IOWA BIRD LIFE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION VOL. XXVIII JUNE, 1958 No, 2 OFFICERS OF THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION President— John Paul Moore, Newton. Iowa Vice-President — Miss Lillian Serbousek, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Sec'y-Treas. — Dr, Myrle M. Burk, Route 2, Waterloo, Iowa Librarian— Dr. J, Harold Ennis, Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa Editor— Fred J. Pierce, Winthrop, Iowa Executive Council: Walter W. Barrett, Sioux City, Iowa Bruce F. Stiles, Des Moines, Iowa Miss C. Esther Copp, Wheatland, Iowa James G. Sieh, Spirit Lake, Iowa The Iowa Ornithologists' ’Onion was organized at Ames, Iowa, February 28, 1923, for the study and protection of native birds and to promote fraternal re- lations among Iowa bird students. The central design of the Union’s official seal is the Eastern Goldfinch, desig- nated State Bird of Iowa in 1933, Publications of the Union: Mimeographed letters, 1923-1928 ; “The Bulletin,” 1929-1930; “Iowa Bird Life," beginning 1931. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $2.00 a year. Single copies 50c each. Subscription to the magazine is included in all paid memberships, of which there are four classes, as follows: Contributing Mem- ber, $10.00 a year; Supporting Member, $5,00 a year; Regular Mem- ber, $2.00 a year; Junior Member (under 16 years of age), $1.00 a year. EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION OFFICE WINTHROP, IOWA Entered as second-class matter February 9, 1932, at the post office at Winthrop Iowa, under the Act of March 3, 1879, IOWA BIRD LfFE— XXVril, 1958 30 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ON A WILDLIFE PROJECT, WITH NOTES ON BANDING BIRDS* By MRS. W, C. DELONG Post Office Pox ,19S SHENANDOAH. IOWA I have wanted to get people in my home community interested in birds; and it does seem, sometimes, as though I’m succeeding. On certain occasions, in my schoolroom, I've hypnotized birds by putting them on their backs so they would lie mesmerized and quiescent to be banded. And I’ve realized the intentness of the students — my own intent- ness — and I've wondered fleetingly just who was hypnotizing whom! My husband, who at one time didn't appreciate a Phoebe waking him up at five o'clock a.m. with his ”phoe-be,” now goes out before haying and checks the meadows for Dickcissel nests, putting up markers to warn the mowers. My son, who at one time was interested only in sports, now hur- ries our guests out to the pasture to get a glimpse of the hard-to-find Grass- hopper Sparrow’s nest. A number of my fellow teachers have risen at five in the morning to tramp ferned ravines with me, looking for Towhees, And one morning when two of my women friends were down on their knees in sleasy housecoats, peering into a vino-tangled hedgerow for a glimpse of a migrating thrush, neighbors spotted me with them and exclaimed in horror: "Just look! The Bird Lady won't even let those poor women get dressed before she’s got them out chasing birds!” But what we've learned— and the knowledge we share with one another “‘ town" women, country women, farmers, businessmen, school children , , , We join to take the annual Audubon Christmas bird census; a few of us whisk off on a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks to attend the state meeting of Audubon Society; once three of us journeyed to the Rockies to hear the Hermit Thrush sing! In school, bird study invades the English and literature classes. Lately bird-banding has been an interest. Traps for birds have been set up near the schoolhouse where they can be watched from the school window. Since January, 1956, in ten months’ time, we have banded 25 different species, making a total of 90 birds. Many children had never seen such common species as the Catbird, Chickadee, or even a wren before we started to bring them to school. There are always interesting surprises when banding birds. For instance, last winter on March 1st, when we were trying to induce Cedar Waxwings to enter our traps by luring them with the red berries of the multi-flora rose, we caught a Mockingbird instead. Mockingbirds are rare in this part of the country, even in summer. And the last