70-9570
j

KATSER, Arthur David, 1937ACTIVITIES AND ATTITUDES OF INSTRUCTIONAL :
MEDIA BUILDING COORDINATORS: A FOLLOW!
UP TO TWO M.S.U. SUMMER INSTITUTES.
Michigan State University, Ed.D., 1969
Education, teacher training

University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan

ACTIVITIES AND ATTITUDES OP INSTRUCTIONAL
MEDIA BUILDING COORDINATORS:

A FOLLOW-UP

TO TWO M.S.U. SUMMER INSTITUTES
By
Arthur David Katser

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
Department of Secondary Education
and Curriculum
1969

ABSTRACT
ACTIVITIES AND ATTITUDES OP INSTRUCTIONAL
MEDIA BUILDING COORDINATORS: A FOLLOW-UP
TO TWO M.S.U. SUMMER INSTITUTES
By
Arthur David Katser

This exploratory field study developed from a con­
cern for the great expense and effort that successful inservice teacher education programs require.

In order to

bring about improvement, teacher educators need more
adequate information with respect to the subsequent be­
haviors of in-service education program participants.

By

examining the activities and attitudes of participants of
past programs, it was felt that teacher educators would
be able to specify with greater precision the entry or
exit behaviors for future In-service programs.
A survey instrument was designed and data were
gathered from a panel of 12 experts who had been re­
sponsible for instruction at the 1965 and 1966 summer
media Institutes held at Michigan State University, 174
Institute participants of the 1965 and 1966 summer inservice media education program at M.S.U., and from 72
building principals of media coordinator respondents.

Arthur David Katser
This study proposed eight areas of investigation.
First, a panel of 12 experts who had taught at the two
*

Institutes held at M.S.U. was consulted to determine what
activities educational media building coordinators who
attended summer Institutes at M.S.U. should be performing.
This panel suggested 18 activities, mostly consultative,
and ranked them according to their appropriateness in the
development and maintenance of an effective media
program.
Second, 19^ of the participants who attended the
Institutes were sent a questionnaire designed to compare
the panel ratings with actual performance.

Third, the

frequency with which coordinators performed the 18 activ­
ities was measured.

And fourth, the Pearson Product-

Moment Correlation Coefficient technique was employed to
determine what correlation existed between the rating of
the 18 activities by the experts and (1) the activities
actually performed by the coordinators, as well as,
(2) the frequency with which the coordinators performed
these activities.
Fifth,

2H

demographic characteristics of the

building coordinators and their school settings were ex­
amined for possible relationships to the activities they
performed.

There were no precise patterns observed with

respect to these relationships.

Arthur David Katser
The final three areas investigated by the study dealt
with the attitudes of coordinators and the administrator
*

to whom they are responsible.

After coordinators and

principals were both asked to rate the appropriateness of
the 18 activities, the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation
Coefficient technique was used to determine what relation­
ship existed among the appropriateness ratings of the
experts, coordinators, and principals.

Correlations

significant at the .0005 level or smaller were found
among all three groups.

Attitudes of the panel of experts

are highly correlated with those of coordinators and their
principals.
Finally, when given the opportunity to respond to
an open-ended question pertaining to observed changes in
activities since attending the Institutes, most respondents
stated that their media program had grown as had their
responsibilities.

In addition, the coordinators generally

felt that they were now more knowledgeable and confident
in their administration of a media program.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

That this dissertation was at all possible is due,
in part, to the establishment of the summer media train­
ing program of the National Defense Education Act.

Had

the author not been granted a summer Educational Media
Institute Fellowship at Michigan State Univeristy, it is
highly unlikely that the three year doctoral program
would have ever begun.
Particularly, I would like to thank Dr. Charles F.
Schuller, Chairman of the Advisory Committee, for his
continued interest, guidance, and wholehearted encourage­
ment during the entire length of my doctoral program.

To

Dr. Paul Witt, who acted in absence of Dr. Schuller, as
well as the remaining members of the Advisory Committee,
Dr. John Barson, Dr. Charles Blackman, and Dr, Donald
Olmsted, I wish to extend my appreciation for their
direction and support.
My wonderful wife, Gerrle, and children, Ron, Steve
and Beth deserve my unending gratitude.

Without their

total commitment and complete backing during the tribu­
lations and frustrations of the doctoral program none of
this would have been possible .

ii

TABLE OP CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

.....................................

ii

LIST OF TABLES.........................................

V

LIST OF A P P E N D I C E S ..................................... vii
Chapter
I.

THE P R O B L E M ...................................

1

Introduction ...............................
1
The Purpose of the S t u d y ...................
5
The Plan of the S t u d y ......................
8
The Limitations of the Study................... 12
Description of Terms
......................
13
Overview
< ■ ............................. 15
II.

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.......................... 17
Technical Change in Education
.............
17
The Role of the Media Specialist in an
Administrative Framework.......................22
The Media Specialist as a Change Agent
. . 25
Media-Related Activities and Programs.
. . 32
Conclusion...................................... 47

III.

DESIGN AND PROCEDURES..............................51
The P o p u l a t i o n ................................ 51
Instrumentation......................
53
Data Collection................................ 57
Analysis of the D a t a .......................... 59
Summary.....................................
62

IV.

ANALYSIS OF R E S U L T S ..............................64
Anticipated Coordinator Activities.
. . .
Actual Building Coordinator Activities
. .
Frequency of Activity Performance . . . .
The Relationship Between Actual and
Expected Coordinator Activities
. . . .
The Relationship Between Demographic
Variables and Coordinator Activities.
. .

iii

65
69
75
78
79

Page

Chapter

Coordinators1 Attitudes Toward
A c t i v i t i e s .............................. 85
Relationship Between Coordinators’ and
Experts’ Attitudes TowardsActivities
. .
Relationship Between Principal Attitudes
and Coordinator Activities... .............
Coordinator Subjective Statements . . .. 9 2
Summary of R e s u l t s ........................ 93
V.

85
89

SUMMARY AND C O N C L U S I O N S ...................97
Summary..................................... 97
Summary of P r o c e d u r e s .....................98
F i n d i n g s ................................. 100
C o n c l u s i o n s .............................. 10*J
Recommendations for Further Research
. . . 107
Concluding Statement
......................
109

A P P E N D I C E S ...........................................Ill
BIBLIOGRAPHY

. '..... .............. .................. 1^5

LIST OP TABLES
Table

Page

1.

Distribution of male and female teachers who
applied for and, participated in a 1965 or
1966 Summer Media Institute at Michigan
State U n i v e r s i t y ................................ 52

2.

Summary of data describing media activities
which educational media building coordinators
who attended summer institutes at M.S.U. in
1965 and 1966 might be expected to perform
as suggested by a panel of 12 experts . . .

68

Summary of data describing the activities ac­
tually performed by building coordinators
before, after, and before and after attend­
ance at an M.S.U. summer institute for
instructional media- building coordinators
during the summer of 1965 and 1966
. . . .

71

3.

Summary of data describing the frequency with
which educational media building coordinators
perform the activities which are a function
of their p o s i t i o n ............................. . 7 6
5.

6.

7.

Summary of data describing the attitudes of
educational media building coordinators who
attended summer institutes at Michigan State
University in 1965 and 1966 toward the
activities they perform ......................

86

Summary of correlation statistics describing
the relationship between principals attitudes
toward coordinators activities and coordina­
tors appropriateness scores and coordinators
frequency of performance scores . . . . .

91

A summary of categories and frequencies with
which educational media building coordinators
who attended summer media institutes at M.S.U.
in 1965 and 1966 described changes in their
media programs since attendance at an
institute..................................... 9**

v

Page

Table
8.

Summary of data describing the differences in
the frequency with which media related
activities were performed by classroom
teachers serving as coordinators and educa­
tional media directors after attending an
M.S.U. summer media institute in 1965
or 1 9 6 6 ........................................ 135

9.

Summary of data describing the differences in
the frequency with which media related
activities were performed by librarians and
educational media building coordinators
after attending an M.S.U. summer media
institute in 1965 or 1 9 6 6 ..................... 136

10.

Summary of major job assignments held by
participants of the 1965 and 1966 summer
media institutes held at Michigan State
University with the total number of
respondents holding eachj o b ................

137

1

11.

A summary of the current degree status of 174
participants in the* 1965 and 1966 summer
media Institutes held at Michigan State
U n i v e r s i t y .....................................138

12.

A summary of the frequency with which parti­
cipants in the 1965 and 1966 summer media
institutes at Michigan State University have
received formal media training in varying
academic levels................................. 138

13.

Summary of sources of funding for building
media programs selected by educational
media building coordinators who attended
the 1965 or 1966 summer media institutes
at Michigan State University and reported
this to be their majorsource of funds .
.

.

139

LIST OP APPENDICES
Page

Appendix
I.

N.D.E.A. Media Institute Participant
Survey............................

112

II.

Newer Educational Media Attitude
Inventory.........................

121

First Letter to Experts............

12*1

Second Letter to Experts

126

III.
IV.
V.
VI.

. . . .

First Letter to Institute Participants
. Follow-Up to Participants . . . .

129
131

First Letter to Principals.

132

VIII.

Follow-Up to Principals............

13*1

IX.

Summary of Data Tables ............

135

X.

Summary of Data Tables ............

137

N.D.E.A. In-Service Media Survey.

1*10

VII.

XI.

vii

CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM

Introduction
In the last twenty-five years we have witnessed a
profound change in American education, a vast revolution
.whose end is not yet in sight.

If we are to look for the

starting point of this cataclysmic period, "we must turn
to a date near the end of World War II when in 19*14 the
Veterans Readjustment Act, known more generally as the
GI bill was enacted."

Millions of returning service men

took advantage of the provisions of this act.

As they

entered classrooms across the nation, both as studentB
and teachers, they brought with them a demand for im­
proved instruction.

Because of their increased maturity

and exposure to military training techniques, they were
able to dramatize the need for innovation in Instruc­
tional programs.

Wiseman'points out:

When the war ended, the men who returned to ci­
vilian life brought with them new teaching mater­
ials and equipment. In addition, they also brought
with them new methods of teaching. The final re­
sult has been increased attention to the role of
audio-visual materials in education and the 1Frank G. Jennings, "It Didn't Start with Sputnik,"
Saturday Review, September 16, 1967, p. 77*
1

2
integration of these new materials into the
curriculum. Along with new concepts of teach­
ing, the realization developed that schools
‘needed personnel responsible for the develop­
ment and administration of a program of in­
structional materials and methodology.2
In the decade after the war, a growing body of
critics mounted an ever more vocal attack on American
education.

And in 1957* When the Soviet Union launched

its first satellite, concerned Americans voiced their
distress over the quality of public education.

The

following year, in~1958; the Congress responded to this
concern with the National Defense Education Act (NDEA).
NDEA and many subsequent acts have promoted and accele­
rated educational innovations in several ways.

One is

through the provision of funds for local schools to pur­
chase the equipment and materials necessary to implement
newly developed instructional techniques.
Another major provision of the NDEA legislation,
the in-service institute for teachers, has appeared to
many educators as the most valuable feature of the entire
NDEA program.

The significance of the institute program

2

Robert Charles Wiseman, "Job Duties of the FullTime Audio-Visual Directors in the Public Secondary
Schools of the North Central Association Qeographlcal
Area" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University,
1966), p. 1.
^Donald W. Johnson, "Title III and the Dynamics of
Educational Change in California Schools," in Innovation
in Education, ed. by Matthew B. Miles (New York: Bureau
of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University,
1964), p. 179.

3
may be partially indicated by the continued use of the
term "awarded" when identifying teachers who had been
selected as participants.

During the first three years

of an expanded NDEA program from 1965 to 1967* over
60,000 teachers participated in institutes covering a
broad range of subjects, including educational media.**
In fact, 107 institutes have served some 4^00 educa­
tional media specialists.

In 1965* alone, these

institutes operated on budgets which averaged $27*000,
exclusive of participants' stipends.5

a

number of the

institutes, including two at Michigan State University,
have sought to prepare teachers who have been designated
educational media building.coordinators and, as such,
are responsible for the administration and coordination
of media activities in their school building.
Today, there is a need to examine the impact the
institutes have had on those teachers who attended them.
At least two major points may be stated which provide a
rationale for empirical investigations in this area.
James W. Brown, "Educational Media Institute
Evaluation Project, Department of Audiovisual Instruction,"
Evaluation of Summer 1966 NDEA Institutes (San Jose;
Educational Media Institute Evaluation Project), pp. 1-2.
^James W. Brown, "Educational Media Institute
Evaluation Project, Department of Audiovisual Instruction,"
Evaluation of Summer 1965 NDEA Institutes (San Jose:
Educational Media Institute Evaluation Project), pp. 2-6.

4
First it should be noted that in view of the great
expense and effort a successful summer institute requires,
*

teacher educators must continually reevaluate the final
efficacy of their institute programs.

In order to bring

about improvement, teacher educators need more adequate
information with respect to subsequent behaviors of
institute participants.

By examining the activities and

attitudes of participants of past institutes, teacher
educators may be able to specify with greater precision
the entry and exit behaviors for future in-service
education programs for teachers.
Second, it has been noted that "audio-visual program
administration is a relatively new area in education.
Accordingly, there is a dearth of reported empirical re­
search directly related to this administrative function."
In addition, many educators question the validity of the
research methodology used in existing research.

While

studies preceding the present endeavor? have already
examined short-term changes in the attitudes of Institute
g
Charles F. Schuller, ed., The School Administrator
and His Audio-Visual Program (Washington, D.C.:
Department of Audio-Visual Instruction, National Educa­
tion Association, 1954), p. 266; also, Paul Saettler,
A History of Instructional Technology (New York: McGraw
Hill Book Company, 1968), p* 362
?Brown, Evaluations of Summer 1965 NDEA Institutes;
also, Evelyn Perloff, Conpass News, Report of the
Consortium of Professional Associations to Supervise
Studies of Special Programs for the Improvement of
Instruction in American Education, Washington, D.C.,
September, 1967, p. 4 (and other unpublished documents

5
participants immediately after their.participation
in an institute, and have even made tentative inquiries
into the long-term effects, no research to date has
surveyed the activity of media specialists after they,
return to their schools from such an institute.
The Purpose of the Study
It was the purpose of this study to obtain
descriptive information about media-related
activities and attitudes of educational media building
coordinators who attended either the 1965 or 1966
summer instructional media Institutes held at Michigan
State University as well as information related to
selected variables which may affect these activities
and attitudes.

It was also intended that this

exploratory survey would lead to the identification
of specific areas in which additional research might
be conducted in order to Improve the quality of
in-service education for educational media building
coordinators.

of the consortium gathered by the Instructional Media
Center at Michigan State University, East Lansing).

6
More explicitly, this study proposed:
1.

To identify, by means of a panel of experts,
the media related activities educational media
building coordinators might be expected to per­
form after attending a Michigan State University
summer media Institute, and in so doing .to
provide a base line to which the reports of
building coordinators who attended one of the
Institutes might be compared.

2.

To identify the media-related activities these
coordinators perform and the frequency with
which each activity is performed.

3.

To examine the relationship between the mediarelated activities specified by the panel of
experts and those reported by the coordinators
in order to determine whether coordinators are
performing activities which experts in the

.

media field believe they should be performing..
4.

To determine whether certain demographic vari­
ables such as age, professional preparation,
responsibility, and school characteristics
are related to the media-related activities.
performed by the educational media building
coordinator.

5.

To investigate the attitudes of institute
participants and their building principals

.

7
regarding the appropriateness of the activities
performed by these building coordinators, and
6.

To determine whether there is a similarity
between the attitudes of the panel of experts,
the coordinators, and the principals.

To achieve these purposes the study focused on the
following eight questions:
1.

What activities might coordinators who attended,
summer institutes at Michigan State University
be expected to perform in conducting a building
educational media program?

2.

What m a j o r activities do these educational
media building coordinators actually perform? .

3*

How does the educational media building
coordinator distribute his time among the
activities he performs?

4.

Is there a significant correlation between the
activities performed by these building coordi-r
nators and the activities which the faculty
and other staff members who taught at the
institutes espoused?

5,

What relationship, if any, exists between.the
demographic characteristics of the building
coordinator and of his school setting, and the
activities performed by the coordinator?
example, do coordinators who teach in

(For

8
elementary schools perform different activities
than coordinators in high schools?)
*

6.

What activities do the coordinators.themselves
consider most appropriate in promoting an
educational media program?.

7.

Do the coordinators' attitudes toward these
activities correlate with the position taken
by the faculty and other instructors at the
Institutes?

8.

Is the building principal's attitude toward the
use of new educational media related to the
activities and attitudes of building coordi­
nators?
The Plan of the Study

This study, primarily an exploratory survey,
investigated the activities reported by media specialists
who attended Institutes at Michigan State.University
during the summers of 1965 and 1966.

According to

Kerlinger such studies can perform three functions:

"to

discover significant variables in the field situation,
r

to discover relationships among variables, and to.lay.a
ground work for later, more systematic and rigorous
testing of hypotheses."®
®Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral
Research (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1964),
p. 388.

9
To collect the data for this survey, a question­
naire was designed t o ’elicit the demographic and
attitudinal data regarding building coordinators, as well
as descriptive information regarding their media activ­
ities.

Information was gathered from three different

populations:
experts,

(2)

(1)

the Institute faculty and other media

the educational media building

coordinators, and

(3)

their principals.

Information .

was gathered about three distinct variables:

(1) media

related activities, (2) characteristics of building.,
coordinators, and (3) attitudes of administrators.
Media Related Activities
The first step in this study was to generate a list
of activities the building coordinators who attended M.S.U.
summer institutes might be expected to perform after they
returned to their jobs.

Beginning with a list of eight

activities in Godfrey's survey of more than 3,000 school
districts in 1962,9 the Institute faculty and media
experts were asked to (1) made additions, (2) suggest
deletions, and (3) rate the appropriateness of the activ­
ities and objectives espoused during the Institutes.
Using the data thus collected, a new list of building
coordinator media activities was developed.
^Eleanor P. Godfrey, The State of Audiovisual
Technology. 1961-1966 (Washington, D.C.: Department*of
Audiovisual Instruction of the National Education
Association, 1967).

10
This new list provided relatively objective criteria.for
what activities building coordinators who attended
*

Institutes at Michigan State should be engaged in.
Characteristics of Building Coordinators
All participants in the 1965 and 1966 summer
Institutes who were presently in the education profession
were considered to be members of the population of
coordinators examined in this study.

