The River Landing

Bald Eagle Swims with Fish in Talons

December 13, 2014

        The recent mild weather has allowed ice cover at Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, in Mason County, Illinois, to dissipate; so open lake water is once again widespread, as it had been before November’s freak Polar front.  With open water, more bald eagles and waterfowl are attracted to the refuge.  From one of the observation decks along the Chautauqua Nature Trail, I was watching six bald eagles (2 immatures, 4 adults) standing close together on the narrow levee-island that runs through the center of the refuge’s south pool.  Floating nearby on the calm waters was a large fish carcass.  Closely watching this scene, I had a feeling that some type of interaction among the eagles, involving the fish, would soon commence.  My attention, though, was quickly commanded by hundreds of snow geese flying and calling overhead.

 

Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, South Pool

 

        As my gaze shifted to the snow geese, a steeply diving adult bald eagle, with talons extended, crossed my line of sight and diverted my attention from the snow geese.  The eagle came down hard, directly onto the floating fish carcass, and then promptly sank into the cold water, looking almost as if it were surprised to find the water’s surface was not ice.  Because I could not determine the water’s depth, it was not clear if the eagle was floating or standing on the muddy lake bottom.  During all of this action, the six eagles on the levee-island maintained their positions, making no attempt to approach the partially submerged eagle.  I wondered whether I was about to see a bald eagle drown.

        After a few minutes of standing and looking around, the eagle began aggressively flapping its wings, attempting to take flight.  But it was as if a weight were holding it down, and so it eventually settled back down into the water.  Following this unsuccessful flight attempt, the eagle remained partially submerged for a few more minutes, and then began using its wings to swim toward the levee-island, at a location further away from the watching group of eagles.    

        When it eventually reached shallower water, the eagle awkwardly climbed onto the partially submerged levee-island.  At that moment, I saw that the eagle still held the large fish carcass in its massive talons, the underwater weight that earlier must have prevented it from flying.  After reaching the highest part of the levee-island, which was barely under water, the eagle threw back its head and emitted a high-pitched call.  Then, still holding the dead fish in its talons, the eagle began tearing at the carcass, ripping off flesh with its hooked beak.

BOOK REVIEW: Southern Illinois Birds: An annotated List and Site Guide

Robinson, W. Douglas.  Southern Illinois Birds:  An Annotated List and Site Guide.  1996.  lii + 436 pp; 24 black and white species photographs; 16 maps; references; index of common names; index of scientific names.  Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale and Edwardsville, Illinois.  Hardcover.  ISBN 0-8093-2032-0.  Price:  US $39.95.  Available from Southern Illinois University Press, P.O. Box 3697, Carbondale, Illinois 62902-3697.

 

        Having traveled throughout most of Illinois many times, I wholeheartedly concur with W. D. Robinson as he states, in the Introduction of Southern Illinois Birds:  An Annotated List and Site Guide, that “Southern Illinois is a unique and wonderful place to find birds….”  Southern Illinois, especially the Shawnee Hills and southward, seems to have a palpable sense of place.  For this reason, with scientific considerations aside, it is entirely appropriate for such a widely recognized and distinct geographical area of the state to have its own book of ornithological information.  On the other hand, somewhat comparable coverages of southern Illinois are included in Bohlen (1989) and De Vore (2000).

          In writing this book, the author’s primary goal was to “document the current knowledge” of southern Illinois birds.  Additionally, he wished to provide a reference document, usable indoors and in the field, that would highlight the wealth of information currently available, emphasize gaps in knowledge and help observers assess the importance of their observations.  Robinson includes a section in his Introduction called “A History of Southern Illinois Bird Study” in which he laments observers who have not published their data.  He further states that “everyday bird observations…are useful contributions…,” and he encourages birders to accurately record their observations in a systematic manner that will be useful in scientific analyses. The list of 167 individual observers whose data were drawn upon to compile this book supports this view.  In addition, this book is well documented with references to the ornithological literature.  Considering this, it is curious that Robinson does not cite works by Stephen A. Forbes and Alfred O. Gross of the Illinois Natural History Survey (Forbes 1913, Forbes and Gross 1922, 1923).  Yet, he attributes the beginning of scientific bird surveys in southern Illinois to Richard R. Graber and Jean W. Graber, also of the Illinois Natural History Survey, in the 1970s and 1980s.  