week of September, when temperature was in the 90's, we caught a Yellow-breasted Chat, a bird of the dense shrubs and vine tangles. It had been attracted by the splashing of the water in the trap. This was the first good view that I. as well as the children, had ever had of a Yellow-breasted Chat. A surprising thing was that it was caught a few days later in the same place! During the year the children have been privileged to watch me hold in my hands some unusual birds — birds, as a rule, seen only by experienced bird-watchers: a Nashville Warbler with its white eye-ring, clear, bright- yeLlow underparts and gray head; an Orange-crowned Warbler with in- distinct dusking streaking on its underparts; a tiny Ruby-crowned King- let with an erectile scarlet crown patch. One day last fall we had a beau- tiful White-crowned Sparrow and a mature Harris’ Sparrow in the room *■ A project in the Lumoni Public Schools an119 East Second St. SIOUX CITY. IOWA Over the years I have noticed that, although many of our local and migratory hawks seem to have been depleted in numbers by hunters or by having their nesting habitat destroyed, the Prairie Falcon seems to be holding its own quite well. The inaccessible nesting sites of this solitary hawk probably account for its continued existence. The mountains and the bad- lands west of the Missouri River are its summer home and there it rears its young in safety. It formerly bred east of the Missouri River in one area of South Dakota, but there are no recent records of breeding. Most, if not all, of the Prairie Falcons leave the mountains in the west and north and retire south and east to spend the winters in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas. It is then that we occasionally see this pale, sandy- colored falcon in the farm areas, or less often in the urban sections. The first fall records are as early as October in some years, but in other years they are not found until November. The December and January records are often birds which have become settled for the winter, if we can say that of a wandering hawk. The falcons often remain about tall buildings where there is a supply of pigeons, or about stockyards where pigeons. Starlings and House Sparrows abound, or even near high loess bluffs where House Sparrows roost in old Bank Swallow nests. During the last 25 years I have observed Prairie Falcons wintering in the above situations in Sioux City. My most puzzling Prairie Falcon record was made on August 31, 1949, near Larrabee, Cherokee County, while I was on a field trip to the Wanata State Forest near Peterson, Iowa. A beautifully marked, adult bird was seen perched on a high-line pole, It allowed rather close approach, so the 34 IOWA BIRD LIFE — XXVIII, 1958 identity could not be questioned, but the date was rather early. On return- ing home I searched Bent’s Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey, Part 2 , and learned that the migration in fall sometimes starts in August and September, so my August record was not too far out of line. From 1934 to 1947, the late Dr. T. C. Stephens sent me three specimens of the Prairie Falcon, either killed or found dead by people in Sioux City. One had been wintering on the clock tower of the old Federal Building, It lived on the flock of pigeons and was picked up dead on the roof one morning, I made two of these specimens into study skins for Dr. Stephens, The third specimen was a nicely plumaged bird, but decomposition had begun and it could not be saved. The occurrence of the Prairie Falcon at Sioux City is not too common, illustrated by the fact that from 1934 to 1957 I have had 20 records in or very close to the city limits. One record is from Hornick, Woodbury County; another is from Salix, Woodbury County; and two records are from Plymouth County, Other Iowa records are the above-mentioned Cherokee County record and a recent one near Paullina, O'Brien County, on November 12, 1957, This latter bird was carrying a small rodent as it flew over me. Outside of low'a, but near Sioux City, I have the following records: on November 2, 1946. three of these falcons were seen in Charles Mix County, South Dakota. One w'as seen to take a stoop attack on a flying pheasant hen, but without