Data were obtained

from this group by means of a two-part questionnaire
distributed by mail.
The first part of this questionnaire was designed
to elicit specific background information about: (1) the
school setting in which the coordinator served, (2) the
audiovisual program of that schoo", (3) the coordi- .
nator’s assignment in that school, and (4) the
professional preparation and background of the coordi­
nator.

The second part solicited information about the

media-related activities performed by the building
coordinator who was asked to respond by selecting activ­
ities from the revised list of media activities in answer
to the following questions:
1.

Which activities did you perform prior to
attending an M.S.U. summer Institute?

2.

Which activities do you presently perform in
your role as a building coordinator?

3.

What amount of time do you devote to each of
these activities?

11
*

4.

How appropriate do you consider each of the
various activities?

The participant was asked to respond to one final
open-ended question:

"How are you operating differently

today In your media role than you did before partici­
pating in an NDEA summer Institute at M.S.U.?"
Attitudes of Administrators
The final section of this study was designed to
determine whether the attitudes of building principals
were related in any way to the activities and attitudes
of building coordinators.

Each administrator directly

responsible for a building coordinator was asked to
complete a shortened version of the questionnaire dealing
with media-related activities.

The administrators* re­

sponses to this questionnaire were matched with the re­
sponses of their coordinators * to determine whether any
significant correlation existed between their attitudes.
Each building principal was asked to complete a
second questionnaire, "The New Educational Media Attitude
Inventory,"'*’® developed by Curtis Ramsey and later
***®Curtis P. Ramsey, A Research Pro.lect for the
Development of a Measure to Assess Attitudes Regarding
the Uses of New Educational M e d i a . Title VII Project
#492 Grant #740095 (Nashville, Tennessee:
George
Peabody College for Teachers, 1961.

modified to some extent by Guba and Synder.

11

This Instru­

ment, used to determine whether an Individual is in sym­
pathy with or antagonistic toward the uses of newer educa­
tional media in the classroom, was statistically analyzed
to determine whether principals holding positive attitudes
about media tend to have coordinators whose activities
generally fulfill the expectations of the Institute faculty.
Limitations of the Study
This study, as herein proposed, is limited by the
population under investigation, the intended generaliza­
tion, and the statistical treatment.
This investigation is an ex post facto field study
and its greatest limitations are due, primarily to the
inherent characteristics of such research.'

Kerlinger

points out t h a t :
Ex post facto research may be defined as that
research in which the independent variable or
variables have already occurred and in which
the researcher starts with the observation of
a dependent variable or variables.12
This study deals only with the educational media
building coordinators who attended summer Institutes at

11Egon G. Guba and Clinton A. Synder, Instructional
Television and the Classroom Teacher, RP Project 1367>
Pinal Report, Research Foundation (Columbua, Ohio:
Ohio
State University, April, 196*0.
12
Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research,
p. 369.

13
Michigan State University in 1965 and 1 966.

Therefore,

the findings of this research are generalizable to other
Institutes and their participants only to the extent
that the M.S.U. Institutes were similar to other media
Institutes and that the Institute participants at M.S.U.
may be representative of other educators who attended
summer media Institutes and that these media specialists
hold similar educational positions in their schools.
The statistical procedures carried out in this
research are limited to a description of the distribution
of scores on media related actlvltes, on attitudes
toward those activities, and on certain demographic
characteristics and their statistical relationship to
the activities and attitudes.
Description of Terms
The terms operationally defined in this section
include only those which delimit the area of investi­
gation by their appearance in the thesis title, those
employed in the questions to be investigated, and those
bearing a meaning in any way different from the usage
in educational literature.
Educational Media Building Coordinator:
A professional staff member of a public or
parochial school system who (1) possesses at
least a bachelor's degree,
certificate,

(2) holds a teaching

(3) is officially assigned as

14
coordinator of the Instructional media program,
in an elementary or secondary school building, .
and (4) attended one of the two institutes at
Michigan State University during the summer
of 1965 or 1966.
Summer Institute;
An in-service summer training program authoriz­
ed under the conditions of Title XI of the
National Defense Education Act of 1958 as
amended in 1965 to provide advanced study pro­
grams for teachers, supervisors ■
, school library
personnel, a n d .educational media specialists
in public and private non-profit•elementary and
secondary schools.
Institute Faculty and.Other Media Experts:
The 12 full and part time instructors who
participated In both the 1965 and 1966 M.S.U.
Institutes.
Media Related Activities:
A list of activities which educational media
building coordinators might be expected to
perform after attending an M.S.U. summer
Institute.

This list of activities was

determined on the basis of a survey of the
Institute faculty and other media experts, who
were asked to rank by appropriateness some of

15
the activities suggested during the Institutes.
Media Related Attitudes:
Attitudes of educational media building
coordinators and their principals regarding
the appropriateness of the media related
activities to their building media program.
Principals:
The chief administrative supervisor of a school
and Immediate superior of an educational media
building coordinator who attended a summer
Institute at M.S.U.
Principals Attitude Toward the Use of New Educational
Media:
Scores of principals on the New Educational
Media Attitude Inventory, and principals'
attitudes regarding the appropriateness of
the.media related activities to their build­
ing media program.
Overview
In this first chapter, an attempt has been made to
present a statement of the problem and of the need for the
study, the purpose of this study, questions to be investi­
gated, the plan for the study, limitations, and definitions
of terms.
In the second chapter, the pertinent related
literature is reviewed.

This review deals with studies

of the development of technology In education, the role
of the audiovisual specialist in the public schools,
and a chronological view of the activities performed by
the media personnel in education.

In Chapter III the .

methodology and procedures of.the study are presented in
*

detail including a description of the population,-the
development of the questionnaires, all procedures of
the survey, the handling of .data, recording procedures, . .
and statistical treatment.

An analysis of the data and

statement of findings are provided in Chapter IV.
finally, In Chapter V, a summary, conclusions, and
recommendations for further research are stated.

And

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OP THE LITERATURE
*

This chapter reviews the literature which best
describes the explosive changes that are occurring in
American education, as well as the literature on the
educational media specialist and the administration of*
building media programs.

In addition, a chronological

examination of the activities performed by media
personnel who are responsible for the administration of
building programs will be presented so that a framework
is built for the current study.
Technological Change in Education
Many explanations have been suggested for the
recent phenomenal growth of the American educational
establishment.

Of course, as Ely reminds us, "no one

can speak authoritatively about all of the new develop­
ments in educational technology.

The new frontiers are

too vast, too complicated, and changing too rapidly."1
Many factors have Influenced this revolution:

according

n
Donald Ely, "Pacts and Fallacies About New-Media
In Education," in Revolution in Teaching:
New Theory,
Technology, and Curricula, e d . by A . DeGrazia and D . Sohn
(New York:
Bantam Books, 1964), p. 42.
17

18
to Hudspeth, such factors as "the population explosion,
the knowledge explosion, the view that education Is a
natural resource, the use of new tools (such as the
computer to study social behavior) and the Insertion Into
2
education of considerable energy from outside agencies."
#

The work of Paul Mort and Henry Brlckell reflects
the extremely rapid rate of innovation in education
today, a key feature of the educational revolution.

For

example, until the late 1950's we could say that
the spread of an innovation through the American
schools proceeds at a slow pace . . . Typically,
an extravagantly long time elapses before an
insight into a need (or discovery that past
practice is indefensible) is responded to by
innovation destined for general acceptance in
the schools. This period is measured in decades.
In many cases, Mort said, 50 to 100 years were needed for
adoption to be considered complete; adoption rates this
slow could only produce chaos today.

But just a few

years later, Brlckell found "that the rate of innovation
in the public schools had more than doubled in the

DeLayne R. Hudspeth, "A Study of Belief Systems
and Acceptance of New Educational Media with Users and
Non Users of Audiovisual Graphics"(unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, Michigan State University, 1966), p. 20.
a
JPaul R. Mort, "Studies in Educational Innovation
from the Institute of Administrative Research:
An
Overview," in Innovation in Education, ed. by Matthew
B, Miles (New York:
Bureau of Publications, Teachers
College, Columbia University, 1966), p. 325.

19
fifteen months following the launching of the Soviet
Sputnik.
Pressure, interest, energy, and money from the out­
side have all accelerated the pace of change in most
public schools.

During the period discussed by Mort, the

public schools were for the most part "closed systems,"
virtually inpenetrable, with any changes coming from
within.

But as our cultural environment has impinged

more directly on the schools, as the public has urged
quality education and the federal government assumed
greater leadership, we have witnessed "a massive infusion
of technological capital and personnel into the system
as well as a massive program of research and development.""^

We have become a technological culture, one,

that is, "that finds technological solutions to its
problems."

This means, Morris says, "that the environment

which contributes to the problems of education also con­
tains the elements that can help to solve them."^
Discussing this technological sophistication, Finn
suggests that our present rate of development originated
4
Henry M. Brlckell, "State Organization for Educa­
tional Change: A Case Study and a Proposal," in Innova­
tion In Education, ed. by Matthew B. Miles (New Vork:
Bureau of Publication, Teachers College, Columbia Uni­
versity, 1966), p. 495.
5
^Barry Morris, ed., "The Function of Media In the
Public Schools." Audiovisual Instruction. VIII (January.
1963), P. 11.
6Ibld.

20
with the industrial revolution in the 19th century.

He

examined various models of economic growth for their per­
tinence to the educational structure, and finds that the
economic model presented by Walt Rostow1 best fits the
educational frame.

Rostow*s five stages in the growth
*

of a traditional culture into a high-order technological
culture a r e :
1.

the traditional society,

2.

the pre-conditions for take-off,

3.

the take-off,

4.

the drive to maturity, and

5.

the age of high mass-consumption.

Finn states,
that American education, considered as a culture
in transition, is now beginning the take-off Btage
into a high-order, high-energy culture, and that
it is the first educational system in the world
to reach this stage.°
This study goes on to discuss the indicators which
signal these stages of educational growth, in which the
rates of audiovisual equipment utilization and material
production figure prominently.

Finn says, there are

other indicators we know little about:

"The most

7
'Walter W. Rostow, The Stages of Economic Growth
(Cambridge: The University Press, I960).
Q
James D. Finn, D. Perrin, and L. Campion, Occa­
sional Paper No. 6. Studies in the Growth of Instruc­
tional Technology. Audiovisual Instrumentation for
Instruction in the Public Schools 1930-1960--A Basis
for Take Off CWashington, D.C.:
irTETAT7l9^27T"P** 5**

21
Important of these are in the general area of technicalq
professional manpower.
Ip 1963 a DAVI task force set the current revolution in education in this frame:
A n 5W technology for instruction has been de­
vel aped and proved through basic research and
pra atice. This development has now reached a
lev el that will permit rapid expansion of appllcat Lon and of further innovation.
Thel new educational technology is capable of
meeting and solving certain of the schools'
majbr problems in instruction, organization
and administration.
Application of the new technology will result
In ibajor changes affecting the administration,
organization and physical facilities of the
public schools.
Methods of instruction will be modified to a
maj<br degree, particularly In the presentation
of information.
Teachers and learners will have new roles and
changed activities aB a result of this techno­
logical change.
A new kind of professional will be required to
provide leadership in design, implementation
and evaluation of programs of education which
make the fullest use of new media"
The functioris performed by this leader and the resources
he brings will be among the essential determi­
nants of Buecess or failure In tomorrow's schools
(emphasis mine).10
This raises the question of what role the media
person may assume within this ferment.

1I b i d .
10
Morris, "The Function of Media .

11 .

22
The Role of the Media Specialist In an
Administrative Framework
A number of scholars discuss the place of media
personnel In the schools as an individual, independent of
his activities.

Most Important, we must recognize that

the role of the media specialist Is changing.
In the past, according to Godfrey, "the media
coordinator functioned chiefly as a logistics specialist,
ordering and scheduling equipment and materials,"11 being
considered little more than a "mere custodian of materials
and doctor of ailing equipment."

12

In the past, a lack

of equipment and materials in sufficient quantity neces­
sitated such' coordination, a lack described by Godfrey
in her 1962 research:
The 517 schools surveyed had a reasonable variety
of audiovisual equipment. Essentially, every
school had at least one 16mm projector, slidefllmstrip projector, and record player.
Almost
all of the secondary schools had tape recorders;
and the majority of the secondary schools had at
least one opaque projector, television set, and
overhead projector.13
For equal distribution, then, the principal, a librarian,
or a classroom teacher served as a part-time supply
officer.

11Godfrey, The State of Audiovisual Technology, p. ^7.
12

Marie McMahan, "Building Coordinator:
Professional
. Partner?" Audiovisual Instruction. VIII (November, 1963),
p. 662.
^Godfrey, The State of Audiovisual Technology, p. 50.

23
With the enactment of such federal legislation as
the National Defense Education Act and the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act, new funds permitted a rapid in­
crease in the quantity of equipment and materials in the
public schools.

Godfrey reports that between 1962 and

196*1 school equipment inventories increased "from a mini­
mum of 27 per cent (for 16mm projectors) to a maximum of
176 per cent (for overhead projectors)."1^

And with this

tremendous Increase in the amount of equipment and
materials, the role of the media coordinator took on a
new meaning and Importance.
Miller,proposed that "building coordinators with
training and ability are important to a strong program of
instruction.

If their function Is to work as clerk-

technlcians, however, then their time and talents are
badly wasted."1**

He maintained that the building coordi­

n a t o r ^ mechanical activities should be given to a paraprofessional who could fill the clerical-technical role,
relieving the professional coordinator for more important
activities.

Other leaders in the media field also sug­

gested that the educational media building coordinator
become "an active member of the curriculum team, dedicated

14

I bid., p. 77.

■^Elwood E. Miller, "Proposed:
A Media ClerkTechnlclan," Audiovisual Instruction (November, 196*0,
p . 606.

24
to Improving learning."

16

For example, Eboch maintained

that the media specialist should be Involved in "the
design and implementation of information transmission
and display systems which are appropriate to specific
instructional objectives in well-defined educational
17
situations." ' He went on to state:
There is an optimum combination of elements and
circumstances for the effective solution of every
instructional problem.
It is the audiovisual
designer's Job to analyze, predict, and deliver
that optimum solution.1°
And Norberg speaking for the N E A 's department of
Audio-Visual Instruction, sums up the current trend:
The role ,of the media professional In education is
changing from that of a keeper and dispenser of
teaching aids to that of an analyst and designer
or instructional systems who must be centrally
Involved in the planning of learning environments
and in providing for related support functions
and evaluative procedures.
In essence, then, the building^coordinator must maintain
his role as a logician and in addition become a member of
an instructional development team which serves to evaluate,
redesign, and produce instructional materials, media,’ ’and
16

McMahan, "Building Coordinator:
Partner?" p. 662.

Professional

■^Sidney C. Eboch, "The AV Specialist:
Some Re­
flections on an Image," Audiovisual Instruction, VIII
(January, 1963), p. 15.
l8Ibid., p. 16.
IQ
^Kenneth Norberg, ed., Wesley C. Meierhenry, Donald
P. Ely, Jerrold Kemp, and Anna L. Hyer, "The Role of the
Media Professional In Education," Audiovisual Instruction,
XII (December, 1967), p. 1027.

25
systems.

He must take his place among other professionals

on the curriculum team.
The Media Specialist as a Change Agent
Up to this point we have dealt with the literature
describing the curricular aspect of the media specialist’s
role.

Yet another point from which to view the media
*

specialist is as a communication agent within the school.
David Berio, delivering the keynote address to the DAVI
national convention in 1963* stressed that the media
specialist must enlarge his professional perspective
beyond instructional technology or the audiovisual
business, rather he must view himself as a part of "the
people business.”

20

Berio challenged the field to

broaden its view when he stated,
In short, you are not a media specialist— you are
a communication specialist.
You are not Just a
technical advisor on the use of media.
You are
a change agent, and as such, you are involved in
the planning and design of messages that will
attain desired objectives. The entire process,
not Just the message media product, Is your
f i e l d of c o n c e r n . 21

In fact media specialists and particularly building
coordinators, Wendt says, "are actually change agents or
advocates of change . . . although many of them would

20

David K. Berio, "You Are In the People Business,"
Audiovisual Instruction, VIII (June, 1963), p. 374.
21Ibld.

26
not recognize the terms."

22

Therefore several studies

about the change processes and Innovation adoption prac­
tices In our schools merit examination at this time.
Rogers has identified four major elements in the
diffusion of innovations:

(1 ). the innovation, (2 ) com­

munication between individuals, (3 ) communication within
a social system, and (*4) diffusion over tlme.2^

It is

with the second element, communication between individuals,
that the building coordinator serves an Important function.
Basically diffusion is the process by which an innovation
spreads from its source to its ultimate users.

Rogers

explains that "The essence of the diffusion process is
the human Interaction In which one person communicates a
2 *4
new Idea to another person."
More specifically, he
reaches these few conclusions:
1.

Awareness of an innovation may be created by
personal influence from others.
However, for
most individuals, awareness is caused by i m ­
personal communications such as mass media.
Personal Influence is apt to be more Important
in making the relatively later adopters aware
of an innovation than In creating awareness
for Innovators and early adopters.

2.

Once formed, opinions about an innovation are
reinforced by interaction with others.
In the
22

Paul Wendt, "Generals or Foot Soldiers" in Media
and Educational Innovation, ed. by Wesley C. Meierhenry
(Lincoln: The U n i v e r s i t y o f Nebraska Extension Division,
196*1), p. *40*1.
JEverett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations
York: The Free Press of Glencoe, 1962), p. 12.
2*4
Ibid.. p. 13.

(New

27
face of a high degree of uncertainty, most
individuals wish to validate their opinions
with those of others. Thus personal influ­
ence not only helps to determine original
opinions about an Innovation at the awareness
stage, but also consensually validates this
opinion once it is formed.
3.

.

Norms on innovativeness are generally com­
municated to group, members via personal in­
fluence networks. These norms probably are
s most important at the evaluation stage where
' the individual is deciding whether or not to
try the new idea.
A performance comparison of the innovation
with existing ideas may be communicated from
peers.
This function of personal influence
is most Important at the trial stage of the
adoption process.
In fact, for those innova­
tions that are not divisible for trial, per­
sonal Influence from peers may in some ways
replace a small scale trial.25

The individual in the system who informs others
about new ideas, defined as "that individual from whom
26
others seek information and advice,"
is called an
opinion

leader.

To the degree that he is oriented to

events outside his particular social system, he is said
to be a cosmopolite.

Rogers further defines the "pro­

fessional person who attempts to influence adoption
decisions in a direction that he feels iB desirable,"
as a change a g e n t .

T h u s , he says,

Most change agents are local-level bureaucrats
whose purpose is to inject a cosmopolite influ­
ence to innovate a clients social system.
The
change agent functions as a communications link
between two social systems.28
25Ibid., p. 223

26Ibid., p. 1 6 .

