned fromthe writings of such - Colin Campbell Sanborn (1922a), ornithological journal, The Auk, past, preeminent Illinois orni a zoologist with Th e Field Museum by John Fa1well Ferry (1907), a thologists like Robert Ridgway, in Chicago, describing his 1919 experience bird collector for Chicago's Field Margaret Morse Nice, and Frank of watching possibly Illinois' most memorable Museum, and by Colin Campbell Bellrose and lesser-known biolo Bohemian Waxwing irruption into the Sanborn (1922a), an early col gists like C.T. Black, H.K. Coale, state at "Beach," much of which is now lector forThe Field Museum and and B.T. Gault, as well as today's !mown as Illinois Beach State Park. later the Museum's Curator of birders and ornithologists. Mammals. Those interested in learn Th e photo above was taken 25August 1925 byT H Many of the writings involv ing more, should consult the Fr ison and A.S. Beardsley shows the Dead River ing the locations of the birds are literature cited section at the (formerly known as the Blind River) looking simply stated as being at "Beach." end of these articles. This northeast toward Lake Michigan fimn the high In Sanborn (1922a), Beach was section can be a treasure quality dune and swale areas at Illinois Beach said to lie "forty miles north trove of even more interesting State Park. of Chicago" and stretch "seven bird information to be found. Photo courtesy of the Illinois miles due north of Waukegan, a Natural Hist01y Survey archives. growing manufacturing town. It Birds and birding averages about one mile wide in at "Beach" width, with Lake Michigan on to the northern edges of the town one side, and a high bluff, which is "Beach" is a favorite birding area of of Waukegan and north to Winthrop characteristic of the region north of mine in extreme northeastern Illinois Harbor and the Wisconsin state line. Chicago, on the other. Along the lake just south of the Wisconsin state line, Much of it also just happens to be a stretch low sand ridges, and west of composed today mainly of Illinois state nature preserve and National these is a large swamp, the open water Beach State Park, but extending south Natural Landmark and one of the rich- 2 Meadowlark Th is photo taken 25 August 1925 by T.

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