scattering any feathers. On December 8, 1946, two falcons were seen in Bon Homme County, South Dakota. My conclusions are that this interesting falcon of the western badlands and mountains, which nests in rather inaccessible places, is still present in our fauna in rather constant numbers. Although never a common hawk such as the Marsh Hawk or Sparrow Hawk, it is probably holding its numbers better than the Marsh Hawk. In northwest Iowa we can expect to find it during fall and winter in the rare, but probably regular, category. Usually we have to look far afield to find it, and then it will be a solitary bird like the Northern Shrike. Occasionally, to our great pleasure, we find the Prairie Falcon in the heart of a large city or about the grain elevators in a small town. BIRDS IN OUR BACK YARD By MRS. CARL PROESCHOLDT LISCOMB, IOWA I could have counted on my fingers the birds I knew when we moved to our home in central Iowa. If ever I mentioned birds, it was vaguely of a brown thrush, a turtle dove, or a rain-bird. I had never heard of warblers, or kinglets, or even vireos, and as for recognizing bird songs— I hardly even heard them except occasionally to comment upon a “pretty bird song." Our slightly overgrown two acres on the edge of a little town is an em- bryonic bird sanctuary, with its trees, bushes and weedy pasture. Soon I was hearing new "pretty bird songs," It was spring-time and my eyes were awakening along with my ears. Although I hardly knew spring migration except as a term in a book, I became aware that here were birds entirely new to me. About that time Edwin Way Teale’s “Circle of the Seasons” was pub- lished. I read it avidly, for here was the kind of reading I had been un- consciously hungering for. My nearly-dormant love of nature was awak- ening. With the aid of a few books borrowed from friends, and dozens from a nearby library, as well as several fine reference books of my own, I was at last becoming a nature-lover and a beginning bird student. With five young BIRDS IN OUR BACK YARD 35 children to care for, I was, of necessity, more of an arm-chair naturalist than I cared to be, but our back yard compensated for my lack of exploration else- where. Slowly, very slowly it seemed to me, I was learning more about the fascinating birds that I had ignored for half a normal lifetime. Now, after four years, birds are a conscious part of our lives, enriching every day. And our children watch birds too, partly disproving the theory that “birds and kids don’t mix." Our winter days are brightened by the birds that come to eat and drink — the acrobatic Chickadees taking turns at the suet with Downy Woodpeckers, the occasional White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper or Hairy Wood- pecker. the beautiful Cardinals which eat on the ground, and the saucy Blue Jays which try to intimidate the other birds as they fly in for their share. We delight in each new bird we see. and eagerly watch for the arrival of familiar bird acquaintances. On a cold, early, March day it may be a Mourning Dove that rushes away from where it huddled on the ground. Or it may be the Robins, fluffed up to twice their normal size, seemingly in the north too soon, that arouse our sympathy. We hear the Meadowlark chorus tuning up in the fields just beyond our pasture. The Cardinals, at least ten of them our winter boarders, are in fine whistling form by mid-March and we never tire of hearing their cheery calls. We run out in the rain for a closer look at a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in a peach tree, And on a lovely April afternoon we hurry to the pasture to hear the first Brown Thrasher song of the season delivered from a tree-top. S-ome anxiously-awaited, migrating songsters are the White-throated Sparrows. My new neighbor may dash over with, ll I hear the White- throats,” I usually drop what I am doing and we spend a pleasant half hour in our uncropped pasture listening to their lovely minor melodies. And just at dusk these gentle birds “chink” from the trees and bushes near our house. Later the Baltimore Orioles flash through our yard. Not for two years has their nest hung in our silver maple, but the rich, mellow whistle is often near. The female oriole is usually