27I bid., p. 17.

28Ibid., p. 255

27
1

28
Regarding the role of the change agent,

(1) a cosmopolite

Information source is most important at the awareness
stage of the innovation process,

(2) opinion leaders will
2Q
be more cosmopolite than their followers. 7
This definition well suits the educational media
building coordinator who has returned to his school after
attending a summer institute.

Indeed, some educational

leaders envision the entire Title XI program as a change
agent In Itself.

Returning coordinators link two

systems, their own school with the larger system of media
specialization.
Drawing on additional diffusion theory presented by
Katz and Lazarsfeld,

•31

then, Knowlton

*30

attempted to deter­

mine whether patterns of Influence In the schools affected
the use of audiovisual materials.

A survey was made of

1,^58 high school teachers who had attended National
Science Foundation Summer Institutes and these partici­
pants were considered a normative sample.

A non-normative

group was also surveyed consisting of teachers of English,
29Ibid., p. 311.
^°Donald N. Bigelow, "Title XI National Defense Edu­
cation Act," Audiovisual Instruction, X (Ootober, 1965),
p. 63^.
^ E l i h u Katz and Paul F. Lazarsfeld, Personal In­
fluence (New York: The Free Press of Glencoe, 1964).
■ap

J James Q. Knowlton, Studies of Patterns of Influ­
ence in the School Situation as They Affect the Use of
Audiovisual Materials (Bloomington:
Indiana University,
1963).

29
math, science, and social studies who taught In six
Indiana high schools.

"In an attempt to determine the

extent to which the NSP results might be generalized,
we tried to determine Just how summer institute parti­
cipants differed from their non-participating counterparts.Specifically,

the study attempted to determine

who led opinion within schools and what patterns of com­
munication existed through which relevant A-V information
might pass.

In conclusion, Knowlton found:

that informal groups existed and that group mem­
bers differed in the degree of their influence,
But it has not been determined, and Indeed it
apparently was not the case, that any very notice­
able number of the more influential teachers
exercised Influence in the area of AV matters.
But he did uncover a demographic factor which seemed to
related to the patterns of communication and influence.
In the attempt to discover whether "AV networks"
existed it became clear that the subject a teacher
taught was the most Important determinant relat­
ing to the formation of any such networks.35
Since no clear evidence appeared showing patterns
of influence within the schools, some students have been
drawn to the conclusion that there are no institutionalized
change agents in public education.

As Carlson says,

the change agent counterpart of the county ex­
tension agent has no office in our public school
enterprise.
And, as has been Indicated, many
33Ibid. . p. 3.
35Ibld., p. 88.

3^Ibid., p. 28.

30
attribute the slowness of change In educational
practices to the absence of a change agent.36
Others maintain that administrators control Innovation In
the public schools; Brlckell observes that "two distinct
groups of people might be expected to Influence structural
change In the local public .schools,"3? the public, which
Is external to the school system, and the profession:
New types of Instructional programs are Intro­
duced by administrators.
Rearrangements of the
structural elements of the Institution depend
almost exclusively upon administrative initia­
tive. Teachers are not change agents for
innovations of a major s c o p e . 3°
Brlckell suggests that administrators act as gate keepers
for the innovation process within their Jurisdiction:
"the administrator may promote or prevent innovation.

He

cannot stand aside, or be ignored."39
lio
Leu and Rogers,
examined the diffusion process in
three Michigan schools in order to determine what factors
or indicators were associated with innovation assimilation

3 Richard 0. Carlson, et a l ., Change Processes in the
Public Schools (Eugene:
The Center for the Advanced Study
of Educational Administration, University of Oregon, 1965),
p. H.
Change

^ B r l c k e l l , "State Organization for Educational
. . . ," p. 502.
38Ibid., p. 503.
lin

39Ibid.

Donald J. Leu, et a l ., The Diffusion of an Inno­
vation in Three Michigan Schools":
Institution Building
through Change (East Lansing: The Institute for International Studies in Education and Department of Communi­
cation, Michigan State University, 1966).

31
In those schools.

They also attempted to examine communi­

cation patterns, sources of Information, decision making
processes, and other phenomena related to the diffusion
process, finding that
The supervisor seemed to be the most important
source of information about the innovation.
One
fifth of the teachers in the sample learned of
the innovation through him.
The next two most
frequent communication sources were college in­
structors and fellow teachers; they combined to
supply more than one third of the respondents
with information.^1
Kelly

ho

studied how several background variables influence

teachers' attitudes toward the use of audio-viBual materials.
Using information from 995 teachers in the Boston area, he
found among other things, a significant relationship "be• tween teachers attitudes toward audio-visual materials and
whether or not they have had the encouragement of the vari­
ous supervisors in the school system and between ease of
ordering materials and attitude toward AV materials." J
Again we see how the administrator controls the belief
systems operating in his area of responsibility.
In this section we have reviewed studies of the
media specialist, his purpose in the school setting, and
I b i d .. p. 38.

ho

Oaylen B. Kelly, "An Analysis of Teachers' Atti­
tudes Toward the Use of Audio-Visual Materials" (unpublished
Ph.D. dissertation, Boston University, 1959)T
JlO
Gaylen B. Kelly, "A Study of Teachers' Attitudes
Toward Audio-Visual Materials," Educational Screen and
Audiovisual G u ide. March, I960, p. 119.

32
his role as an audiovisual expert.

The next section of

this review will deal with studies of the administration
of audiovisual programs and the activities performed by
media directors and coordinators.
Media-Related Activities and Programs
Earlier in this chapter it was pointed out that an
innovation in education might take from 50 to 100 years
from introduction to adoption.

The adoption of audio­

visual programs in the public schools have been no excep­
tion to the innovation process.

Audiovisual materials,

methods, and programs have generally reached the classroom
only after an extremely slow and difficult process.

In

that this study is attempting to describe the current
status of the building level program as well as the per­
sonnel who administer those programs, a historical review
of the development of this innovative and currently chang­
ing educational program is essential to a clear under­
standing of the present study.

This historical review

will include a description of several of the early programs
that were organized in the public schools and will des­
cribe the method with which they operated.

In addition,

this section will examine, chronologically, those studies
which have dealt with media-related activities performed
by educational personnel.

By linking this historical

examination with previous sections of this chapter which
dealt with the educational role of the building coordinator

33
as well as his role as a change agent. It Is hoped that a
comprehensive frame of reference for the current study will
be developed.
Audiovisual materials and methods are by no means new
if4
to the public schools.
Paul Saettler
labeled the time
of their first use, the "visual education period," as the
decade following World War I.

Pour basic lines of growth

marked this early development, "(a) the emergence of
school museums,

(b) the founding of slide libraries,

(c)

the establishment of film libraries, and (d) the non­
departmentalized systematization of audio-visual educa­
tion."^5
While each of the early programs played an important
part in the early development of visual education, the
early impetus came indisputably from the school museum
movement.
In fact, the early label "visual education" came
into widespread use and acceptance more than a
decade after the first educational museums were
established at St. Louis (1905), Reading (1908)
and Cleveland (1909), and more than twenty-five
years after New York state began to collect and
distribute lantern slides for the public schools.

Paul Saettler, "History of Audiovisual Education
in City School Systems," Audiovisual Communication Review,
Vol. 3, No. 2 (Spring, 1955), p. 10«.
^5I b i d .. p. 109.
^5P. Dean McClusky (introduction to 5th chapter),
A History of Instructional Technology, by Paul Saettler
tNew York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1968), p. 79.

34
The St. Louis Educational Museum, founded in 1904, was the
first administrative unit for audio-visual education
organized in a public school

system.

Saettler points out

that the museum's first curator, Amelia Meissner, intro­
duced the phrase "bringing the world to the child."
the St. Louis museum,

At

(1) collections were built to supple­

ment rather than supplant the course of study,

(2) pro­

vision was made for transporting materials between museum
and the school, and (3) a catalog of materials arranged by
course of study was made accessible to teachers in the
47
system.
A second major development was the introduction of
slide libraries in such cities as Philadelphia, Detroit,
and Chicago.

The Chicago program was one of the most

Interesting.

Ten Chicago principals organized a projec­

tion club within the system, but lndepednent of the Chicago
Board of Education.

Starting in 1895, each of the princi­

pals contributed $25 to a "slide fund" which they used to
purchase slides and projection equipment.

They distri­

buted slide sets among their schools and in the community,
and maintained the collection in good repair as well.

The

club became so popular that soon it could no longer be
maintained according to original voluntary agreement.

So

in 1917 the entire collection was turned over to the Board
47
'Saettler, "History of Audiovisual Education . . . ,"
p. 113.

35
of Education with

the understanding that "it be built up,

Its use fostered,

and Itsadvantages extended" to all
lift

schools In Chicago.

The third track of this growth pattern was the
development by 1920 of film libraries in the public school
audiovisual departments of Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City,
and several other

cities.

these libraries developed

Saettler believes that all of
primarily "from the impetus

induced by the introduction of motion picture in the
classroom." 7

Los Angeles, Buffalo, New York, Atlanta,

Pittsburgh, Berkeley, and Sacramento, he says, had formed
libraries b y ,1922.

Furthermore, with the advent of

organized motion picture libraries, a series of scientific
studies was launched to determine the learning efficacy
of films.

Thus winning quite early "a modicum of re50
s p e c t a b i l i t y f o r visual education within the academic
community.
The last avenue of initial development Saettler
called the "non-departmentalized systematization" of
audio-visual education in the schools.

When he surveyed

14 city schools in 1923, F. Dean McClusky discovered
three types of organization:
1.

An audio-visual education committee, composed
of teachers and administrators, which concerned
^8Ibid. , p. 115.

/<9Ibid.

*^Paul Saettler, "Historical Overview of Audio-Visual
Communication," Audiovisual Communication Review, Vol.
2, No. 2, p. 1111

itself with the problems and administration
of audiovisual education in the school sys­
tem.
2.

A committee placed in control of audio­
visual education, identical with the first
type, however, the constituent members of
this committee were representatives of a
group of teachers and principals interested
in audio-visual education rather than offi­
cial representatives of the superintendent
or board of education,

3.

Audio-visual activities confined to the
individual school.
The responsibility for
audio-visual education service rested en­
tirely with the principal or teacher for
each respective school within the district,
independent of the city audio-visual depart­
ment .51

Saettler calls McClusky's unpublished administrative sur­
vey the most reliable and extensive source of data on the
early administrative history of audiovisual education in
52
city school systems.
In it McClusky reported on the
salaries of audiovisual personnel, types and quantities
of equipment and their value, distribution techniques,
and utilization procedures.

He found that:

The slide was the principal audio-visual material
circulated. This was closely followed by the film,
steriograph, picture exhibit, graphic booklet,
chart, costume doll, and model.
One of the most
Important problems of city audio-visual education
departments was the distribution of audio-visual
materials. In the early city audio-visual de­
partments two general methods of distribution were
used.
These methods were known as the "circuit"
and "special order" methods, and were quite
-^Saettler, "History of Audio-Visual Education . . .

p . 1x6.

37
different in purpose and operation.
Both however,
were used in varying degrees by the same audio­
visual departments.53
The circuit method passed materials from one building to
another on an established circuit; thus each school could
depend on receiving films at specified intervals through»

out the year.
popular.

Still the Bpeclal order technique was most

To secure the use of a film, a teacher would

contact the audio-visual department and make his request
for a specific day and hour; virtually all departments
used this system during the 1920's.
In 1923 the Berkeley audio-visual department dis­
tinguished itself by being the first to publish a
graded list of films.
A short time later, Chicago
prepared the first graded catalog of slides.54
The period from 1928 to 1941 witnessed the introduc­
tion of instructional motion pictures with sound.

In 1936

there were about 500 16mm sound projectors In schools and
colleges, by 1941 this number had increased to 10,000.
Important distribution, production, and research centers
for motion pictures were established on a national scale,
and programs for training teachers in classroom utilization were initiated.

J

George Mclntire completed a study in 1931 dealing
with the status of visual instruction in Indiana secondary
53Ibid.

52<I b i d ., p. 117.

^^Wayne Roger Dralle, "The Status of Senior High
School Audiovisual Programs In Indiana in 1963-64 with
Recommendations for Improvements" (unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, Indiana University, 1964), p. 10.

38
schools.

This is the first study that specifically deals

with the personnel of the media program.

He surveyed 237

out of the 400 secondary schools in the state inquiring
about the audiovisual director, equipment owned, films and
slides both owned and rented, sponsored materials used,
«

means of diffusion employed within the schools, and types
of projection facilities a v a i l a b l e . ^

Mclntire found that

1^7 schools of the 183 reported a department that
had no systematic organization for the administra­
tion of visual instruction, 27 schools had the work
carried on by the general administration, and only
nine had the desirable organization featuring a
director .57
Mclntire believed that teachers and administrators seldom
had the time' or training to effectively direct an audio­
visual program:
There must be some organized plan and some one per­
son responsible for such a plan if fundamental
learning is to take place.
A director must be
secured, or in smaller schools an interested
teacher may act as director provided such a teacher
is relieved from regular teaching for a definite
number of hours each week.58
In 1938, H a z l e t t ^ studied eight of the 12 largest
•*

American cities, each with departments of visual-sensory
aids:

Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles,
56

George Mclntire, uThe Status of Visual Instruc­
tion In the Secondary Schools of Indiana" (Master's thesis,
Indiana University, 1931).
57Ibid., p. 17.

58Ibid. , p. 12.

•^Roy J. Hazlett, "Analysis and Evaluation of the
Organization, Administration, and Supervision of Depart­
ments of Visual-Sensory Aids" (unpublished Ph.D. disserta­
tion, University of Pittsburgh, 1938).

39

A

New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.

All

these systems except Pittsburgh then had full-time
directors for their departments.

Hazlett investigated

the organization, administration, and supervision of
visual-sensory aids departments in these cities.

Having

surveyed the available research, he developed a standard­
ized check list, his basis for personal interviews in
five schools; in three cities the director was asked to
fill out the check list and return it by mail.

Prom his

survey, Hazlett developed a list of six activities which
these directors considered basic:
1.

Knowing the sources of materials.

2.

Being available for interviews with teachers
and principals.

3.

Furnishing a catelpg of materials which were
available from the department.
Administering the routine of the department.

5.

Making rules and regulations relating to
the operation of the department.

6.

60
Preparing reports for superior officers.
In 19^9 Francis W. Noel, then heading the Bureau of

Audio-Visual Education for the California State Department
of Education, examined "the various aspects of the audio­
visual program in relation to the administration and
61
supervisory problems involved in operating the program.11
60Ibid., p. 171.
^Francis W, Noel, "Principles of Administering Audio­
visual Programs," Forty-eighth Yearbook of the National
Society for the Study of Education (Chicago: The University
of Chicago Press, 1949), pp. 180-200.

40
Noel made use of three reports reflecting the thinking
and experience of some slxty-one county and city directors
in California.

And he outlined the following functions of

the Audio-Visual Department:
1.

Provide those materiel and professional ser­
vices which will make it possible to use
audio-visual education materials in classrooms
under the best possible conditions.

2.

Provide those services which will make it
possible for teachers to have materials and
equipment when they need them.

3.

Provide the materials and services which will
make it possible for teachers to select and
use audio-visual materials appropriate to
the teaching-learning situation.

4.

Provide the facilities and professional ser­
vices which will assure that the audio-visual
materials will be used as an integral part
of the total instructional program.

5.

Provide those materiel and professional ser­
vices which will enable teachers to make
full use of community resources.

6.

Provide those professional services which
will assure teacher competency in the use of
audio-visual instructional materials as well
as competency at the supervisory and admlnr
istrative levels.

7.

Provide those materiel and professional ser­
vices which will help administrative staff and
other school personnel interpret the school*s
program to both professional and lay g r o u p s . 62
Noel suggested that, since the audio-visual staff

serves instructional needs for the entire school system,
it can operate most effectively in the administrative

62Ibid., pp. 184-192

41
organization, in a co-ordinate relationship with other
units of the curriculum or instruction division.
Audio-Visual personnel should be reponsible, he
said, for leadership in the following areas:
1.

Evaluation and selection of materials and
equipment.

2.

Supervision of all aspects of utilization
within the schools.

3.

Consultation services to teachers, principals,
supervisors, audio-visual coordinators,
architects, and outside agencies on problems
and activities in audio-visual education.

4.

In-Bervice education programs for school
personnel.

5.

Experimentation and research on evaluation,
uses of materials, and needs for future
production.

6.

Interpretation of the school’s program, in­
cluding audlo-vlsual education, to the school
personnel, and the public.

7.

Production of special curriculum materials.
Frazer, on the other hand, condensed the audio-visual

director’s activities into three categories:

he must (a)

see to It there are suitable places to use, adequate equip­
ment, and a full supply of materials,

(b) organize an

efficient service for providing materials and equipment,
and (c) counsel teachers about effective use.

6k

But

Harcleroad and Hite reported a 1952 survey which showed
63Ibid., p. 19^.
64
Alexander Frazier, "How Much Does the Audio-Visual
Director Need to Know?" School Review. Vol. 57 (October,
1949), pp. 416-424.

42
that the audio-visual building coordinators had actual
duties In nine main areas of responsibility:
1.

General administration, such as recommending
the budget.

2.

Ordering and scheduling of materials and
equipment.

3.

Maintenance of equipment and facilities.
Improvement of utilization, including
giving demonstration lessons.

5.

Liaison with central audio-visual services,

6.

Preparation and distribution of information.

7.

Development and upkeep of school library for
audio-visual materials.

8.

Care of school-produced materials.

9.

65
Preparation of community relations programs.
In 1955 B a r n a r d ^ studied the audio-visual adminis­

trators r supervisory and administrative functions In
fifteen randomly selected vocational and adult education
schools In Wisconsin.

Using Interview check lists de­

veloped from the literature, Barnard found (a) very little
administration or supervision of evening school audio­
visual programs,

(b) insufficient released time for coordi­

nators to maintain their duties,

(c) no procedures for

^^Pred P. Harcleroad and Herbert Hite, "Enthusiastic,
Well Trained Audio-Visual Building Coordinator," NEA
Journal. 41 (March, 1952), pp. 150-151.
^^David P. Barnard, "A Study of the Audio-Visual
Administrative and Supervisory Functions In Selected
Schools of Vocational and Adult Education in Wisconsin,"
(unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1955).

43
previewing, evaluating and selecting materials,

(d) no

facilities for acquisition of materials or equipment,
(e) no formal- in-service training, (f) budgets not planned
on a "need11 basis, (g) no planning for production needs,
and (h) virtually no leadership at the state level.