          Robinson includes the 17 southernmost counties of Illinois plus part of St. Clair County in his definition of Southern Illinois.”  Within this area, he recognizes three distinct physiographic areas based upon the Natural Divisions of Illinois:  the Shawnee Hills; the Floodplains of the Ohio, Wabash, and Mississippi Rivers; and the Till Plain in the northern ten counties of the coverage area.  The next logical step is for the reader to begin thinking about types of habitats found within the physiographic areas and habitat requirements for specific birds (species).  Robinson especially emphasizes the habitat needs of forest songbirds that are sensitive to the effects of forest fragmentation.  He often shows a strong conservation ethic in his writing, and he offers five management recommendations for improving forest habitats for songbirds.  Many other types of habitats are mentioned, but not similarly highlighted, although much certainly could have been written about each.  These types of habitats include grasslands, shrublands, wetlands, mudflats, large reservoirs, large rivers and small streams.

          About three-quarters of Southern Illinois Birds is composed of the first two main parts of the book entitled “Species Accounts:  The Past and Present Status of Birds in Southern Illinois.”  Species are arranged phylogenetically and grouped by order and family.  Each account for the 361 species includes:  information on the status and abundance of the species (i.e., migrant, resident or rarity); the habitat(s) where the species may typically be found; records for the species by season (dates and numbers); and documentary evidence supporting species identification (e.g., collected specimens and photographs).  Lastly, the accounts include page numbers where the reader can find more information in three popular birding field guides.  In addition, each account for migratory birds begins with dates between which the species is most likely to be observed (e.g., late March to early May).

          While it could become tedious to read the species accounts one after the other, even for the most serious birder, remarks included with most accounts can be interesting and even entertaining.  For example, consider Robinson’s description of banding a Northern Saw-whet Owl:  “As an illustration of the tameness of this species, after the Ozark owl was banded, it was placed on a tree limb and photographed; it remained motionless, except for blinking its eyes, for nearly an hour.”  Robinson’s remarks typically include information on nesting, migration, behavior and sometimes conservation issues.

          Part Two of Southern Illinois Birds consists of a guide to 26 of what Robinson calls “the traditionally best birding spots in southern Illinois.”  About half of the site descriptions also include simple maps.  Other than the book’s Introduction, these site descriptions are the most readable portion of Southern Illinois Birds.  Directions to the sites were obviously drawn from first-hand experience, because they contain information that one would most likely know only from having been there.  For example, when describing Alexander County, Robinson mentions “…a small trail [that] will take you down the other side [of a levee] into some woods and out onto the shores of the Mississippi River.”  It remains to be seen, though, whether one could actually find such a small unmarked trail.

          Site descriptions typically describe some of the habitats as well as some of the birds to be expected.  Here it would make little sense to list the same common species that could be seen at almost every site (e.g., American Robins) while emphasizing rarities (e.g., Pacific Loon) or one-of-a-kind sightings (e.g., Rock Wren at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge [NWR]) that would be unlikely to happen again.  Robinson generally strikes a fair balance in naming common to rare species.  He rightly emphasizes fairly reliable southern Illinois specialties, such as Least Terns along the Mississippi River or Black Vultures at Heron Pond-Little Black Slough Nature Preserve along the Cache River.  Readability of site descriptions is enhanced by comments on conservation issues.  For instance, for Baldwin Lake, Robinson writes that “Summer is virtually worthless [for birding].  Dozens of fishing boats cruise around the lake….”  Robinson occasionally mentions unusual aspects of visiting certain sites, such as the description of Crab Orchard NWR, where he warns that the “turnaround at the end of the road is also a meeting place of undesirable sorts of company….”

          Southern Illinois Birds succeeds very well as a reference book, field guide and an inspiration for birders to become adventurous as well as systematic and accurate in recording their observations.  Although a book such as this soon becomes dated, it will always serve as a record of information at the time of publication and may hopefully generate an endless series of revised editions.

 

Literature Cited

Bohlen, H.D.  1989.  The birds of Illinois.  Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis.  222 pp. 

De Vore, S.  2000.  Birding Illinois.  Falcon Publishing, Inc., Helena, Montana.  356 pp.

Forbes, S.A.  1913.  The midsummer bird life of Illinois:  a statistical study.  Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History Vol. IX, Article VI.  Urbana, Illinois.

Forbes, S.A., and A.O. Gross.  1922.  The numbers and local distribution in summer of Illinois land birds of the open country.  Bulletin of the Natural History Survey Vol. XIV, Article VI.  Illinois Department of Registration and Education, Urbana, Illinois.

Forbes, S.A., and A.O. Gross.  1923.  On the numbers and local distribution of Illinois land birds of the open country in winter, spring, and fall.  Bulletin of the Natural History Survey Vol. XIV, Article X.  Illinois Department of Registration and Education, Urbana, Illinois.

 

[This review was originally published in the Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science, 2003, Volume 96, pages 321 - 323.]

 

Review by Thomas V. Lerczak, author of Side Channels, A Collection of Nature Writing and Memoir. 