willing to use the strings we put out for her nest somewhere in this tree-filled town. The tiny members of the sprightly wood warbler family fascinate us. We travel in spirit with some of them as they fly on and on to the beautiful north woods where they spend the summer. We catch our breaths as we see Redstarts, Chestnut -sided Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, Golden-winged, Black-throated Greens, Black-and-white, Palm Warblers and others— little midgets I had never before seen. Several birds spend the summer with us. A tiny nest in the blackberry tangle, a Yellowthroat’s we think, was victimized not once but twice, by Cow- birds. It and a Black-billed Cuckoo's nest too closely observed were aband- oned. Next time we’ll use our binoculars more. The Black-billed Cuckoo would leave the nest at our approach, alight in an apple tree and expel air from its mouth in a kind of hiss. How we wished to see the young cuckoos bristling with their quill-like feather tubes. An Indigo Bunting nest was never found, but our trees and elderberry bushes were singing posts for the little blue beauty. A Brown Thrasher nest in the blackberries was not dis- covered until the bob-tailed babies were found in the grasses among the trees. And there are always nests of Catbirds, Robins, Blue Jays and Mourning Doves. When I am recalling pleasant birding moments, I think of the Screech Owl that spent nearly half its winter days one year sunning itself on a limb of a white cedar; the Red-bellied Woodpecker that flew away with a walnut on the end of its bill, to hammer it off on a telephone pole; a Great Blue iOWA BIRD LIFE— XXVIII, 1958 36 Heron flapping over our house, probably heading for the Iowa River 2 miles away; the Killdeer that regularly fly over our house; the Cardinals, ignoring the water-pans they use daily, having a splashing party in melted snow pools in our yard; and the Pheasants and Bobwhite we sometimes hear from the fields beyond our yard. I like to remember the days the Cardinals were building a nest in a syringa bush only 15 feet from the kitchen windows. Although the lovely male Cardinal didn't assist in nest-building, he was seemingly a morale booster, for he accompanied his mate on each trip, singing at every stop, This nest was blown down in a windstorm before any eggs were laid in it. One foggy, dripping, May morning a Green Heron flopped into the top of our Chinese elms, paused momentarily then flew on. On a September afternoon a Broad-winged Hawk flew into our elms and rested a moment before leaving. Housekeeping often takes a back seat as I watch a Yellow-billed Cuckoo emerging slowly from the leaves of an elm just outside the window. Or it may be a splendid Rose-breasted Grosbeak looking around in our treetops. or a Hermit Thrush in the children s yard. When I review the interesting birding adventures of these few short years, I am determined to make my dream of a bird sanctuary come true. Next year I hope to add more plantings— a honeysuckle here, a flowering- crab there, to mature with the tiny high-bush cranberry. And I want to include more flowers for the birds, to stand with seeds during the winter, such as marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, bachelor-buttons and others. More bird boxes must be put up, and an apartment house for Purple Martins As our yard gradually becomes more attractive to birds, I hope to see an increase in the summer and winter bird population and also in the num- ber of species seen. Already in only three years of recording, 85 species have been seen in, or over, our yard. While our bird lists become longer and our knowledge of birds increases, the most exciting bird moments will be added to our storehouse of treasured memories, Truly, our back yard helped open our eyes to the joys of bird-watching, and the wonder of studying the birds. REPORT ON THE VINTON CONVENTION By MYRLF, M. BURK Secy.