When

audio-visual duties were assumed, the most frequently
mentioned administrative activities were (1) ordering
and scheduling materials and equipment,

(2) compiling and

making available to all teachers bibliographies and di67
g e sts, and (3) preparing a financially sound budget. '
And the most frequently mentioned supervisory functions
included (1).training students and teachers in the use of
audiovisual equipment,

(2) helping teachers select appro68
priate materials, and (3) giving demonstration lessons.
Also, in 1955, R ugg8^ surveyed 61 audio-visual
coordinators in schools located in the North Central
Association geographical area.

Rugg dealt with the pro­

fessional characteristics of the audio-visual adminis­
trator's position, identified his duties, and examined
activity patterns, thus producing the most comprehensive
listing of coordinator activities to date, a list of 161
possible practices for audio-visual building coordinators.
67Ibid., p. 358.
68Ibld.
60
^Kenneth C. Rugg, "An Analytical Study of the Posi­
tion of the City School System Audio-Visual Director!'
(unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1955).

44
A questionnaire Rugg designed and validated has since been
used in other similar descriptive studies.

Categories of

activities used in Rugg's study include administration,
budgeting, staffing, office activities, evaluation,
cataloging, maintenance, scheduling, production, inservice training, professional consultation, public rela­
tions, housing, and research.

The building coordinators

ranked these as their first few duties:

(1) serving as

liaison officer between the audio-visual department and
the school building,

(2) supervising the distribution and

storage of materials and equipment within the school build­
ing,

(3) consulting with teachers who were seeking infor­

mation and helping them evaluate, select, and schedule
materials and equipment, and (4) ordering materials and
70
equipment from the audio-visual department.'
In 1963, Marie McMahan7"** surveyed 381 building
coordinators in Michigan elementary and secondary schools,
and found that 87 per cent had no released time for their
media activities, although 12 per cent of the secondary
school coordinators had one or two hours of released time
daily.

McMahan divided coordinators' activities into

three categories— professional, clerical, and technical.
«

7°Ibid., p. 267.
71
'McMahan, "Building Coordinator:
Partner," p. 662.

Professional

45
She found that the activities coordinators performed in­
cluded:
Professional
Selecting materials for purchase
Organizing school-owned materials
Assisting teachers with selection and evaluation
techniques
Assisting staff and/or students with projection
techniques
Assisting staff and/or students with utilization
techniques
Assisting staff and/or students with production
techniques
Clerical
Cataloging school-owned materials
Distributing materials
Distributing equipment
Keeping equipment records
Technical
Servicing materials
Selecting audiovisual equipment
Servicing equipment72
So much is expected that the coordinator who has no
released time cannot provide in depth the services teaohers
request.

McMahan concluded that coordinators are in need

of more time if they are to complete the tasks assigned to
them.

She found, in addition, that coordinators with very

little released time were expected to perform as many
clerical and technical activities as professional duties,
and that as the amount of released time Increased the
proportion of professional activities increased drastically:
"Half time coordinators were expected to perform more than
four times as many and full time coordinators five times as
72Ibid., p. 663.

46
many professional duties as were coordinators with no
released time."73
The most comprehensive research on audiovisual pro7 li

grams in the public schools to date was done by Godfrey'
in 1967.
nology:

Her monograph, "The State of Audiovisual Tech­
1961-1966" surveyed the resources, demographic

characteristics, philosophy, and attitudes of media
specialists, administrators, teachers, and media programs
in the public schools, based on data collected from nearly
three thousand school districts across the nation collected
over a five year period.
Godfrey *s findings regarding the activities performed
by building coordinators helped in the design of procedures
and questionnaires for this study.

She summarized her

findings:
The coordinator functions chiefly as a logistics
specialist, ordering and scheduling equipment and
materials. His other most frequent services were
teaching teachers how to operate equipment, pro­
viding them with information about materials, and,
if was a secondary coordinator, repairing and
maintaining equipment. Very few building coordi­
nators were called upon to prepare special materials
for a specific subject or teacher.75
Then, asking each building coordinator to select the three
most important activities he performs from a list provided
73Ibid.
7 ii

* Godfrey, "The State of Audiovisual Technology .
. . ," p. 17.
75Ibid., p. 47.

47
In her questionnaire, Godfrey obtained the following
ranked order:
1.

Orders and schedules media

2.

Teaches

3.

Provides data on new materials

operation of equipment
*

4.

Suggests appropriate materials

5.

Classifies and stores materials

6.

Maintains equipment

7.

Suggests new uses for materials

8.

Prepares specialized materials.

76

The only significant difference in ranking among groups
was that classroom teachers tended to rank the consulta­
tive functions higher.
Conclusion
This chapter has sought to provide the research
framework within which the current study should be ex­
amined.

After describing the technological change which

has occurred, and is occurring in education, this survey
covered literature related to the role of the media
specialist, as a professional educator, as a member of a
social system, and as an administrative functionary.
Since the early 1900's, our nation has undergone a
vast technological revolution.

The population, explosion,

the knowledge explosion, and the advent of near-cybernetic
76lbid., p. 48.

H8
computer systems have subtly altered our national goals
and In turn the purposes and design of our educational
structure..

As Finn points out, this technological revo­

lution has thrown education into the "take-off stage of
*

a change process which will convert it into a high-order,
high energy system unique in man's history."
Changing the structure of an educational system
obviously changes the roles of most educational personnel,
including that of the building media coordinator.

Today

the coordinator is conceived as having two distinct rol-es
within the school:

as a mere custodian of materials and

doctor of ailing equipment as McMahan notes, and as an
active member of the curriculum team serving as a change
agent for innovation within the school.

We need more re­

search into the role of the media coordinator in the
change processes of the school.

But interestingly enough,

modern diffusion research suggests that most change agents
are low-level bureaucrats who serve to inject a cosmopolite
influence toward innovation within a social system, a
description closely fitting the building coordinators who
have attended in-service training programs at Michigan
State.

So a coordinator who has the backing of his local

administrator might serve as a change agent or opinion
leader to promote the diffusion of desired innovations
within the social system of the school.

49
Educational media programs have operated in the pub­
lic schools since the turn of the century, though clearly
»

the role of the coordinator has changed radically since
these beginnings.

Originally, media personnel were re­

sponsible for school museums, slide libraries, or the
early film libraries,

MoBt research into the activities

of media personnel before the end of World War II suggests
these major functions were:
1.

Providing bibliographies of such materials as
slides, films, and models.

2.

Administering the ordering and scheduling of
equipment and materials for use within the
school, and

3.

Providing in-service training for teachers and
students in the operation, preparation and
utilization of equipment and materials.

But more modern spokesmen for the media field believe the
media specialist should function as an analyst and de­
signer on the curriculum team, an activity media special­
ists like to consider part of their responsibility though
in fact few do exercise this sort of Influence.
However, recent research suggests that the follow­
ing activities have been added to the repertoire of the
building coordinator:
1.

Consulting with teachers regarding the selection
and utilization of appropriate materials.

50
2.

Organising and presenting demonstration
lessons, and

3.

Providing information about new materials
and techniques.

Since the National Defense Education Act has funded
*

a vast in-service teacher re-training program, continued
research into the actual behavior of teachers who par­
ticipated in these programs becomes imperative.

This

study will examine for the first time the activities and
attitudes of building coordinators who attended NDEA media
institutes at Michigan State and hopefully identify those
factors which best improve the utilization of the materials
and methods of the new media.

CHAPTER III
DESIGN AND PROCEDURES

This dissertation reports an exploratory field study
which Is defined by Kerlinger as an ex post facto investi­
gation of the interrelationships among educational vari­
ables in the real world.'1' Specifically this study in­
quires Into the day-to-day activities and attitudes of
educational media, building coordinators who attended
either the 1-965 or 1966 summer institute at Michigan State
University.

The information obtained by means of such

research Bhould (1) aid in the assessment of the impact
of these Institutes,

(2) help prepare more effective insti­

tute programs for media personnel, and (3) perhaps help
us understand better how building coordinators function
in real l i f e .
The Population
The teachers who attended the two summer Institutes
at M.S.U., as shown in Table 1, qualified for participa­
tion on the basis of the following criteria:

(1) a mini­

mum of one year's teaching experience, (2) a Bachelor's
degree and a teaching certificate,

(3) assigned to an

1
Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research.
p. 378.

52
educational media position in an elementary and/or second*ary school, either presently or assured of such an assign­
ment during the 1965-66 or 1966-67 school year,

(4) never

taken part in, or attended an instructional media insti­
tute under Title XI (or under Title VI of the Act before
*

the October, 1964 amendments), and (5) received the
recommendation of their superior.

2

TABLE 1.— Distribution of male and female teachers who
applied for and participated in a 1965 or 1966
Summer Media Institute at Michigan State
University.
Participants
Year

Participants

Applicants
Male

Female

Total

1965

325

64

31

95

1966

450

93

27

120

Total

775

157

58

215

Source:

James L. Page , Pinal Technical Report on the NDEA
Institute for Advanced Studv for Educational
(East L a n s i n g : M i c h i g a n State University),
appendix.

Of the 215 teachers designated educational media
building coordinators, who attended the Institutes, 95
2
James L. Page, Pinal Report of the NDEA Summer
Institute for 95 Elementary and Secondary Coordinators
of Educational Media Programs (East Lansing:
Michigan
State University, I96f>)» p. 7.

53
participated in 1965 and 120 took part in 1966; in all
there were 157 males and. 58 females.
At the time this research was initiated, four of
the 215 participants were deceased.

The author of the

ourrent research has been a building coordinator and
participated in the 1965 institute but was not included
in the survey.

Sixteen participants had moved from their

last address.

A search of the National Education Associa­

tion and the Division of Audiovisual Instruction direc­
tories, as well as the local telephone directory of the
city last reported by each of these participants failed
to locate any of them. Therefore, it was decided to pro­
ceed with the survey using the remainder of 19^ coordi­
nators, or 903S of the original population.
Instrumentation
Two Instruments were used in thiB study:

the

N.D.E.A. Media Institute Participant Survey and the New
Educational Media Attitude inventory, or NEMA.

The

first was administered to building coordinators, and to
their principals in a shortened version, and the second
was administered to the principals of building coordina­
tors who attended institutes to determine their attitudes
toward the newer media.
The N.D.E.A. Media Institute Participant Survey
form was an adaptation of an instrument prepared by
Eleanor P. Godfrey in her massive survey of "The State

54
of Audiovisual Technology:

1961-1966"^ (see Appendix I).

The first section of her Instrument called the "Audio­
visual Coordinator Questionnaire" was selected, a section
primarily asking for background information.

All scales

used in this instrument are rated on a five point Likerttype-scale.

Activities and attitudes are rated from 1 -

high to 5 - low.

As a staff member of the Bureau of

Social Science Research, Inc. Godfrey designed the
questionnaire for administration to a stratified sample
of 33*038 school districts reported by the Bureau of the
Census in 1959.

She received UBable returns "from 2,927

districts, or 40 per cent of the total sample of 7 *2 3 6 ."^
A follow up study of 354 of the non-respondent school
districts checked into the questionnaire's internal con­
sistency .
Through personal letters, telegrams, or phone
calls we were able to contact all of the 354
superintendents, and 322 (or 91 per cent) fur­
nished the requested Information.
Somewhat to
our surprise, and certainly to our gratifica­
tion, these "late responses" did not differ
significantly from the Initial responses on any
of the variables t e s t e d . 5
In consequence of the above results slight modifi­
cations were made, in the basic questionnaire used in
Godfrey's study.

Job classifications were added to the

section describing the participant's official title, and
■a

JGodfrey, The State of Audiovisual Technology.
^Ibid., p. 19.

^I b i d .a p. 20.

55
g
10 activities

were added to the sections on functions

performed by coordinators, the frequency of performance,
and their attitude toward each function.

The question­

naire was then submitted to the Research Consultation
Office of the College of Education at Michigan State
University and slight changes were made in the wording
and lay-out.

The questionnaire was then given to a pilot

group of six institute participants for examination and
comment.

Further clarifications were made on the basis

of their suggestions.

At this point the questionnaire

was regarded as suitable for distribution to the survey
population.
The second instrument used in this study was the
New Educational Media Attitude inventory (see Appendix
II).

In research for "The Development of a Measure to

AssesB Attitudes Regarding the Uses of Newer Educational Media,"' Ramsey devised an instrument useful in
discriminating between individuals possessing attitudes
hostile toward or in sympathy with the uses of new edu­
cational media for instructional purposes.

Starting with

375 statements from the literature reflecting sympathy
with or hostility toward newer educational media, Ramsey
prepared a final collection of 78 statements which he
^The procedures used to obtain these ten additional
activities are described later in this chapter.
7

'Ramsey, A Research Project for the Development of
a Measure to Assess Attitudes. ! I I

56
rephrased "in conformity with the general criteria sug­
gested by Wang (1932) for the construction of attitude
Q
statements."
On the basis of an initial trial, a final
list of 39 items

wbb

accepted.

This instrument, termed

NEMA, was later modified by Guba and Synder in their
1964 "Research and Evaluation of MFATI Telecasts" which
used the instrument to distinguish between teachers who
were favorable and unfavorable toward instructional
television.
The original form of the instrument was judged
unsuitable for direct use because its termi­
nology seemed oriented toward the older audio­
visual media, and it was a simple matter to
adapt this device to the task at hand.9
Accordingly, Guba and Synder reduced the instrument from
39 to 23 items and substituted the word "students" where
"children" had appeared in the Ramsey instrument.

This

Guba and Synder form is used in the current study.
Scoring was done using a six point Likert-typescale ranging from "1 - agree strongly" to "6 - disagree
strongly."

Fifteen of the 23 items were reverse-scored

in order to avoid ambiguities caused by the negative
phrasing of statements.

Therefore, a strong disagreement

with a negative item was scored as a high positive atti­
tude.

Those items marked with "R" in Appendix II repre­

sent reverse scored items.
8I b i d .. p. 7.
^Guba and Synder, ITV and the Classroom Teacher.
P . 59.

57
Data Collection
The initial step In this research was to determine
what media-related activities an educational media building
coordinator who attended an M.S.U. summer institute might
be expected to perform.

So, a panel of experts was
*

selected, namely those faculty and other staff members
who had taught at both summer institutes discussed In
this research.
On February 5, 1968 a letter was sent to each of
these experts enlisting their aid in the research pro­
ject (see Appendix III), and enclosing the list of
coordinator activities from Godfrey’s 1967 s u r v e y . ^
Since this list was the most up-to-date and comprehensive
available, It was considered a suitable starting point
for the current endeavor.

The experts were asked to

examine it and then, based on the objectives and acti­
vities espoused during the institute, suggest any addi­
tions, deletions, and modifications to the list.

Once

all 12 had responded, the lists were pooled and 10 addi­
tional activities added to the list of eight.

This new

list of 18 activities comprised the total listing used
In the remainder of the survey.

Now a second letter was

sent to the panel (see Appendix IV) Including the new
list of 18 activities.

p . 48.

Each expert was asked to rate

■^Godfrey, The State of Audiovisual Technology.

58
each activity on a five point LIkert-type-scale which
ranged from 1 for highly appropriate, to 5 for highly
inappropriate.

Each expert was asked to base his Judg­

ment on the appropriateness of the activity to develop­
ing and maintaining an effective media program.

These

*

responses were tallied and the activities rank-ordered.
After inserting the new list of 18 activities,
the N.D.E.A. Media Institute Participant Survey was
mailed on March 19> along with a cover letter (see
Appendix V), and a stamped addressed envelope, to all
194 participants.
been received.

Within three weeks 114 responses had

At this point a second letter (see

Appendix VI) urging the participants' cooperation was
sent to all who had not responded.

By April 25, 60

additional questionnaires had been received, bringing
the final number of responses to 174> or 90 per cent of
the total survey population.
Prom responses to question 22, "to whom are you
Immediately responsible for your educational media
responsibilities?" a list was made of the building
principals of the media coordinator respondents, a
group of 84 principals.

On May 5 letters were again

sent out, but now to the principals (see Appendix VII)
including the list of 18 activities to be rated on their
appropriateness to the building media program and the
NEMA questionnaire.

A follow up letter was sent out

59
(see Appendix VIII) on May 16 to all principals who had
not yet responded.

Finally 78 principals responded, or

93 per cent of the entire principal group.

But since

six of these principals failed to Identify themselves
and could not be matched with their coordinator, 72
principals' questionnaires were used, or 85 per cent of
the entire g r o u p .
Analysis of the Data
Six sets of data were used In thiB study:
1.

Experts' Media-Related Activity scores

2.

Coordinators' Frequency-of-Performance
scores

3.

Coordinators' Attitude-Toward-Appropriateness
scores

4.

Coordinators' Demographic Information responses

5.

Principals' Attitude-Toward-Appropriateness
scores

6.

Principals' New Educational Media Attitudes
(NEMA) scores.

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient
was used to determine the relationships between attitudes
and activities as well as among experts, coordinators,
and principals:
Such a correlation coefficient takes into account
not only the Individual's position in the group,
but also the amount of his deviation above or
below the mean.
i:LAne Anastisi, Psychological Testing (New York:
The MacMillan Company, 19*5*1)', pp. 103-104.

60
Hayes suggests that one may apply this correlation statis­
tic to any set of palred-score data, and the results will
be valid descriptions of:

(1) "the particular linear rule

that best applies, and (2) the goodness of the linear pre­
diction rule as a summarization of the tendency of Y scores
to differ systematically with differences in X in these
data."

12

Hayes also points out that the correlation

coefficient is particularly useful in descriptive studies,
such as this current research, because "it is not neces­
sary to make any assumptions at all about the form of the
distribution, the variability of Y scores within X columns
or arrays, or the true level of measurement represented by
the scores in order to employ linear regression and corre19
lation indices to describe a given set of data."
Having reduced coordinators' scores on question 30,
lU
frequency of performance,
to a dichltomous variable,
performed frequently and performed rarely, these scores
were correlated with various sub-sets of demographic
data using the Sign Test for Related Samples, "a simple,

12William L. Hayes, Statistics for Psychologists
(New York:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963)* p. 510.
13Ibid.
■^Responses were originally classified (1) per­
formed with great frequency, (2) performed with moderate
frequency, (3) performed infrequently, (4) performed
rarely, and (5) never performed.

61
but efficient test for small samples"1^ according to
Kerlinger.

The use of this correlation statistic was

primarily due to the nature of the population involved in
the study and the assumptions of discreteness related to
the variable under investigation.