 

   

BOOK REVIEW: Two Books on Illinois Birds

Kleen, Vernon M., Liane Cordle, and Robert A. Montgomery.  The Breeding Bird Atlas.  2004.  xviii + 459 pp; black and white species photographs; 16 figures; 12 tables; 11 appendices; literature cited; index of common names.  Illinois Natural History Survey Special Publication 26.  Soft Cover.  ISBN 1-882932-07-2.  Price:  US $25.95.  Available from Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 East Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820.

DeVore, Sheryl, Steven D. Bailey, and George Kennedy.  Birds of Illinois.  2004.  376 pp; color species illustrations; appendix; select [selected] references; glossary; checklist; index of scientific names; index of common names.  Lone Pine Publishing, Auburn, Washington.  Soft Cover.  ISBN 1-55105-379-9.  Price US $19.95.  Available from Lone Pine Publishing, 1808 B Street NW, Suite 140, Auburn, WA 98001.

 

          The publication of both The Breeding Bird Atlas (hereafter referred to as the Atlas) and the Birds of Illinois has made 2004 a benchmark year for birders at all levels.  Because each book has a different purpose and special features, one may appeal more to a somewhat different audience than the other; each book is considered separately and then together to help explain this assertion.

          The “Preface” to the Atlas by the noted ornithologist Dr. Scott K. Robinson presents an only slightly optimistic future for many of Illinois’ bird populations.  Next, a lengthy “Acknowledgments,” lists all individuals who contributed to the Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas Project which resulted in this publication, that is organized as a standard scientific monograph.  Subsequently, the brief “Introduction,” with a clear goal statement (“…to conduct a comprehensive and systematic statewide survey of breeding birds to document their distribution and status in the state…”) and a list of eight objectives, is followed by chapters entitled “Methods” and “Results and Discussion.”  The latter attempts, within the space of merely six pages, to make sense of all the data of the Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas Project, which was collected from 1986 to 1991 by 945 individuals, from 1,286 10-square-mile blocks spread across the entire state; this herculean effort generated 74,288 species records from 216 species.

          This quite voluminous database is summarized in a series of tables and appendices of the Atlas, some of which are rather lengthy.  While having access to the actual numbers may be important for archival purposes, searching large tables of numbers for patterns and trends can be daunting.  At the same time, the explanatory text does point out highlights of the tables, which are sometimes obvious.  For example, in Table 4 (page 7), a list of 22 species is shown in rank order by the number of priority blocks in which the species occurred; the authors explain that “The five most frequently reported species were the Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, Mourning Dove, House Sparrow, and Common Grackle;” that is, the first five species listed in the table.  It is here, in the presentation of data summaries, that the authors might have effectively used more computer graphics and thus, designed interesting an creatively organized figures where broad patterns might be easily discerned by the reader at a careful glance.

          The data collected during the Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas Project published in the Atlas provides a baseline for comparison with future similar studies.  Furthermore, Kleen, Cordle, and Montgomery have gone beyond simply the presentation of information relating to the Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas Project by including long-term information from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS); this helps place the Atlas within a temporal context.  The BBS methods and data summary, with BBS data collected throughout Illinois along standardized route from 1966 through 2000, are presented in a special chapter of the Atlas.  Here data from 133 species are grouped within a table by breeding habitat guild (woodland, grassland, etc.) and population trend (i.e., positive or negative).  A further analysis considers migration status.  But the authors offer only limited discussion of the data presented in these tables.

          Seven land cover maps (e.g., forest cover, natural divisions) are briefly discussed in a chapter entitled “Physical Environment of Illinois.”  The purpose of presenting this information was to provide a background by which to interpret patterns in the data summaries.  Although such analyses are mostly left up to the reader, with numerous caveats given concerning the limitations of the data, it is convenient to have these maps (which have appeared elsewhere in various publications) available in one place for easy reference.

          The bulk of the Atlas is, of course, the 183 individual species accounts.  Each species account includes a black and white photograph and a full map of Illinois, with county outlines, showing locations of sampling blocks for which the highlighted species was recorded as a breeder (marked:  confirmed, probable, or possible).  Also, each species account provides basic notations on its population status and breeding biology, as well as historical information and a variety of interesting facts.  A chapter entitled “Guide to Species Accounts” helps facilitate ease of interpreting the descriptive information.

          For species where sufficient data are available, the BBS trends from 1966 to 2000 are shown graphically as statewide annual indices of abundance.  Because of the wide latitudinal range of Illinois and the fact that certain species distributions have changed over time, it would have been useful here to divide the state into northern, central, and southern regions (a convention established in earlier studies [e.g., Graber et al. 1970]) to show the annual indices of abundance for each region.  In addition, presenting BBS trend data for Illinois’ natural divisions (Schwegman 1973) could have highlighted relationships between population trends and habitat preferences, much like Jacobs and Wilson (1997) showed for BBS data in relation to Missouri’s natural divisions.