-Treas., Iowa Ornithologists' Union The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union met for its 36th annual convention, Sat- urday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, at Vinton, Iowa, as guests of the Red Cedar Chapter of the Izaak Walton League. Headquarters were the Lincoln Junior High School auditorium. More than 100 members and visitors regis- tered; two members who are now living out of the state were welcomed: Dr. Mary Price Roberts, Corona, California, and Dr. Edward L. Kozicky, Godfrey, Illinois. Field trips on Saturday and Sunday mornings, covering the areas selected by our hosts, yielded a count of 136 species of birds. The most interesting trip included Schlotfelt’s Slough, Red Cedar River at Weymans and Nor- woods, Winnegar s Lake, Lime Lake Timber, Judge Tobin’s cabin, Minne- estema area, Prairie Lake and Dudgeon Lake area. The program of papers, slides, and films began at 9:30 a.m.. May 10. Judge John W. Tobin of Vinton, a long-time member of the Union, wel- comed members and guests to the city and to Benton County. John Paul Moore, President, responded. The program proceeded in this order; Report on Iowa Conservation Education Council, by Dr, George Q, Hendrickson. THE VINTON CONVENTION 37 Some Common Iowa Wild Flowers (slides), by George Worley. Panel Discussion on Waterfowl, by Dr. Edward Kozicky. Moderator. James Sieh, Peter Petersen, Jr,. Harold H. Burgess. Colored Film on Snakes and Butterflies, by Konnie Yoshinaga. Bird Identification Game with Slides, by Fred Kent. Studies with the Redhead Duck at Delta, Manitoba, by Dr. Milton W. Weller. Luncheon Colored Movies and Slides on Marsh Hawk and Prothonotary Warbler, by Dr. Robert Vane and Fred Kent. Your Birding Experiences, open discussion led by Dr. George O. Hen- drickson. “Honkers Prepaid'’ (film), supplied by Dr, Edw. L. Kozicky. The banquet was held at 6:30 p.m. in the American Legion hall. Harry Rector, during the welcome, revealed that our President had boyhood aspira- tions to be a bird rather than a bird-watcher. The guest speaker, Mr. Allen Duvall, Director of Bird-banding, Patux- ent Research Refuge, Laurel, Maryland, described experiences and results of bird-banding. He emphasized that of the thousands of birds banded, only those comparatively few from which the aluminum bands bearing the serial numbers are retrieved, are of scientific value. Of particular interest was the return, since 1954. of 76 bands by Russians. The banded birds which had been killed in northeastern Siberia included Pintails, Lesser Snow Geese, Eiders, Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings and other species. Of these, 47 had been banded in California; the remainder came from North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, and other states, none from Iowa. Incidentally, the returned bands from Russia aroused the interest of the FBI; some one suspected the bands carried coded messages from the United States to Russia. The Executive Council and IOU officers held a luncheon meeting Saturday noon. The proposal to co-operate with other conservation organi- zations contributing to scholarship funds for teachers to attend Springbrook Conservation Camp was not favored because of our diminishing treasury, our expenses having exceeded income during the past two years; with increasing costs of publishing Iowa Bird Life, this state is expected to con- tinue. The proposal that the name of Mrs. Janetta Du Mont, Evanston, Illinois, be presented to the members of the IOU at the annual business meeting for honorary membership met with approval. The Executive Council named the following members to these com- mittees, Auditing, Dr. Edward L. Kozicky, Chairman; Dr. H. R. Peasley and Dr. A. W. Meyer; Nominating, Dr. Martin Grant, Chairman, Gertrude Weaver and Mrs. John Bottleman; Resolutions, Charles Ayres, Chairman, Judge John Tobin and Mrs. Robert Vane. Peter Petersen brought the IOU sleeve patches, which have a Goldfinch on a blue background. They sold well at $1.00 each. There was also an increased demand for check-lists. Nine new memberships were received. At 3:15 p.m. Saturday, the members of the Union convened for the an- nual business meeting in the Lincoln Junior school auditorium. John Paul Moore, President, called the meeting to order. He mentioned the resolu- tion made at the fall meting at Lake Keomah State Park, that the Union support the establishment of a grassland refuge, primarily for the Prairie Chicken, in Nebraska. He also presented the recommendation of the Ex- ecutive Council that Mrs, Janetta