The sign test makes

no assumptions about the fofrm of the distribution of
differences, nor does it assume that all subjects are
drawn from the same population.
All data were first punched into IBM data process­
ing cards at the Michigan State University Computer
Center.

Then these cards were processed using MDSTAT,1^

a program that is capable of calculating basic statistics
such as means, sums and standard deviations, as well as
simple correlations, sums of cross-products, moments,
variable variances and covariances.

Since this program

takes into account, missing data, all returned question­
naires could be used even though some questions were
unanswered, or had inappropriate information.

A second

program, ACT,"^ capable of forming two-dimensional
^Ke r l inger, Foundations of Behavioral R esearch» p.
261j also see, Sidney Siegel, Nonparametrlc Statistics
for the Behavioral Sciences (New York: McGraw-Hill,
, p."6B.--------------"Calculation of Basic Statistics when Missing
Data in Involved (the MDSTAT Routine)," STAT Series
Description No. 6, Agricultural Experiment Station,
Michigan State, 1966.
^ " B a s i c Statistics Program - ACT - Analysis of
Contingency Tables," Computer Institute for Social
Science Research, Program Abstracts, Michigan State
University, 1967.

62
contingency tables as well as row, column, and total
means, standard deviations, chi squares, and productmoment correlations was used to organize all demographic
information for interpretation.

Data was analyzed on

the Control Data 3600 Computer at the Michigan State
University Computer Center.*
Summary
Data for the current study was gathered from (1)
12 faculty and other staff members from the two summer
institutes held at Michigan State University in the
summers of 1965 and 1966, (2) 17^ educational media
building coordinators who attended those institutes,
. and (3) 72 of the principals who were directly responsi­
ble for one of the building coordinators.
Two instruments were used:

the N.D.E.A. Media

Institute Participant Survey, a modified version of the
questionnaire prepared by Eleanor Godfrey, and the New
Educational Media Attitude Inventory, prepared by Curtis
Ramsey and modified by Guba and Synder.

Both question­

naires use a Likert-type-scale to record responses.
Six sets of data were collected:

one set from the

panel of experts on the appropriateness of coordinator
activities; three sets from the building coordinators on
demographic information, frequency of performance, and
appropriateness of coordinator activities performed; and

63
two sets from building principals, on appropriateness of
coordinator activities and attitude toward new educa­
tional media.
Two correlation statistics were used:

the Pearson

Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and the Sign Test
for Related Samples.

Two computer programs were supplied

by the Michigan State University Computer Center:

MDSTAT,

a program used when missing data is present; and ACT,
a program that provides two-dimensional contingency
tables.

CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS OP RESULTS

This chapter will summarize the major findings of
the study following the order of the questions for inves­
tigation presented in the first chapter, namely
1.

What activities might coordinators who attended
summer Institutes at Michigan State University
be expected to perform in conducting a building
educational media program?

2.

What major activities do these educational
media building coordinators actually perform?

3.

How does the educational media building coordi­
nator distribute his time among the acvitivies
he performs?
Is there a significant correlation between the
activities performed by these building coordina­
tors and the activities proposed by the faculty
and other staff members who taught at the
Institutes?

5.

What relationship, If any, exists between the
demographic characteristics of the building
coordinator and of his school setting, and the
activities performed by the coordinator?
64

65
6.

What activities do the coordinators themselves
consider most appropriate in promoting an
educational media program?

7.

Do the coordinators' attitudes toward these
activities correlate with the position taken
by the faculty an'd other instructors at the
Institutes?

8.

Is the building principal's attitude toward
the use of new educational media related to
the activities and attitudes of the building
coordinator?
Anticipated Coordinator Activities

In order to judge what activities coordinators who
attended Institutes at Michigan State University might
be expected to perform in conducting educational media
programs in a single building, a panel of 12 experts
selected from among the 1965 and 1966 Institute staff
members was asked to suggest addition, deletions, and
modifications to an eight item list developed by Godfrey
in 1967.

This list of activities included,

1.

Ordering and scheduling media

2.

Teaching the operation of audiovisual

3.

Providing information and data on

equipment

new materials

. Suggesting appropriate materials
1

1

Godfrey, The State of Audiovisual Technology,

66
5.

Classifying and storing materials

6.

Maintaining and making minor repairs to equipment

7.

Suggesting new uses for materials

8.

Preparing specialized materials

The panel of experts made additions, deletions, and modi­
fications to this list basihg their decisions on the
objectives and activities recommended during the Institute.
After pooling all responses to this procedure, a new list­
ing of 18 activities was developed.

This new list in­

cluded all activities recommended by the panel as well as
those activities suggested by Godfrey's listing.

This 18

activity list was re-submitted to the 12 member panel.
Each expert rated the individual activities on a five
point Likert-type-scale ranging from 1 for highly appro­
priate to 5 for highly inappropriate.

The experts based

their Judgments on the appropriateness of the activity to
developing and maintaining an effective media program.
Scores were tallied and activities ranked according to
their mean scores with the lower mean representing the
higher ranks.

If two activities received the same

numerical rating by the panel of experts the variance,

.

or the dispersion, of the set of scores for each activity
was used to break the tie whenever possible.

The standard

deviation was computed for the set of scores for each
activity.

The activity with the lower standard devia­

tion, and therefore the smallest spread of scores, was

o

67
given the higher rating.

This procedure allowed for the

higher rating of activities according to degree with which
the experts were in agreement with respect to its appro­
priateness.

Table 2 lists the activities suggested by the

panel of 12 experts together with their rank order,
"Providing an on-going in-service education program
for faculty" waB the activity given the highest rating
by the panel of experts.

This activity was rated as

being highly appropriate for performance by building
coordinators.

Of the remaining activities, 13 were

rated appropriate for coordinator performance.
activities were given lower ratings:

Only four

(1) "Preparing

specialized audiovisual materials," (2) "ordering materials
and scheduling equipment,"

(3) "classifying and storing

materials," and (^ ) "repairing and maintaining the equip­
ment," were given the lowest ratings.

Each of these four

activities are of the clerical or mechanical type and
were a part of the list provided by the Godfrey study.
According to these ratings it may be concluded that the
panel of experts does not consider clerical-mechanical
tasks as being within the realm of appropriate activity
for the educational media building coordinator that
attended M.S.U. summer Institutes in 1965 and 1966.
Of the l^J activities given highly appropriate or
appropriate ratings by the panel of experts, most may be
considered administrative, consultative, or an activity

68
TABLE 2.— Summary of data describing media activities
which educational media building coordinators
who attended summer Institutes at M.S.U. in
1965 and 1966 might be expected to perform as
suggested by a panel of 12 experts.
Activity
Providing an on-going in-service training
program for faculty to include (a>
skills training, production, and equip­
ment operation; and (b) training of
utilization techniques.
Encouraging interest in media utiliza­
tion by faculty.
Suggesting new or different uses of
available materials.
Keeping teachers up-to-date on
audiovisual materials.
Participating in curriculum and
instructional development
activities.
Participating, in budget planning for
media program.
Providing means for evaluation of
materials and equipment.
Participating in the planning for
and use of new instructional space.
Providing a production facility which
allows for. limited slide photography,
tape production, basic transparency,
and graphic production by faculty.
Suggesting appropriate audiovisual
materials for classroom u s e .
Teaching teachers to operate equipment.
Organizing, and training students for
projectionist service.
Providing a professional media library.
Providing appropriate public relations
services and materials for the
media program.
Preparing specialized audiovisual
materials.
Ordering materials and scheduling
equipment.
Classifying and storing materials.
Repairing and maintaining the
equipment.

Mean S .D. Rank

1.00

.0

1

1.08

.28

2

1.16

.38

3

1.16

.38

3

1.16

.38

3

1.16

.38

3

1.16

.38

3

1.33

.49

4

1.33

.49

4

1.33
1.50

.65
.52

5
6

1.50
1.75

.52
.96

6
7

1.83

.83

8

2.08

.90

9

2.08 1 .44
2.50 1 .00

10
11

3.^1 1 .37

12

69
which places the coordinator in a role of an information
agent.

All of these highly rated activities place the

coordinator in a position where he is centrally involved
in the planning of learning and in providing for related
support functions and evaluative procedures.
With the 18 activities suggested by the panel of
experts in mind, then, a questionnaire was developed and
then mailed to 194 participants from the 1965-66 summer
media Institutes.

The initial response to this first

mailing was 114 returned questionnaires.

A follow-up

mailing yielded 60 additional responses bringing the
total number of responses to 174 or 90 per cent of the
2
total survey population.
Later a second questionnaire
sent to the principals of 84 of the building coordinators
yielded 78 responses, or 93 per cent of the principal
population.

Responses to these two questionnaires pro­

vided the data analyzed and reported in this study.
Actual Building Coordinator Activities
The second question examined by this study inquires
into what major activities educational media building
coordinators report that they actually perform.

The

coordinators were given the list of 18 activities and
p
Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research,
p. 397. This percentage of response, and the percentage
of principals response below, well exceeds the 80-90 per
cent return suggested by Kerlinger as being necessary
before any valid generalizations can be reached.

70
asked to check all activities that they had performed in
connection with their Instructional media role before
attending a summer Institute at Michigan State University,
and then to check activities presently performed.

Table

3 provides a description of data which summarize the
information thus collected,*listing the number of insti­
tute participants who performed each activity before
attending the Institute, after attending the Institute,
or both before and after attendance.

In addition, Table

3 provides the ranks for each activity within the same
three categories as well as an over-all ranking based on
a totaling of all the acknowledgments of performance,
*

whether before, after, or before and after.

As In the

previous statistical manipulation, ties were broken by
selecting the lowest measure of standard deviation.
The activity most frequently performed prior to
attendance at an Institute was the '‘organizing and train­
ing of students for projectionist services."

In addition,

"repairing and maintaining equipment," "ordering and
scheduling equipment and materials," and "classifying
and storing materials" were the second, third, and fourth
rated activities prior to attendance at a Bummer media
Institute at M.S.U.

All of the activities performed with

great frequency prior to attendance at an Institute are
■ of the clerical or mechanical type.

TABLE 3.— Summary of data d e scribing the activities actually performed by
building coordinators before, after, and before and after
attendance at an M.S.U. summer Institute for instructional m e d i a
building coordinators during the summer of 1965 and 1966.

Activity

Ordering materials and
scheduling equipment.
Suggesting appropriate
materials for classroom
use.
Te a c h i n g teachers to operate
equipment.
Suggesting new or different
uses of available materials.
K e eping teachers up-to-date
on n e w audiovisual
materials.
Repairing and maintaining
«
the equipment.
Classifying and storing
materials.

Num b e r of Coordi­
nators w h o Pe r ­
formed This
Activity

Over-all
Ra n k

Rank

B

Standard
Deviation

Before

After

B/A

19

29

97

3

12

1

4

4.76

8

67

66

10

4

4

7

2.82

19

45

83

3

10

2

2

3.53

12

78

52

6

1

9

3

3.29

11

76

55

7

2

8

5

2.41

20

28

58

2

13

7

9

4.48

in

55

59

4

8

6

6

1.67

B/A

A

Preparing specialized audio­
visual materials.
Participating in curriculum
and instructional deve l o p ­
ment activities.
Participating in budget p l a n ­
ning for media program.
Participating i n the planning
for and use of new instruc­
tional space.
Organizing, administering,
and training students for
projectionists services.
P roviding a means for e v a l u a ­
ti o n of materials and
equipment.
Providing an on-going inservice training p r o g r a m *
for f a c u l t y .
Providing appropriate public
relations services and
materials on the medi a
program.
Provide a production facility
which allows for limited
production by faculty.
Providing a professional media
library for faculty.
Encouraging interest I n m e d i a
utilization by faculty.

Note:

11

67

32

7

4

13

10

3.26

8

72

34

10

3

12

12

3,85

8

48

- 35

10

9

11

15

.81

7

67

36

11

4

10

11

3.08

21

32

61

1

12

5

8

4.51

10

56

31

8

7

13

14

2.61

9

72

29

9

3

14

13

4.53

5

41

23

12

11

15

18

2.19

7

62

21

11

6

16

17

4.08

10

55

21

8

8 . 16

16

3.78

13

63

68

5

5

3

1.

.94

Over-all Rank represents the average of the Before, After, and Before and
After Rankings. All ties were broken by using the lowest standard
deviation.

It should be noted that the activities performed
by coordinators prior to Institute attendance are part of
the group of activities given the lowest rating by the
panel of experts.

The activities performed by coordina­

tors before attending an M.S.U. Institute were con­
sidered inappropriate, for the development and main­
tenance of an effective media program, by the panel of
experts who were responsible for instruction at the two
summer Institutes.
After attending a summer Institute, activities such
as (1) "suggesting new or different uses of available
materials," (2) "keeping teachers up-to-date on new
audiovisual material," and (3) "participating in curricu4

lum and Instructional development activities," were re­
ported most frequently by coordinators as the activities
they presently performed.

ThlB would suggest that many

coordinators became aware of the importance of these new
activities during their participation at a summer Insti­
tute.

While no attempt was made to collect data necessary

to the development of a causal relationship between the
performance of these new activities and attendance at the
M.S.U. summer Institutes, these findings do suggest the
need for additional longitudinal research to determine
whether such a relationship does exist.

At present, how­

ever, it is important that the activities performed by
coordinators after Institute attendance are of the group

7*1
recommended by the panel of experts.

These new activi­

ties were of the administrative,! consultative, and infor­
mation disseminating type.
In the

third category

of activities performed both

before and after attendance, "ordering materials and
scheduling equipment" ranked first and was, In fact,
selected more frequently than any other activity in any
category.

"Teaching equipment operation" ranked second

and "encouraging Interest in media utilization by faculty"
ranked third in this category.

While the panel of experts

had selected activities such as "providing in-service
training for faculty" and "participating In curriculum and
instructional development activities" as most appropriate
for building coordinators, the coordinators' response to
this question suggests that they actually perform more
mechanical or clerical activities than those suggested by
the panel.

More coordinators are scheduling materials and

equipment, showing teachers how to operate projectors, and
classifying and storing materials than are engaged in the
more professional activities suggested by the panel.
Many barriers may stand In the way of coordinators
performing the type of activity that will promote the
development of an effective media program.

The attitude

of superiors toward media activities, the amount of r e ­
leased time for media functions, the availability of
funds, and the lack of support personnel may all stand

75
in the way of the coordinator as he attempts to perform
the type of activities suggested'by the panel of experts.
In many cases the amount of time necessary to perform
assigned activities may serve as a deterrent to the
development of an effective media program.

In that It

has already been determined that coordinators performed
*

clerical and mechanical activities prior to attendance
at summer Institutes and that after attending many began
performing administrative, consultative, and information
disseminating functions, next it should be determined
"how much time do these activities take to perform?"
Frequency of Activity Performance
To determine how the educational media building
coordinators who attended Michigan State University
summer media Institutes distributed their time among the
activities they performed, they were asked to estimate how
often they performed each of the 18 activities measured
on a Llkert-type scale and rated from one - great fre­
quency, two - moderate frequency, three - infrequently,
four - rarely, and five - never.

Scores were totaled for

each activity, means determined, and activities ranked;
the lower the mean scores the more frequently performed.
Table ^ summarizes these data.
Of the total list only two activities were performed
with great frequency according to the report of the

TABLE 4.— Summary of data describing the frequency with
which educational media building coordinators
perform the activities;which are a function of
their position.
(N *= 1*1*5)
Activity

Mean

Ordering materials and scheduling equipment.
Encouraging interest in media utilization by
the faculty.
Keeping teachers up-to-date on new audio­
visual materials.

1.73

1

1,79

2

2.17

3

2.20

4

2.33
2.4*1

5
6

2.57

7

2.76

8

2.80

9.

Suggesting appropriate audiovisual materials
for classroom use.
Suggesting new or different uses of available
materials.
Classifying and storing materials.
Teaching teachers to operate equipment.
Organizing, administering, and training
students for projectionists service.
Participating in curriculum and instruc­
tional development activities .
Preparing specialized audiovisual
materials.
Providing an on-going in-service training
program for faculty.
Providing a means for evaluation of
materials and equipment.
Participating in the planning for and
use of new instructional space.
Providing a professional media library
for the faculty.
Providing a production facility which
allows for limited production by the
faculty.
Repairing and maintaining the equipment.
Participating in budget planning for the
media program.
Providing appropriate public relations
services and materials on the media program.

Rank

2.82

10

2.88

11

2.90

12

2.93

13

2.94

14

3.02
3.03

15
16

3.06

17

3.40

18

77
building coordinators.

"Ordering materials and schedul­

ing equipment" and "encouraging. Interest in media utiliza­
tion by the faculty" received the highest rating.

Of the

time media coordinators have to fulfill their media re­
sponsibilities they spend the greatest amount of time
t

ordering and scheduling equipment and material.

In that

*

this activity is clerical in nature it may be assumed
that it takes far more time than the second rated activity,
encouraging interest in media utilization by the faculty.
Only one of the clerical-mechanical activities included in
the total listing of 18 was reported by the coordinators
to be performed infrequently.

"Repairing and maintaining

equipment" received the third lowest rating.

All other

clerical-mechanical activities were among those most fre­
quently performed.

If educational media building coordi­

nators spend a greater share of their time performing the
clerical-mechanical activities it is obvious that they
will have less time to devote to the activities suggested
by the panel of experts.

In fact, (1) "participating in

the planning for and use of new Instructional space,"
(2)

"providing a professional media library," and (3)

"participating In budget planning for the media program"
were three of the six lowest rated activities.

78
The Relationship Between Actual and
Expected Coordinator Activities
To determine how the activities actually performed
by educational media building coordinators relate to the
activities which the panel of experts think they should
perform, a comparison was made between the mean scores of
the ratings given by the panel of experts pertaining to
the activities they Judged appropriate for performance
by an educational media building coordinator who attended •
a summer Institute at Michigan State in 1965 or 1966
(described in Table 2) and the mean frequency score pro­
vided by the building coordinators (provided in Table 4).
The mean of .the scores as determined by the panel of
experts was compared by means of the Pearson ProductMoment correlation coefficient technique with the means
of the scores as determined by the building coordinators
when estimating the frequency with which they actually
performed the activities - 18 means for the experts 1
ratings were compared with 18 means for the coordinators'
ratings.
As discussed in Chapter III, the Pearson ProductMoment Correlation coefficient technique was used to
examine the relationship between these two groups of data
because It is a simple and effective way of taking into
account not only an Individual’s position in a group, but
also the amount of his deviation above or below the mean.