          Where the Atlas might cause readers to think of more in-depth data analyses that could have been presented; in contrast, the Birds of Illinois takes the reader in the opposite direction—toward the aesthetic appreciation of birds.  The first impression one gets, before ever turning a page of the book, is that of an exceedingly colorful field guide.  But the liberal use of color is the basis of a highly effective quick reference system to the major groups illustrated in the book.  The reader then searches for color matches, which are readily seen, rather than thumbing through numerous pages.  And because unidentified birds in the field are notorious for quickly flying out of view, the sooner one is on the proper page of the field guide, the better.

          The Birds of Illinois begins with a short introductory chapter which defines some of the unavoidable technical terminology used throughout the book as well as concepts and activities associated with watching birds (e.g., composing lists and observing/recording feeding habits).  Devore, Bailey, and Kennedy suggest studying behavior, conservation issues, and bird-habitat relationships to enhance bird watching.

          When discussing bird habitats, they refer to a colored map which shows the 14 natural divisions of Illinois, which for some reason they refer to as “bioregions.”  This map is also used to located 100 of the top birding sites in the state, 20 of which are given a more extended treatment with information on location, bird habitats, and bird species to be expected, especially rarities.  Here better directions and special information for visitors may have been better emphasized rather than attempting to list a few commonly expected birds or rarities which one may have a very small chance to see; for example, in reference to Illinois Beach State Park, they write that “Warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks and flycatchers occur in fall and spring, ….” This statement could apply to nearly any medium-sized wooded area in Illinois.  For the Morton Arboretum, they mention the Townsend’s Solitaire, even though in the many decades that birders and ornithologists have been keeping records throughout Illinois, there have been only 19 Townsend’s Solitaire sightings documented.  It is obvious that the authors wish to recruit more people to birding, but setting up beginners with unrealistic expectations could have the opposite effect.

          The Birds of Illinois covers 319 species expected to be seen in Illinois on an annual basis.  Each species account, one per page, has an introductory paragraph in which the authors relate unusual or otherwise interesting facts about the species in Illinois. These accounts are creatively written, and will likely be interesting to and enjoyed by beginning birders as well as experienced ornithologists.

          Each species account includes an artistically depicted color illustration of the species showing the plumage in which the bird is most likely to be seen in Illinois.  This may be a disadvantage of the book, however, for birders seeking to identify species with very different spring and fall plumage (e.g., warblers) or species that have a different plumage for several years before attaining the definitive adult plumage (e.g., gulls).  Not finding a bird in the field guide is sure to be a frustration for beginning birders, causing them to search through one of the more comprehensive guides.

          Small colored maps of Illinois (about 3 cm high) are included with each species account showing ranges for breeding, year round, winter, and migration.  These maps combined with the section labeled “Status” provide a quick summary of current knowledge for the species in Illinois.  DeVore, Bailey, and Kennedy do not cite the Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas Project in the “Select References,” even though the raw data for the Atlas publication have been on the Illinois Natural History Survey’s web site since 1998.  Each species account also includes a summary of information on identification and biology plus suggestions on the best sites to see the highlighted species.

          Because the Atlas and the Birds of Illinois were written with different goals in mind, direct comparisons, for the most part, are not justified.  But while the scientific Atlas may satisfy the needs of ornithologists and the Birds of Illinois may be suited more to new birders, experienced birders will likely find both publications useful and interesting.  Areas of overlap between both books occur within the species accounts, which is not surprising.  In short, both books complement one another.  And each book offers certain unique information and insights.  Of course, the quantitative nature of the Atlas sets it quite apart from the Birds of Illinois.  But together, they represent the best and most comprehensive compilation of information on Illinois’ bird populations since Bohlen (1989).

 

Literature Cited

Bohlen, H.D.  1989.  The birds of Illinois.  Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana.  222 pp.

Graber, R.R., J.W. Graber, and E.L. Kirk.  1970.  Illinois birds:  Mimidae.  Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes No. 68, Champaign, Illinois.  38 pp.

Jacobs, B., and J.D. Wilson.  1997.  Missouri breeding bird atlas:  1986-1992.  Natural History Series, No. 6.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City.  430 pp.

Schwegman, J.E.  1973.  Comprehensive plan for the Illinois Nature Preserves System.  Part 2.  The natural divisions of Illinois.  Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Springfield, Illinois.  32 pp.

 

[This review was originally published in the Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science, 2005, Volume 98, pages 89 - 92.]

  

Review by Thomas V. Lerczak, author of Side Channels, A Collection of Nature Writing and Memoir.  Many of the chapters in Side Channels are about birding in Illinois at several of the sites mentioned in DeVore, Bailey, and Kennedy’s Birds of Illinois.