DuMont, Evanston, Illinois, be made an honorary member. Lavina Dragoo made a motion that Wier Mills be made an honorary member also. IOWA BIRD LIFE— XXVIII, 1958 38 The President requested the Secy, -Treasurer’s report, which is printed below: Receipts: Balance, May 18, 1957 $ 904 02 Membership dues Regular, 297 members 594.00 Junior, 5 members 5 00 Supporting, 13 members 65.00 Contributing, 1 member 10.00 Sale of Check-lists 26.41 Sale of Distribution check-lists 2.50 Sale of Copies Of Iowa Bird Life 1 2.00 Contributions Wm. Youngworth, extra cost of printing 20.00 Anonymous donations for cuts 55.00 Reprints, I. B. L 43.50 Total , $1,737.43 Expenses: 1957 Convention :. $ 3.80 Postcards and printing, fall meeting 1957 7,80 Postage 10.46 Stationery 12.24 Pay checkbook 2.00 Printing address lists . , 6.74 Printing reprints 16.41 Publishing Iowa Bird Life 854.59 Total $ 914 04 Balance on hand. May 9, 1958 $ 823.39 Editor Pierce reported that the increased cost of publication of Iowa Bird Life exceeds the moneys obtained from membership dues as shown in the financial report of the Treasurer. He recommended that an effort be made to get more members. Dr. J= Harold Ennis, Librarian, described the library collection as a depository for the literature of Iowa ornithology. He reported a demand for past issues of Iowa Bird Life and again requested that old issues, not wanted by members, be returned to him. He reported the scarcity and need for the early mimeographed numbers. Dr. Ennis distributed a mimeo- graphed sheet listing the contents of the Library of the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union. Dr. George O. Hendrickson reported on the activity of the Iowa Con- servation Education Council and recommended that the Union join the Council. He suggested that a teacher interested in the conservation of birds be appointed to represent the Union on this Council. James Sieh made a motion that the Executive Council of the IOU request the Des Moines Art Center of Des Moines to use funds to obtain bird paintings by Maynard Reece, the letter to be written by Secretary Burk, President Moore introduced the controversial question, the proposed legislation that there be an open season on the Mourning Dove. Those who spoke in favor of such legislation were Dr. Edward Kozicky. James Sieh, Bruce Stiles and others; those opposed were Gladys Gray. Mrs, G, Adolph Johnson, Dr. Harold Ennis, Charles Ayres, Jr, and Mrs. Gladys Has- kell, supported by a goodly number of silent but opposed members, Mrs. Haskell made a motion that the Union go on record as opposed to the shoot- ing of the Mourning Dove. It was seconded by Mrs. G. Adolph Johnson, Charles THE VINTON CONVENTION 30 C. Ayres, Jr. requested that a vote be taken by ballot. The vote as counted was: Aye, 40: nay, 17; not voting, l. The business meeting was then ad- journed until Sunday afternoon. Following the Sunday field trip, the bird-watchers were served a sump- tuous luncheon by members of the Red Cedar Chapter of the Isaak Walton League. After luncheon there was a continuation of the unfinished business meeting of the previous day. Dr. A. W. Meyer, in the absence of Dr. Kozicky, reported for the Audit- ing Committee. He reported that the Secy -Treasurer's books were in ex- cellent order. He moved that the Secretary’s report be accepted. Mrs, Robert Vane presented the report of the Resolutions Committee, Dr Martin Grant, chairman of the Nominating Committee recommended the unanimous re-election of all present officers. It was moved by Bruce Stiles that nominations be closed and the Secretary be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot. The President read letters of greeting from Howard F. Graesing, Spirit Lake, and Dennis Carter, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Mr. Graesing reported several cases of albinism, among them a magpie in Colo- rado, and a pheasant and a grackle in Iowa. Dennis Carter suggested that when unusual birds were seen on IOU field trips, more specific data be recorded, such as the name or names of observers and the type of locality. President Moore called for invitations or suggestions for the location of the next spring meeting. Mrs. Peasley favored the McGregor area, Dr. Vane the Keokuk