79
It is particularly useful because it is not necessary to
make any assumptions about the form of the distribution,
the variability of scores, or the level of measurement
represented by the scores.
The correlation statistic thus obtained, r ** .15*
yielded an P ratio of .38,'a statistic having an approxi­
mate significance probability of .54, or about the same
as would occur by chance.

These findings suggest that no

predictable relationship exists between the 18 means for
the experts * ratings and the 18 means for the coordina­
tors.

The statistics describe a relationship no better

than one that would occur by chance.
As has been suggested previously, one of the bar­
riers to the performance of the activities recommended
by the panel is the amount of time spent performing
clerical and mechanical tasks.

The barriers that stand

in the way of the performance of administrative, consulta­
tive, and information disseminating activities by build­
ing coordinators need further investigation so that
methods may be found to eliminate them.

In this way the

professional role suggested by the panel and other leaders
in the media field may eventually be reached.
Relationship Between Demographic Variables
and Coordinator Activities
A list of 24 demographic characteristics of the
building coordinator and of his school setting was

examined for possible relationships with the activities
performed by the educational media building coordinator:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

Coordinator's sex
Coordinator's responsibility - does the
coordinator operate in one school or more
than one?
Size of student body in the coordinator's school
Size of faculty in the coordinator's school
Type of school -eleme n t a r y , junior high, or
high school
Regularly assigned teaching or no teaching
Number of grade levels taught
Number of subjects taught
Title of Job assignment
Number of responsibilities other than media
Number of years with present media responsibility
Professional degrees held
Amount of time since last formal media training
Number of different types of media training
Varying types of formal training - Undergrad,
Grad, Masters, beyond Masters.
Coordinator's expression of most valuable type
of training
Administrator to whom coordinator is -responsible
Availability of special funds for the media
program
Coordinator participation in budget preparation
Coordinator participation in the preparation of
proposals for outside funding
Number of sources of funding for the media
program
Types of funding for the media program
Major source of funding for the media program
The year the coordinator attended a summer
Institute

Each of these variables was compared with the frequency
with which building coordinators performed the activities,
after first reducing the five point ratings on the Likerttype-scale to a dlchotomous variable "performed frequently"
(the first two categories of the Likert-type scale) and
* "performed rarely" (the last two categories).

These new

scores were then correlated with various sub-sets of

81
demographic data using the Sign%Test for Related Samples.
The Sign Test was selected because of its ability to make
use of the greatest quantity of data collected.

This test

is applicable when the experimenter wishes to establish
that two conditions are different in the case of two re ­
lated samples.

The teBt does not make any assumptions

about the form of the distribution or does it assume that
all subjects are drawn from the same population.

Thus all

of the data describing the frequency with which building
coordinators performed their activities were analyzed in
relation to each of the 24 demographic variables.

The

results of this statistical procedure suggest that no
definite pattern was observed with respect to the rela­
tionship between activity performance and demographic
characteristics.
area.

Further investigation is needed in this

A starting point for additional research in this

area may be found in four of the variables studied during
this Investigation.

Four demographic variables - (1)

the title of the Job assignment, (2) the number of grade
levels taught by media personnel having teaching re­
sponsibilities,

(3) whether or not the coordinators par­

ticipated in the preparation of the media budget, and (4)
whether or not the coordinator participated in the pre­
paration of proposals for outside funding for the media
program— came closest to providing evidence necessary to

82
reach valid empirical conclusions.

Summary data regard­

ing these four variables may be found in Appendix IX.
The 24 demographic variables investigated in this
portion of the 3tudy tell a great deal about the building
coordinators.

Of the respondents, 128 were males and 45

females, with an average age of 40.7 y e a r B .

While 131

were responsible for media services in only one school,
34 had responsibilities in more than one.

Schools where

respondents functioned averaged 1070 students and 52
faculty members.

When coordinators had teaching responsi­

bilities they taught at 2.2 different grade levels.

In

all 75 coordinators had regularly assigned teaching
responsibilities while 51 did not; 33 coordinators taught
in elementary schools, 36 in junior high schoolB, and 56
In high schools.

In addition to their media responsibili­

ties they taught 1.6 different subjects and had 1.4 addi­
tional assignments on the average.
When asked to list the title that best described
their major assignment, 72 listed educational media build­
ing coordinator, 33 listed classroom teacher, 18 listed
media director for school system, and 17 listed school
librarian (see Appendix X for complete results of all job
descriptions).

Respondents had held their media positions

for an average of 3.9 years.

Regarding current degree

status, 94 held a Masters degree plus additional hours
of credit (see Appendix X for complete results).

The

83
greatest number, 82 received their laBt formal media train­
ing in 1966, 3^ listed 1965 as the year of last formal
media training, 30 listed 1967 and 23 listed 1968.

Other

than NDEA Summer Institutes, undergraduate instruction
ranked highest as the level at which most had received
formal media training (see*Appendix X).

When asked to

select the most valuable media training, ‘126 selected
their NDEA Summer Institute.

In other w o r d s , more than

80 per cent of the respondents selected the Institutes
as their most valuable form of media training.

While the

coordinators may have responded to this question for the
benefit of the investigator, the large percentage of
response and the possible importance of this findings
suggests the need for further investigation to validate
this response.
Regarding the administrative organization of the
media program, 95 coordinators listed their principal
as the administrator to whom they were directly responsi­
ble, 32 listed a subject matter coordinator or director
and 20 listed their superintendent.

In response to ques­

tions about funding, 104 coordinators stated that their
media program had its own budget, while 49 said theirs
did not.

A total of 93 participated in the preparation

of the media budget while 61 did not, and 76 participated
in the preparation of proposals for outside funding while
77 did not.

When asked to list all sources of funding

84
for their media program the coordinators selected "Federal
NDEA funds" as the source most often available

(see

Appendix X for complete data) and also selected NDEA funds
as the major source of funds for their media program.
*

This would suggest that local school districts depend to
a great extent on the federal government for the support
necessary to maintain a building media program.

This

finding also suggests that local schools may not have
access to the necessary funds to operate the media program
or have not developed a deep enough commitment to such a
program in order to commit these funds.

While it is pos­

sible to suggest that the current development of building
level media programs might not be possible without the
availability of NDEA fundB, there is still some question
as to the affect these funds have on the initiation of
sound local media funding practices.
Finally, the respondents were asked to state what
percentage of their time was devoted to instructional
media responsibilities.

In response to this question

It was determined that the average coordinator spends
about 50 per cent of his time on his media responsibilities.
Previous research-* has found that building coordinators
usually had very little, if any, time available for media
responsibilities.

At the most, coordinators have had

^Godfrey, The State of Audiovisual Technology. p.
47; and McMahan, '‘Building Coordinator:
Professional
Partner?" p. 662.

85
25 per cent of their daily time assigned to the coordina%

tion of the building media program.

In that the release

of a teacher from conventional instructional activities
is an administrative decision.

The current finding sug­

gests that some change may be occurring among local build­
ing administrators with respect to their interest and
commitment to the development of the media program.

How­

ever, further research is needed to determine whether
Institute participation has been responsible for this
interest.
Coordinators 1 Attitudes Toward Activities
To determine what activities the coordinators them­
selves considered to be most appropriate in promoting an
educational media program, the same procedure used with
the panel of experts was followed.

The Institute parti­

cipants rated each of the 18 activities using a five
point Likert-type s c a le :

from 1 for highly appropriate

to 5 for highly inappropriate.

Scores were tallied and

activities ranked according to their means, the lower the
mean score the higher the rank, as listed in Table 5.
All but three of the 18 activities listed were rated
"highly appropriate" by the building coordinators.
Interestingly, no clerical or mechanical activities were
among those rated highest, all of which appeared to be
more professional.

The activities given especially high

86
TABLE 5.— Summary of d&ta describing the attitudes of
educational media building coordinators who
attended summer Institutes at Michigan State
University in 1965 and 1966 toward the Activi
ties they perform.
Activity
Encouraging interest in media utiliza:tion' by the faculty.
Keeping teachers up-to-date on- new
audiovisual materials.
Suggesting appropriate audiovisual
materials for classroom use.
Suggesting new or different uses of
available materials.
Participating in planning and use
of new Instructional spaces.
Providing on-going in-service
training for the faculty.
Participating In curriculum and
Instructional.development
activities.
Participating in budget planning
for the media program.
Providing a means for evaluation
of materials and equipment.
Ordering and scheduling equipment.
Providing a production facility for
the faculty.
Providing a professional media
library for the faculty.
Teaching teachers to operate
equipment.
Providing public relations services,
and materials on the media
program.
Preparing specialized audiovisual
materials.
Organizing, administering and
training students for projec­
tionists services,
Classifying ahd storing materials.
Repairing and maintaining the
equipment.

Rank

Mean

S.D.

i .ii

.35

1

1.26

.57

2

1.28

.46

3

1.30

.56

4

1.40

.74

5

1.42

.71

6

1.43

.75

7

1.48

.85

8

1.57
1.63

.75
.95

9
10

1.65

.91

11

1.71

.91

12

1.72

.73

13

1.82

.99

14

1.94

.97

15

2.05
2.15

1.08
1.17

16
17

3.17

1.21

18

87
ratings by the coordinators included those where the media
specialist disseminated information.

The highest rated

activities included (1 ) "encouraging faculty interest in
media utilization," (2 ) "keeping teachers up-to-date on
new materials," and (3 ) "suggesting appropriate uses for
audiovisual materials in the classroom."

Instructional

planning and development activities ranked next highest
along with certain types of administrative and budgetary
activities.

Among the ten activities given the lowest

ratlngB, however, six were of the clerical or mechanical
type; the lowest rated included (1 ) "ordering and schedul­
ing equipment," (2 ) "classifying and storing materials,"
and (3 ) "repairing and maintaining equipment."
By simple observation it would appear that the
attitudes of the education media building coordinators
who attended M.S.U. summer Institutes are quite similar
to the ratings developed by the panel of experts responsi­
ble for Instruction at those Institutes.

Both groups

appear to approve of the same types of activities.

More

Important, both groups appear to find the same activities
inappropriate, those in the clerical and mechanical
classification.
These coordinator attitudes may represent the
greatest Impact that the Institute program has brought
about.

While surveying related literature, in Chapter II,

it was suggested that the building coordinator filled the

88
role of a cosmopolite opinion leader within the local
school setting.

If these coordinators have adopted a

new set of attitudes relating to the development of their
media program, these attitudes may soon begin to have
9

their affect on others within the school setting.

As an

opinion leader, the coordinator may begin to affect not
only his teacher peers but also his local administrator
and in so doing he may bring about gradual change within
the school.

This study point out, again, the need for

additional research in the field.

A longitudinal study

is needed, examining Institue participants prior to,
during, and after attending an Institute.

In this way

a causal relationship linking Institute participation
with changed attitudes and practices may be developed.
Relationship Between Coordinators' and
Experts * ArtitudeB Towards Activities
To provide precise empirical data so as to determine
whether the educational media building coordinators'
attitudes toward the 18 activities were similar to the
attitudes of the panel of 12 expert b who had served as
*

faculty and instructors at the Institutes, a Pearson
Product-Moment correlation coefficient was generated
using the scores for appropriateness from the panel of
experts

(described in Table 2) and the mean scores for

appropriateness from the building coordinators
in Table 5).

(presented

All 18 means for the coordinators' ratings

89
were thus compared with all 18 means for the experts'
«
ratings. The correlation statistics obtained from the
above procedure, r = .91> yielded a F ratio of 77.75
which is statistically significant at less than the
level.

.0005

Accordingly it may be stated that there is a very

high correlation between the attitudes of the panel of
experts and those of the educational media building
coordinators who attended Institutes at Michigan State
University with regard to the appropriateness of the
activities these coordinators perform.

This statistical

procedure strongly supported the Investigator's observa­
tions stated in the preceding discussion summarizing the
attitudes of the building coordinators.
Relationship Between Principal Attitudes
and Coordinator Activities
To determine whether the attitudes of building
principals were related In any way to the activities
and attitudes of the building coordinators, each build­
ing principal directly responsible for one of the coordi­
nators was asked to complete a shortened version of the
basic Participants' Survey questionnaire

(see Appendix

XI) and to rate the appropriateness of all 18 activities
using the same five point Likert-type scale.

The princi­

pals were also asked to respond to an additional measure,

90
the New Educational Media Attitude Inventory, to determine
I
their sympathy with or antagonism against the uses of
newer educational media in the classroom.

With a six

point Likert-type scale - from 1 - agree strongly to
6 - disagree strongly - this test instrument identified
individuals with attitudes *sympathetic to newer Media
utilization by low scores, while high scores represent
individuals antagonistic toward media utilization.
All
h
5
procedures Identified by Ramsey, Guba and Synder*' were
followed.

These procedures were the same as had been

used when the above mentioned researchers checked into the
internal consistency and validity of this instrument and
utilized it in several studies of national scope.
Summing the principals' scores on the New Educa­
tional Media Attitude Inventory yielded a mean score of
55.59, and withlhis figure principals were placed In two
groupB:

those whose NEMA Inventory score was below 55.59,

the "positively oriented principals," and principals whose
NEMA Inventory waB above 55.59, "negatively oriented
principals."

All these principals ’ Judgments on the

appropriateness of media related coordinator activities,
as reported on the shortened version of the basic Parti­
cipants’ Burvey questionnaire, were then correlated both
^Ramsey, A Research Project for the Development of
a Measure to Assess Attitudes. . . ,
^Guba and Synder, ITV and the Classroom Teacher,
P. 59.

91
with the attitude scores and with the frequency of performance scores of their respective building coordinators,
these correlations identified according to the orienta­
tion of the principals, positive or negative.

Each set

of correlations consisted of two Pearson Product-Moment
Correlation Coefficients, one comparing principals'
appropriateness ratings with coordinators' appropriateness
ratings, and a second comparing principals1 appropriate­
ness ratings with coordinators' frequency of performance
scores.

Table 6 summarizes the data thus obtained.

TABLE 6.— Summary' of correlation: statistics describing’the
relationship between principals attitudes toward
coordinators activities and coordinators
appropriateness scores and coordinators fre*quency of performance scores.
Coordinators
Coordinators Appro­
Frequency
of
priateness Scores Performance Scores
r

F

Sig.

r

F

Sig.

Positively Oriented
Principals Approprlateness Scores

.83

36

.005

.36

2.4

.136

Negatively Oriented
Principals Approprlateness Scores

.82

32

.005

.30

1.64

.281

The purpose of this portion of the investigation was
to determine whether the building principal's attitude
toward the use of new educational media related to the

92
activities and attitudes of the building coordinator.

All

correlations obtained using the above procedure were so
similar that it was impossible to make any positive state­
ment regarding the affect of principals * attitudes on
*

coordinators' activities.

Further research in this area

is needed.
Coordinators Subjective Statements
Finally, this study encouraged each participant to
respond subjectively to the question:

"How are you operat­

ing differently today in your media role than you did be­
fore participating in the NDEA summer Institute at M.S.U.?"
Responding coordinators mentioned, in all 18 different
subjects, with two predominating.

Most frequently, the

responding educational media coordinators felt that they
were more knowledgeable, competent, and effective in their
ability to handle their responsibility as an educational
media representative, and Becond, they often noted how
their programs and responsibilties had grown considerably
since their attendance at an Institute.

Many respondents’

stated that due to Institute participation they now had a
firm grasp on their understanding of their media responsi­
bilities.
Generally respondents used their replies to describe
how their program and professional role had grown since
their attendance at an Institute.

Many had become

93
full-time media coordinators while others had been given
*

a larger part-time assignment.

t

»

Many had recently been

included in curriculum development activities and felt
that their peers viewed them aB consultants rather than
technicians.

Many now had additional help with their

media program, from full-time professional assistance and
student-assisted programs as well.
Quite a few coordinators felt there had been little
or no change in their media program since attending an
Institute; some had even had their media responsibilities
limited or curtailed.

In virtually all of these cases,

the limitation of media related activity had been caused
by a reduction in available funds for the school or dis­
trict, although in a few cases new district boundary lines,
annexations, or new administrators were listed as causes.
Several coordinators felt they were provided too little
time by local administration to do the kind of job that
they felt they wanted to do.

Table 7 provides a descrip­

tion of the 18 subjects mentioned In this open-ended
questionnaire and how often each was listed by the
respondents.
Summary of Results
This study proposed eight areas of Investigation.
First, a panel of 12 experts who had taught at the two
Institutes held at M.S.U. was consulted to determine what

94
TABLE 7.— A summary of categories and frequencies with
which educational media building coordinators
who attended summer media institutes at M.S.U.
in 1965 and 1966 described changes in their
media programs since attendance at an institute.
Subject Area Mentioned
»

—

—

Coordinator feels more knowledgeable, competent,
and effective.
The media program has grown'and responsi­
bility has increased.
Coordinator feels that he has more insight
into the definition of his role, a firmer
understanding, and an enlarged conception.
Media position is now a full time assignment.
There has been very little or no change in
the coordinators program and in a few
cases a reduction.
Coordinator is now consulted on curricular
matters.
Would like to participate in additional M.S.U.
summer Institutes for advanced training.
Before Institute.the coordinator was considered
a logician and is now considered a con­
sultant .
Coordinator has gone on to further graduate
study In the media field.
Institute participant is no longer in the
media field.
Coordinator feels he Is now better organized.
Coordinator is now assigned released-time on
a part-time basis for media activities.
Coordinator feels Improved due to the oppor­
tunity of meeting others In the field
during the Institute.
Coordinator now has additional professional
or student help with which to operate the
media program.
Coordinator feels he Is not given enough time
with which to provide an adequate program.
Coordinator is now providing a better student
operator program.
Coordinator saw the benefit and welcomed
federal participation In public education.
Coordinator felt that more effort should
be made to educate the public to the needs
of education.

Frequency
■

45
38
28
28
25
19
16
12
11
8
7
7
7
5
2
2
1
1

—

95
activities educational media building coordinators who
attended summer Institutes at M.S.U. should be performing.
This panel suggested 18 activities, mostly consultative,
and ranked them according to their appropriateness in the
*

development and maintenance of an effective media program.
Second, 194 of the participants who attended the
Institutes were sent a questionnaire designed to compare
the panel ratings with actual performance.

Third, the

frequency with which coordinators performed the 18 activi­
ties was measured.

And fourth the Pearson Product-Moment

Correlation technique was employed to compare the rela­
tionship between the ratings of the 18 activities by the
experts and (1) the activities actually performed by the
coordinators, as well as (2) the frequency with which the
coordinators performed these activities.

In general, the

panel rated administrative, consultative, and information
disseminating activities highest.

Coordinators1 attitudes

were similar to the experts ratings yet they were not
performing these types of activities.

They were on the

other hand, performing clerical and mechanical activities.
Fifth, 24 demographic characteristics of the build­
ing coordinators and their school settings were examined
for possible relationships to the activities they per­
formed .

No predictable relationship was observed with

respect to the relationship of these 24 demographic vari­
ables to the activities performed by the coordinators.

96
The final three areas Investigated by the study dealt
with the attitudes of coordinators and the administrator to
whom they are responsible.

After coordinators and princi­

pals were both asked to rate the appropriateness of the 18
activities, the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coeffi­
cient technique was used to* examine the relationship among
the appropriateness ratings of the experts, coordinators,
and principals.

While no definite pattern was observed

regarding the affect of principals1 attitudes on the
activities performed by their building coordinators, we
can state that correlations significant at the .0005 level
or smaller were found among all three groups.

Attitudes

of the panel of experts are highly correlated with those
of coordinators and their principals.
Finally, when given the opportunity to respond to
an open-ended question pertaining to observed changes in
activities since attending the Institutes, most re­
spondents stated that their media program had grown as
had their responsibilities.

In addition, the coordinators

generally felt that they were now more knowledgeable and
confident in their administration of a media program.

CHAPTER V
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
T

Summary
The present study has sought to survey the current
attitudes and activities of educational media building
coordinators who attended one of two summer instructional
media Institutes, funded under the National Defense Educa­
tion Act and held at Michigan State University in 1965 and
1966, and who have since returned to their regular school
assignment.

Hence the study examined the media-related

activities to which building coordinators actually devoted
time after attending a summer Institute at Michigan State,
seeking as well to determine how these activities might
be correlated with the demographic and attitudinal char­
acteristics of the coordinator, his building principal,
and his school Betting.
In general, it was found that educational media
building coordinators who attended the Institutes were
presently spending the greatest portion of their time
performing clerical and mechanical tasks.

They were

"ordering and scheduling equipment" and "teaching others
to operate equipment."

On the other hand, the coordinators

were of the opinion that these clerical and mechanical
97

98
activities were not as appropriate to the development of
an effective media program as were the professional acti­
vities suggested by a panel of experts who taught at the
two Michigan State University summer media Institutes.
»

Summary of Procedures
First, a ranked list of activities that all build­
ing coordinators might be expected to perform was elicited
from a panel of experts who had been members of the
Institute faculties.

Then survey questionnaires were pre­

pared and mailed to 194 participants In the 1965 and 1966
M.S.U. summer Institutes, of which 17*1 (90^) were returned.
This part of.the questionnaire requested information about
(1) the school setting In which the building coordinator
served,

(2) the type of audiovisual program in the school,

(3) the coordinator's assignment, and (4) his professional
background;

The second part of the questionnaire, based

on the list of 18 activities prepared by the panel of
experts, asked the respondents to indicate (1) which
activities were performed prior to Institute attendance,
(2) which activities were presently performed,

(3) the

amount of time devoted to each activity, and (4) the
appropriateness of each activity.
A subsequent portion of the study examined the
relationship between the attitudes of building principals
and their media coordinators.

Principals In 84 schools

99
were mailed questionnaires and 78, C9356) were returned.
ft

These principals also responded to a second questionnaire,
the New Educational Media Attitude Inventory, which is
used to determine whether or not an individual sympathizes
»

with the use of newer educational media.
In all, six sets of descriptive data were evaluated:
1.

Experts1 Media-Related Activity Ratings,

2.

Coordinators' Frequency of Performance Scores,

3.

Coordinators* Attitude-Toward-Appropriateness
Scores,

4.

Coordinators* Demographic Information Responses,

5'.

Principals * Attitude-Toward-Appropriateness
Scores,

6.

Principals * New Educational Media Attitude
Scores.

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was
used to determine the relationship among coordinator
activities and the attitudes of all three groups— experts,
coordinators, and principals.

Demographic Information

was examined by means of the Sign Test for Related Samples.
All data were punched Into IBM Data processing cards and
analyzed using MDSTAT, a program for calculating basic
statistics, and ACT, a program used to form two-dimensional
contingency tables.

All analyses were conducted on the

Michigan State University Computer Center's Control Data
36OO computer.

100
Findings
«

1.

According to a panel of 12 experts who were

faculty members at both summer Institutes held at Michigan
State University, we might expect building coordinators
who’ attended these Institutes to engage in the following
18 media-related activities:
Providing an on-going in-service training program
for faculty to include (a) skills training, pro­
duction, equipment operation, (b) training in
utilization techniques.
Encouraging interest in media utilization by
faculty.
Suggesting new or different areas of available
materials.
Keeping teachers up-to-date on audiovisual
materials.
Participating in curriculum and instructional
development activities.
Participating in budget planning for the media
program.
Providing means for evaluation of materials
and equipment.
Participating in the planning for and use of
new instructional space.
Providing a production facility which allows for
limited slide photography, tape production,
basic transparencies, and graphic production by
faculty.
Suggesting appropriate audiovisual materials
for classroom use.
Teaching teachers to operate equipment.
Organizing, administering, and training students
for projectionists service.

101
Providing a professional Media
library.
«
Providing appropriate public relations services
and materials on the media program.
Preparing specialized audiovisual materials.
Ordering materials and scheduling equipment.
Repairing and maintaining the equipment.1
2.

Educational media building coordinators who

attended the two M.S.U. summer Institutes, on the other
hand, seem to spend most of their time on clerical or
mechanical activities.

While "encouraging interest in

media utilization by faculty" was the single activity
performed by the greatest number of coordinators, other
prevailing activities included "ordering and scheduling
the use of equipment and materials" and "teaching teachers
to operate equipment."
3.

Clerical and mechanical activities also appear

to be among the activities which account for the greatest
expenditure of coordinators1 time.

"Ordering and schedul­

ing equipment and material" was ranked highest by the
coordinators when asked to list those activities they
performed with the greatest frequency.
When the relationship between the activities
performed by the building coordinators and the activities
espoused by the panel of experts was analyzed, no
1
The 18 activities suggested by the panel appear in
rank order according to the degree of appropriateness
assigned by the panel.

102
predictable pattern could be determined with regard to the
%

similarity between the two sets of scores.

As the Pearson

Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient yielded an r « .15,
having an P ratio of .38 and a significance of .54, it was
concluded that no predictable relationship existed between
coordinators’ activities and experts * opinions.
5.

Furthermore, no definite patterns were observed

when 24 demographic characteristics of the coordinators
and their school setting were compared with the activities
performed by the building coordinators.

Pour demographic

variables— (1) the school in which the coordinator served,
(2) the audiovisual program, (3) the coordinator’s assign­
ment, and (4) his professional education and background—
came closest to providing evidence necessary to reach
valid empirical conclusions.
6.

Like the experts, the coordinators themselves

considered consultative activities as being most appro­
priate for their position even though in actual practice
they were spending most of their time on clerical and
mechanical activities.

They gave ’’encouraging interest

in media utilization for the faculty" the highest score
on the appropriateness scale*

Other activities they

rated highly included acting as an information agent for
faculty 5 providing data about new materials, equipment,
and strategies of instruction; providing in-service

103
education for teachers and participating In the planning
t

and budgeting of the media program.
7.

The building coordinators* attitudinal rankings

of media-related activities were quite similar to the
rankings of the panel of experts and the building princi­
pals when these two groups .were asked to rate the appro­
priateness of the 18 activities.

A correlation statistic

of .91 was obtained when all 18 appropriateness ratings
for the panel of experts were matched with the ratings of
the coordinators.

Correlations of .82 and .83 were ob­

tained when positively oriented principals ratings and
negatively oriented principals ratings were compared
respectively’with the coordinators.

However, the use of

the New Educational Media Attitudes Inventory, NEMA, as
a tool to dichotomize the principals according to their
media attitudes failed to prove effective.

The statistics

show that a relationship no better than a chance one
exists regarding the effect of principals* attitudes on
the media-related activities performed by their coordi­
nators .
8.

The coordinators' Informal observations regard­

ing changes In their activities since attending an Insti­
tute at Michigan State suggest that their media programs
have grown along with their responsibilties.

Most

coordinators felt that they were more knowledgeable and

104
confident of their ability to administer an effective
«

media program after attending an Institute.
Conclusions
This study was stimulated by recommendations from
several leaders in the media field who feel that a new
kind of professional will be required to provide leader­
ship in design, implementation, and evaluation of programs
of education which make fullest use of the new media.

The

review of related literature has traced shifts in the
developing role of the media specialist.

Leaders in the

field today maintain that building coordinators may no
longer act s.olely as technicians or keepers of machines.
Indeed, Morris, Miller, and Eboch have called for a new
kind of media specialist able to serve as a catalytic
agent for change in the planning of educatiohal strategies.
The conclusions reached in this section speak to this new
role.
1.

In the coordinators1 view a building media

specialist should perform administrative, consultative
and information disseminating activities.

These coordi­

nator attitudes are significant mainly in that they are
similar to the opinions held by the panel of experts who
were responsible for the instruction at the Institutes.
In addition, most leaders in the media field agree that
the most effective role that the building coordinator can

105
hold should Involve the performance of administrative,
consultative, and Information disseminating activities.
The agreement between coordinators, experts, and
educational leaders grows in significance when the
coordinator is viewed as a change agent in the diffusion
process.

Rogers points out. that most change agents are

local-level bureaucrats whose purpose is to inject a
cosmopolite influence to innovate a client's social
system.

The change agent functions as a communication

link between two social systems.

This definition of a

change agent seems to describe quite closely the role of
the educational media building coordinator who has re­
turned to his BChool after attending a summer Institute.
The coordinators appear to have reached the second step
of the adoption process.

They have become aware of a

new innovation, namely their role in the local media pro­
gram.

Second, they have adopted a rationale for the

diffusion of that innovation.

In so doing coordinators

are linking two systems, the general media field and the
local school, for the overall improvement of their educa­
tional programs.

While this innovation is far from total

adoption, the results of this study suggest that the
diffusion process has begun.
2.

While the words of the media field leaders just

cited and the opinions of the panel of experts employed
in this study may offer direction for the future, they do

106
not accurately describe the activities that certain building coordinators are presently performing.

Although these

18 activities endorsed by the M.S.U. Institute faculty
experts do fit the frame suggested by the literature, it
is ’obvious that coordinators who attended these Institutes
are not performing these activities with any great fre­
quency .
3.

Both the building coordinators and their admin­

istrators agreed with the experts in their selection of
appropriate activities.

What remains unclear is the

effect of the Institutes in developing this agreement.
However, the findings suggest that the Institutes have
created an awareness among the participants and their
administrators of what that new role bhould be.
4.

Building coordinators typically have received

little or no released time for the performance of their
media activities.

But 17^ coordinators who responded to

the present Btudy spent an average of half their time
with media activities.

These data, again, suggest that

the role of the coordinator is changing and in the direc­
tion suggested by the panel of experts and media field
leaders.
5.

This research oasts serious doubts on the

validity of the New Educational Media Attitude Inventory,
NEMA.

Since this instrument was designed for use with

educators whose main concerns did not include educational

107
media, It might have been anticipated as findings of the
I

present study demonstrate, that the NEMA questionnaire
is too general for making sophisticated discrimination.
6.

Finally, the participants1 responses to the

open-ended question suggest that the Institutes have
indeed influenced the attitudes and professional pride
of the coordinators.

When asked to list the form of

media training they considered most valuable, the vast
majority of participants (over
summer Institutes.

70%)

selected the NDEA

One of the most common responses to

the open-ended question, in fact, was that the respondent
would like to participate in: future Institutes.
Recommendations for Further Research
1.

This study might well be replicated as media

adoption continues to expand in the schools.

Should Buch

replication take place, the following modifications In
methodology are suggested:

(1) the population of future

research in this area might include participants from
several Institutes held at different colleges and uni­
versities;

(2) such studies should be conducted on a

longitudinal basis, evaluating activities and attitudes
both before and after attendance at an Institute so that
a causal relationship may be more clearly developed, and
(3)

the panel of experts should include more leaders In

the field and not just those affiliated with a particular
Institute.

108
2.

Suoh research might be expanded to study how
*
Institute participation Influences other members of the
school faculty served by the participant.
3.

Extensive research should be Initiated Into

the barriers to Implementing the innovative practices
developed during participation In a summer Institute pro­
gram.

Suoh research would undoubtedly draw on previous

studies relating administrative behavior to the diffusion
of innovations.
.

The effect of Federal spending and participa­

tion on' long term curricUlar planning, administrative
decision making, budgeting practices, and educational
media financing should be examined more closely.

Are

Federal expenditures for the training of media personnal
and acquisition of equipment the most effective and
efficient means of obtaining the desired results?

How

do school personnel and the public feel about this
Federal participation?
5.

The structure of communication between the uni­

versity and public schools should be examined for new
avenues of sharing educational innovations more effectively.
6.

Further research should be carried on to develop

a more sensitive instrument for measuring the attitudes
of educational personnel toward the use of new educa­
tional media.

This research should attempt to identify

evaluative techniques that would allow the researcher to

109
examine, precisely, the disposition of those educators
Involved with the use of new educational media.
Concluding Statement
This study has shown that the role of the educa­
tional media building coordinator is changing.

The summer

institute program has done much to bring about this
change.

Yet much still needs to be done.

The role of

the building coordinator is not yet clearly defined and
at least one final statement regarding the upgrading of
his position can be m a d e .
While not a recommendation for additional research,
this statement pertains directly to the improvement of
the coordinators' role.

It would appear that one of the

major deterrents to the development of a more profes­
sional stature for the building coordinator has been the
lack of qualified supportive personnel and funds to ob­
tain them.

Most building coordinators, it would appear,

perform clerical and mechanical tasks simply because
there is no one else to do them.
be taken to aid this situation.

Two positive steps may
Two-year and four-year

institutions of higher education should investigate the
possibilities of initiating training programs for paraprofessional personnel in the media field.

Second, a

new source of funding for the training and employment of
such para-profesBionals should be investigated.

While

110
current Federal programs might serve to initiate such a
t

training program, local and state sources should be in­
volved in the continued development of such a program.
The precedent has already been set for the use of parttime and para-professional assistance in many local
school systems.

Public and professional education are

needed so that an awareness of the problem and practical
solutions are developed for media programs as well.

t

APPENDICES

111

APPENDIX I
N . P . E . A . MEDIA INSTITUTE PARTICIPANT SURVEY

1.

2 . A g e _________ 3 . S e x _____

Your N am e
la s t

fir s t

m iddle

4 •’

L e g a l N am e o f S c h g o l D is t r ic t : ___________________________________

5.

P o st O ffic e A d d r e s s ______________________ C it y ___________________
C o u n ty ___________________S t a t e __________________
Z ip _______

6

.

Your O ffic ia l T i t l e _________________________________________________
If you r r e s p o n s ib ility Is in o n e s c h o o l b u ild in g , p le a s e com ­
p le t e q u e s tio n s # 7 through # 1 3 . If n o t, g o on to number 1 4 .

7.

.
10 .
8

11

.

12

.

S c h o o l N o m e ____________________ A d d r e s s _________________________
S iz e o f Study B o d y :___________ 9 .

S iz e o f F a cu lty :

P le a se - C ir c le th e grade l e v e l s taugh t in your S ch ool:
K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14

D o yo u h o v e reg u la rly a s s ig n e d te a c h in g r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s ?
______ Yes
No
If y e s c ir c le th e grade le v e l s y o u tea ch :
K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12

13

14

13.

W hat su b je c t(s) do you tea ch :
you r major a ssig n m e n t f ir s t .

14.

W h ich o f th e fo llo w in g t i t l e s b e s t d e s c r ib e s your major a s s i g n ­
m en t? (p le a s e c h e c k one)
.C la ssro o m T ea ch er
.S ch o o l Librarian
.E d u cational M edia
B uilding C oordinator
A s s is ta n t P rin cip al
P rin cip al
.C o u n selo r
.Curriculum C oordinator
H elp in g T ea ch er
112

If more th an o n e , p le a s e g iv e

.S u b ject M atter C oordinator
M e d ia D irecto r for S y ste m
.D irector o f In stru ction or
Curriculum
A s s is ta n t S u p erin ten d en t
S u p erin ten d en t
R eg io n a l C oordinator or D i­
r e c to r o f Curriculum or M ed ia
O th e r ______________________

15*

P le a s e l i s t a n y o th er r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s y o u m ay h a v e In a d d itio n
t o your In stru ctio n a l M ed ia r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s : (major r e s p o n s i­
b ilit y first)
.

16.

How m any y ea r s h a v e you had you r p r e se n t In stru ctio n a l M ed ia
r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ » _ _ _ _ _ _ _ —_

17.

P le a s e c h e c k th e o n e term w h ich b e s t d e s c r ib e s your p resen t
p r o fe s s io n a l d e g r e e sta tu s:
.T each in g C e r tific a te
_B.A . , B .S . , B .E d .
_B.A. P lu s hours
J M .A ., M . S . , M .E d .

_____ M a ste r s p lu s hours
S p e c ia lis t s
Ph . D . . E d .D .
O ther

18.

W hat is your m ajor a rea in th e h ig h e s t d e g r e e you h o ld ?

19.

In w hat y ea r d id y ou r e c e iv e your la s t form al train in g in th e
fie ld o f in s tr u c tio n a l m e d ia ? ____________________________________

20.

P le a s e c h e c k e a c h o f th e fo llo w in g a r e a s in w h ich yo u h a v e had
form ai train in g in th e fie ld o f in str u c tio n a l m ed ia .
(ch eck a s many a s apply)
a . U ndergrad, in stru ctio n
f . R egion al W ork sh op s
b . G raduate in stru ctio n
g . NDEA Summer I n s titu te s
but not for d eg ree cred it
h . C om m ercial W ork sh ops
c . M a ste r s d eg re e in stru ctio n
i . Intern Programs
d . G raduate in str u c tio n b e ­
J . Em ploym ent in B u s in e s s
or Industry
yond th e m a sters d eg ree
k . O th e r ________________
e . I n - s e r v ic e in stru ctio n in
your lo c a l s c h o o l s y s te m

'2 1 .

W hich o f th e a b o v e a re a s do y o u c o n sid e r to be m o st v a lu a b le
in th e perform ance o f your in str u c tio n a l m edia r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s ?
(fill in o n e le tte r for th e m ost v a lu a b le area)___________________
C o m m en ts:_______________________________________________________

22.

To whom are you im m ed ia tely r e s p o n s ib le fo r your in str u c tio n a l
m edia a c t iv it ie s :
N a m e __
T itle _
A ddress

11*
23.