area, and several spoke of meeting in southwestern Iowa because it is new territory and a meeting there might interest more people. Membership is sparse in that area with the exception of Shenandoah and Clarinda. Secretary Burk reported the present supply of checklists as almost sold out and asked for revisions and additions to the present list, as well as criticism. Although no vote was taken, strong agreement prevailed that the new check lists be printed on a 3x5 card rather than the present 4x6. Wayne Partridge invited the Union to Lake Keomah State Park for the fall meeting. The invitation was accepted. Dr. Martin L. Grant, was moderator of the compilation of the birds seen; 132 birds were seen Sunday morning. May 11 ; four additional birds were seen on Saturday, Resolutions. — Be it resolved by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union: 1) That a hearty thank-you be extended to the Red Cedar Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, and especially to the president, Jack Bioodgood, for their hospitality and arrangements for the 1958 convention. 2) That further thanks be extended to the Women’s Auxiliary of the American Legion for preparing the Saturday evening banquet; to the Vinton Chamber of Commerce; to the Iowa State Conservation Commission officers, and especially Mr, Bruce Stiles, for their help. 3) That all who gave of their time and talent for the Saturday program be commended. 4 1 Be it further resolved that all members be encouraged to search out new members for the IOU, or if possible, to raise their classification of mem- bership to help defray the cost of publication of Iowa Bird Life. 5) That special thanks be tendered Mr. Earnest Steffen of Cedar Rap- ids for the display of his bird paintings in Vinton business establishments. 6) That thanks be extended to Albert Berkowitz for the printing of the programs. Charles C. Ayres, Jr. s Chairman John Tobin Mrs. Robert Vane 40 IOWA BIRD LIFE— XXVHI, 1958 Attendance Register. — AMES, Dr, Paul Errington, Dr. and Mrs. G. O, Hendrickson. Dr, Milton W, Weller; ANKENY, F. A. Heidelbauer; BURT, Harold H, Burgess; CEDAR FALLS, Madeline Carpenter, Dr. Martin Grant, Mrs. Oren Paine, Mrs. Florence Spring, Mrs. Charles Schwanke, Maxine Schwanke, George W. Worley; CEDAR RAPIDS, Lavinia Dragon, Eleanore Fullerton, Dr. and Mrs. Alfred W. Meyer, Lillian Serbousek, Mr. and Mrs. E. W, Steffen. Dr. and Mrs. Robert Vane, Pauline Wershofen, Myra G. Willis; DAVENPORT, Thomas Morrissey, Peter Petersen, Jr.; DECORAH, Mrs, B T. Henning, Mrs. Tom Henning, Mrs. A. C. Lynch; DES MOINES, Duane E, De Kock, Lester F. Faber, Gladys Gray, Mrs. Lester Haskell, Mrs. G. A. Johnson, John Madson, Dr. and Mrs. H, R„ Peasley, Mary E. Peek, Bruce F. Stiles. Mary Ellen Warters; ESTHERVILLE, Loren Jones, Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Jones; GRUNDY CENTER, Mrs. Harold B. Brown; INDEPENDENCE, Florence L. Kane; INDIANOLA, Paul Leaverton; IOWA CITY. F. W. Kent; LA PORTE CITY, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hawkins; LEHIGH, Dean Roosa; MANLY, Miss Patt Lake; MARION. Robert Liljedahl; MASON CITY. Mil- ford D. Keeler; MOUNT VERNON, Dr. and Mrs. J. H. Ennis, Marie Berry, Bessie B. Scobey, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Strickland, Leon A. Thomsen. Tim Thomsen; NEWTON, Mr. and Mrs. J, P. Moore, Lucile McMurray, Konnie Yoshinaga; NORTHWOOD. Mrs. John Bottleman; OSKALOOSA, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne F. Partridge; OTTUMWA, Mr. and Mrs, Charles C. Ayres, Jr.; REINBECK. Mrs, John Ehlers; SIOUX CITY, Enola Downard, Mr, and Mrs. Darrell M. Hanna, Gertrude Weaver; SPIRIT LAKE, Jim Sieh; TI- TONKA, Thomas Burgess; TRIPOLI, Dorothy Brunner; UNION, Mrs. Elvin Adams, Mrs. Howard E. Clemens; VINTON, Glenn AngeLl, MyrI Brown, E. H. Dowden, Mrs. L. E Eggleston, Cecil R, Fry, Mrs. Dallas Gibson. Glenn F Heady, Paul D. Kline, Hildred Meyer, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Rector, Mrs. John Strawn, Jr., Judge John Tobin; WATERLOO, Myrle M. Burk, Helen Hawkins, Russell Hays, Margaret Nagle, Pearl Rader; WAVERLY, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Ryder; WHEATLAND, C. Esther Copp; WINTHROP. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Pierce; CORONA, CALIF,, Mary Price Roberts; GODFREY, IL- LINOIS, Dr. Edw. Kozicky; LAUREL, MARYLAND, Allen Duvall. Total registered, 105. Composite List of Birds Seen on the Field Trip, May 11, 1958. — Pied- billed Grebe, Great Blue and Green Herons, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup. Sharp-shinned. Cooper’s, Red-tailed, Broad-winged, Marsh and Sparrow Hawks, Bald Eagle. Bobwhite, Ring-necked Pheasant, Sora, Am. Coot, Semi- palmated and Am. Golden Plovers, Killdeer, Spotted, Solitary, Pectoral, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Dow- itcher. Black Tern, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, Screech, Great Horned and Barred Owls, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-thr. Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Red-bellied. Red headed, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Kingbird. Eastern Phoebe. Great Crested, Traill's, Least and Olive-sided Flycatchers, Wood Pewee, Horned Lark, Tree, Bank. Rough-winged and Barn Swallows, Purple Martin, Blue Jay, Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House and Carolina Wrens, Mockingbird, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Robin, Swamson’s and Gray-checked Thrushes, Veery, Bluebird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Loggerhead Shrike, Starling, Yellow-throated, Blue-headed, Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos, Black-and-white, Prothonotary, Golden-winged. Blue-wing- ed, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Parula, Yellow, Magnolia, Myrtle, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Palm and Wilson’s Warblers, Ovcnbird, Northern and Louisiana Water- thrushes, Yellowthroat, Am. Redstart, Bobolink, Eastern and Western Mea- GENERAL NOTES -H dowlarks, Redwinged Blackbird. Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Scarlet Tanager, Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Diekcissel, Am. Goldfinch, Rufous-sided Towhee, House, Savannah, Grasshopper, Vesper, Lark, Chipping, Clay-colored. Field, Harris', White-crowned, White-throated, Lincoln’s. Swamp and Song Sparrows. Total, 132, Additional Birds Seen on Saturday, May 10, 1918 — Upland Plover, Red- breasted Nuthatch, Rusty Blackbird, Slate-colored Junco, GENERAL NOTES A Sight Record of Sprague’s Pipit. — On May 4, 1958 Mrs. Brown and I were with Albert Berkowitz at Brenton’s Slough, northwest of Des Moines. This area is quite rolling and some of the higher parts will usually produce horned larks and, at times, pipits. We had seen several horned larks and were looking for pipits when we sighted one only a few feet from the car. The bird was not disturbed when we stopped and we had ample op- portunity to observe it closely. We noted the following points: over-all color, grayish: back, streaked; under-chin area, buffy; collar extending across throat, white; band of dark streaks across upper part of breast; belly and flanks, white with no streaks; legs, light, color of dead grass. The bird stayed within very close range for what must have been several minutes and at no time did it wag its tail. From all indications this was a Sprague’s Pipit which is considered an accidental or straggler in Iowa. The area where we found this bird is the one from which a Sprague’s Pipit was re- ported at the time of the 1954 IOU field trip. — WOODWARD H BROWN, 4815 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines, Iowa. A Record of the Sandhill Crane in Iowa. — Any record of this species in Iowa is sufficiently uncommon that possibly it might be delineated in detail. On Sunday afternoon, April 27, 1958, Mrs. Ennis and I drove to Muskrat Slough in Cedar County for a brief inspection. We stopped our car at the entrance parking lot, and from that vantage point scanned the marsh for waterfowl. There were many Coots and only a few scattered pairs of Blue- winged Teal. Gadwalls, and Am. Widgeons in sight. In a few minutes a mixed flock of Blue and Snow Geese flew in from a southerly direction and circled over the south-western portion of the marsh. Finally they settled near the west central marsh margin. SANDHILL CRANE AT MUSKRAT SLOUCH. MAY 9, ]9S8 (F. W Kent photo) 42 IOWA BIRD LIFE— XXVIII, 1958 SANDHILL CRANE, MAY 9, 1958