D o e s th e m edia program fo r w h ich yo u are r e s p o n s ib le h a v e a
b u d g et s p e c if i c a ll y ear-m ark ed for it s o p e r a tio n
.
yes
no
C o m m en ts:__________________ ___________________________________

24*

As a part o f your in str u c tio n a l m edia r e s p o n s i b il it i e s , d o you
p a r tic ip a te in th e preparation o f th e b u d g et (or th a t part o f th e
budget) on w h ich your m edia program o p e r a te s ?
Y es

25.

As a part o f your in str u c tio n a l m edia r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s , d o you
p a r tic ip a te in th e preparation o f p r o p o sa ls for o u ts id e funding
w ith r e s p e c t to the d ev elo p m en t or m ain ten a n ce o f th e in stru ­
c t io n a l m edia program?
Y es

26.

No

No

P le a s e ch ec k e a c h so u rc e th at is u s e d a s a m eans o f funding
your p a rticu la r In stru ctio n a l m edia program , (ch eck a s many
a s n e q e ssa r y )
a.

L o c a l ear-m ark ed (M edia)
fu n d s for e a c h s c h o o l b u ild ing
b . L o ca l ear-m ark ed (M edia)
fu n d s for en tire d is tr ic t
program
c . L o ca l in str u c tio n funds for
e a c h s c h o o l b u ild in g
_d. L ocal in stru ctio n funds
for en tire d istr ic t

e.
L o ca l a d m in istra to r's
d is c r e tio n a r y funds
f . S p e c ia l
s t a t e p roject
fun ds
g . F ed eral NDEA or ESEA
fun ds e t s .
h.
O th e r ____________
;_____________________

C om m ents:
27.

W h ich o f th e a b o v e funding s o u r c e s is th e major s o u r c e o f fu n d s
for your m edia a c t iv it ie s ? (p le a s e f i l l in o n e le tte r fo r th e major
so u r c e o f f u n d s ) ___________________________________________________
C om m ents:

115
28.

B elo w , Is a l i s t o f m edia s e r v ic e s and a c t iv it ie s w h ic h p u b lic
s c h o o l m edia p e r so n n e l may perform . F irsts p le a s e c h e c k a l l
a c t iv it ie s th at you perform ed, w ith r e s p e c t to your in str u c tio n a l
m edia r e s p o n s ib ilit y , before a sum m er in stitu te a t M .S .U .
N ext,i c h e c k a ll a c t iv it ie s that yo u perform n o w .
a c t iv it ie s
performed
before
in stitu te
O rdering m ateria ls and sc h e d u lin g
eq u ip m en t.
S u g g e s tin g appropriate a u d io v is u a l
m a teria ls for c la s s r o o m u s e .
T ea ch in g t e a c h e is to op erate e q u ip
m ent.
S u g g e s tin g new or d ifferen t u s e s of
a v a ila b le m ateria ls •
K eeping te a c h e r s u p -to -d a te o n n ew
a u d io v is u a l m a te r ia ls .
R epairing and m ain tain in g the e q u ip ­
m en t.
C la s s ify in g and sto rin g m a te r ia ls .
Preparing s p e c ia liz e d a u d io v is u a l
m a te r ia ls .
P a rticip a tin g in curriculum and
in str u c tio n a l d ev elo p m en t a c t i v i t i e s . _
P a rticip a tin g in b u d get planning for
m edia program .
P a rticip a tin g in th e planning fo r and
u s e o f n ew in str u c tio n a l s p a c e .

_

O r g a n iz in g , a d m in iste r in g , and tra in ­
ing s tu d e n ts for p r o je c tio n is ts s e r v ic e .

a c t iv it ie s
perform ed
now

116
P roviding a meAns for e v a lu a tio n
o f m a te ria ls and eq u ip m en t.

i

29.

Providing an o n -g o in g in - s e r v ic e
train in g program for fa c u lty to
in c lu d e (a) s k i l l s tr a in in g , pro­
d u c tio n , eq u ip m en t o p era tio n ,
(b) tra in in g o f u tiliz a t io n te c h ­
n iq u e s ._________________________________ ________

.

______

Providing appropriate p u b lic
r e la tio n s s e r v ic e s and m a teria ls
o n th e m edia program .

______ _______________

Providing a p rod u ction f a c ilit y
w h ich a llo w s for lim ite d s lid e
p h o to g ra p h y , ta p e p rod u ction ,
b a s ic t r a n s p a r e n c ie s , and
g ra p h ic p rod u ction by th e
f a c u lt y .

________

______

Providing a p r o fe s s io n a l media
library for th e f a c u lt y .

_______

______

E ncouraging in te r e s t in m edia
u tiliz a t io n by th e f a c u lt y .

_______

______

W hat portion o f your tim e is d ev o ted to your in str u c tio n a l
m edia r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s ?
5% or l e s s

30.

_

15% - 25%

50%

75%

F u ll

How m uch o f t h is in stru ctio n a l m edia do you sp en d on e a c h of
the a c t iv it ie s lis t e d be ow ?
Performed
with
great
Freauencv

O rdering m a te ria ls and
sc h e d u lin g eq u ip m en t.
S u g g e stin g appropriate
a u d io v is u a l m a teria ls
for c la s s r o o m u s e .

Performed
with
moderate
Freauencv

Performed Rarely Never
Per­
Infre­
quently
formed

117
T e a ch in g te a c h e r s to
o p e r a te eq u ip m e n t.
S u g g e s tin g n ew or d iffe r ­
e n t u s e s for a v a ila b le
m a te r ia ls •
K eeping te a c h e r s u p - t o d a te on n e w a u d io ­
v is u a l m a te r ia ls .
R epairing an d m ain tain ­
in g th e e q u ip m en t.
C la s s if y in g and sto rin g
m a te r ia ls .
Preparing s p e c ia liz e d
a u d io v is u a l m a te r ia ls .
P a rticip a tin g in cur­
ricu lum a n d in str u c tio n a l
d e v e lo p m e n t a c t i v i t i e s .
P a rticip a tin g in b u d get
p la n n in g fo r th e m edia
program .
P a rticip a tin g in th e
p lan n in g for and u s e of
in s tr u c tio n a l s p a c e .
O r g a n iz in g , a d m in iste r ­
in g , and train in g s tu ­
d e n ts for p r o je c tio n is ts
s e r v ic e .
P roviding a m ean s for
e v a lu a tio n o f m a teria ls
an d eq u ip m en t.
P roviding an o n -g o in g
i n - s e r v i c e train in g
program fo r fa c u lty .

118
P roviding appropriate
p u b lic r e la tio n s s e r v ic e s
and m a te ria ls on m edia
program .

*.

P roviding a lim ited
p rod uction f a c ilit y
for fa c u lty u s e .

.

_____

•______

_____

P roviding a p r o fe s­
s io n a l library for th e
f a c u lt y .
E ncouraging in te r e s t in
m edia u tiliz a tio n by th e
f a c u lt y .
31.

.

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

_____

H ow im portant or appropriate i s it for a m edia p erso n s u c h a s
y o u r s e lf to perform e a c h of th e s p e c if ic a c t iv it ie s lis t e d b elo w
for th e d ev elo p m en t and m ain ten a n ce o f an e f f e c t iv e m edia pro­
gram ?
Highly
Appro­
priate

O rdering m a teria ls and
sc h e d u lin g eq u ip m en t.

_

S u g g e stin g appropriate
a u d io v is u a l m a teria ls
for c la ss r o o m u s e .

_

T ea ch in g te a c h e r s to
o p era te eq u ip m en t.

_

S u g g e stin g n ew or d ifferen t
u s e s o f a v a ila b le
m a te r ia ls .
__
K eeping te a c h e r s u p - to d a te o n n ew a u d io v isu a l
m a te r ia ls .
_
R epairing and m aintain ­
in g th e eq u ip m en t.
C la s s ify in g and sto rin g
m a te r ia ls .

__

Appro­
priate

Can't
Decide

InAppro­
priate

Highly
Inappro­
priate

119

P reparing s p e c ia liz e d
a u d io v is u a l m aterials*
P a rticip a tin g In cur­
riculum an d in str u c t­
io n a l d ev elo p m en t
a c t iv it ie s *
P a rticip a tin g in bud get
p lann in g for th e m edia
program .
P a rticip a tin g in th e
p lan n in g for and u s e o f
n ew in str u c tio n a l s p a c e .
O rgan izin g# a d m in ister­
ing# and train in g s tu ­
d e n ts for p ro jectio n ­
i s t s s e r v ic e .
Providing a m ean s for
e v a lu a tio n o f m a teria ls
and eq u ip m en t.
Providing an o n -g o in g
in - s e r v ic e train in g
program for f a c u lty .
Providing appropriate
p u b lic r e la tio n s s e r v ic e
and m a teria ls on th e
m edia program .
P roviding a production
f a c ilit y for u s e b y th e
f a c u lty .
P roviding a p r o fe s s io n a l
m edia library for th e
f a c u lt y .
E ncouraging in te r e s t in
m edia u tiliz a tio n by
th e f a c u lt y .

120
32.

In you r e y e s , h ow ere yo u o p era tin g d iffe r e n tly t o d a y , in your
m edia r o l e , th an yo u d id b efo re p a rticip a tin g in th e NDEA summer
In stitu te at M . S . U . ?

FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT YOU WISH

APPENDIX II
NEWER EDUCATIONAL MEDIA ATTITUDE INVENTORY
During th e p e s t tw e n ty y ea r s or s o , m any n ew te a c h in g a id s h a v e b e e n
d e v e lo p e d . Som e o f t h e s e are s u f f ic ie n t ly e la b o r a te t o c h a n g e , or e v e n
to r e p la c e tem p o ra rily , th e c la ssr o o m com m u n ication p r o c e s s e s w h ic h
w ere form erly p retty much lim ited t o ch ild ren and t e a c h e r s . R ad io,
t e l e v i s i o n , m otion p ic t u r e s , s li d e s and f ilm - s t r ip s , and phonograph
and ta p e r e c o r d e r s, c e r ta in ty p e s o f te a c h in g m a ch in e s and program ed
lea rn in g m ethods — a l l are e x a m p le s o f w hat m ight b e term ed th e
"N ew er E d u ca tio n a l M e d ia " . (NEM)
In A m erican e d u c a tio n t o d a y , th ere i s som e c o n tr o v e r sy co n cern in g
t h e s e N EM . The fo llo w in g sta te m e n ts r e p r e se n t v a rio u s p o in ts o f
v ie w on th is q u e s tio n .
P le a s e in d ic a te th e e x te n t o f your a g reem en t or d isa g re em en t w ith
e a c h sta te m e n t. P le a s e d on 't m ake e ffo r ts to b e c o n s is t e n t or t o
s e l e c t th e "right a n sw er" — there are n o n e . S im p ly e n te r the proper
number in the s p a c e b efore e a c h s e n t e n c e a cco rd in g t o th e fo llo w in g
co d e:
1.
2•
3•
4.
5.
6.

Agree str o n g ly
Agree m o d era tely
Agree s lig h t ly
D isa g r e e s lig h t ly
D isa g r e e m o d era tely
D isa g r e e stro n g ly

1•

The w id esp re a d u se o f th e NEM w ill r e v o lu tio n iz e th e
p r o c e s s o f in stru ctio n a s w e know It n o w .

2.

The p o s s ib le u s e s o f th e NEM are lim ited o n ly by th e
im a g in a tio n o f the p erso n d ire ctin g th e u s a g e .

3.

The w id e r e so u r c e s o f th e NEM stim u la te th e c r e a tiv e
stu d e n t.

R*

4.

There are n o e d u c a tio n a l fro n tiers in the NEM — Just
n ew g a d g e ts •

R

5•

M o st ch ild re n s e e th e NEM m ainly a s en terta in m e n t, rath er
than a s e d u c a tio n .
121

122
P l t n a in d ic a te th e e x te n t o f your a g reem en t or d isa g r e e m e n t w ith e a c h

s ta te m e n t.
*

1*
2•
3.
4.
5.
6*
R

R

R

R

R

6.

A gree str o n g ly
A gree m o d e r a te ly .
A gree s lig h t ly
D is a g r e e s lig h t ly
D is a g r e e m od erately
D is a g r e e str o n g ly

M o st te a c h e r s lo s e , th e g r a tific a tio n o f p e r so n a l a c ­
com p lish m en t w h en th e c h ild Is ta u g h t b y m a c h in e .

7.

U se o f th e NEM c o n s t it u t e s a m ajor a d v a n c e in provid­
in g for In d iv id u a l d iffe r e n c e s in th e lea rn in g n e e d s of
stu d en ts•

8.

M uch w id er UBage o f th e NEM is n e e d e d .

9.

The v ic a r io u s n e s s o f lea rn in g b y NEM a id s i s n ot
c o n d u c iv e to th e m ost e f f e c t iv e le a r n in g .

10.

If-su rp lu s funds e x i s t w h ic h co u ld be sp e n t o n ly for su p ­
p lem en tary b o o k s or for more NEM e q u ip m en t , th e la tte r
sh o u ld b e c h o s e n .

11.

C hildren can le a m the b a s ic v a lu e o f a g o o d e d u c a tio n
o n ly w h e n taught b y c o n v e n tio n a l m ethods — n o t by
th e N EM .

12.

13.

The problem s o f g e ttin g m a teria ls and equ ipm en t w h en
you n e e d i t , darkening r o o m s, s e ttin g up th e e q u ip m en t,
and o th e r w is e d isru p tin g c l a s s e s ten d to c o u n te ra ct th e
v a lu e o f m ost NEM •
The " au th oritative" p r e se n ta tio n s o f m ost o f th e NEM ten d
to p rod u ce an u n c r itic a l a c c e p ta n c e on th e part o f m ost
ch ild ren •

R

14.

The p a s s iv e q u a lity o f lea rn in g b y NEM i s n ot c o n d u c iv e
to th e m o st e f f e c t iv e le a r n in g .

R

15.

The proper stu d en t a ttitu d e s for e f f e c t iv e lea rn in g are not
d e v e lo p e d a s w e ll by th e NEM a s b y c o n v e n tio n a l m ethods
o f t e a c h in g .

16.

O nly through th e NEM c a n v ic a r io u s lea rn in g e x p e r ie n c e s
be p rovid ed in th e c la s s r o o m .

123

P le a s e In d ic a te th e e x te n t of your agreem ent o r d isa g re e m e n t w ith each,
sta te m e n t:
1 . A gree str o n g ly
2 • A gree m o d era tely
3 • A gree s lig h t ly
4 . D isa g r e e s lig h t ly
5 . D isa g r e e m od erately
6 . D isa g r e e str o n g ly
R

17.

The e x p e n s e o f m ost o f th e NEM i s our o f a l l proportion
t o th e ir e d u c a tio n a l v a lu e .

R

18.

The NEM g iv e lit t le op p ortu n ity t o p rovid e for th e in v id id u a l d iff e r e n c e s o f c h ild r e n .

R

19.

The p e r so n a l r e la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n te a c h e r and c h ild Is
e s s e n t i a l in m ost lea rn in g s it u a t io n s .

R

20.

NEM m a te r ia ls are s o s p e c if i c a s to h a v e lit t le a d ap t­
a b ilit y to d iffe r e n t te a c h in g req u irem en ts or s it u a t io n s .

R

21.

W ith in c r e a s e d u s a g e o f the N E M , th e te a c h in g ro le may
b e d ow n grad ed to c le r ic a l w o rk , p ro cto rin g , g r a d in g ,
and oth er sim p le a d m in istra tiv e t a s k s .

22
R

.

23.

The d ev elo p m en t o f NEM c e n te r s in e v e r y s c h o o l u n it
sh o u ld b e en co u ra g ed and f a c ilit a t e d .
The NEM d o n o t s u ita b ly p rovid e for th e s p e c ia l n e e d s o f
e ith e r s lo w le a rn ers o r brighter c h ild r e n .

* ”RH R ep resen ts t h o s e ite m s w h ic h w ere r e v e r s e sc o r e d to a v o id
n e g a tiv e s e t s .

APPENDIX III
t

FIRST LETTER TO EXPERTS

TO:

F a c u lty M em bers of th e 1965 a n d 1966
NDEA Summer I n s titu te s for E d u ca tio n a l
M ed ia B uilding C oordinators a t M .S .U .

FROM:

Arthur D . K a tser, G raduate S tu d en t
T itle VIB I n stitu te for In stru ctio n a l
D ev e lo p m en t

RE:

D eterm in a tio n o f a l i s t o f m e d ia -a c tiv ltle s th a t
E d u ca tio n a l M ed ia Building C oordinators m ight be
e x p e c te d t o perform

At th e p r e se n t tim e I am in th e p r o c e s s o f In stitu tin g a n e x p lo r ­
a to ry stu d y w ith r e s p e c t t o th e m e d ia -r e la te d a c t iv it ie s perform ed
b y b u ild in g co o rd in a to rs w h o a tten d ed NDEA summer I n s titu te s a t
M ic h ig a n S ta te* I w ou ld lik e to e n lis t your a id , a s a form er fa c u lty
m em ber in t h is program , t o prepare a " b a s e -lin e " l i s t o f m edia a c t i v ­
i t i e s fo r b u ild in g co o rd in a to rs w h ich ca n b e u se d a s a co m p a rative
d e v ic e a s I su r v e y th e co o rd in a to rs w ho a tte n d ed our in s t it u t e s •
"
A s y o u w ill n o t e , I h a v e a tta c h e d a s e t o f m e d ia -r e la te d
a c t i v i t i e s d eriv ed b y E lean or P. G odfrey w h e n s h e su rv e y ed th e m edia
program s in more th an th r e e -th o u sa n d s c h o o l d is t r ic ts in 1962* W ould
y o u p le a s e ex a m in e t h is l i s t and t h e n , on th e b a s is o f th e o b j e c t iv e s
an d a c t i v i t i e s e s p o u s e d during th e in s t it u t e , s u g g e s t a n y a d d itio n s
or d e le tio n s * O n ce a g a in , th e p u rp ose o f t h is procedure i s to d e v e lo p
a c o m p r e h e n s iv e , u p - to - d a te l i s t o f b u ild in g coord in ator m ed ia pracP
t i c e s b a s e d on our p o s itio n during th e in s t itu t e s w h ich took p la c e
during 1965 and 1966 a t M ich ig a n S ta te .
The "G odfrey" l i s t o f b u ild in g coord in ator a c t iv it ie s a s p u b lish e d in
th e DAVI M onograph # 3 "The S tate o f A u d io v isu a l T ech n o lo g y ; 1 9 6 1 1 9 6 6 " fin d in g s b a s e d on d a ta g a th ered in 1 9 6 2 .
1* O rders and s c h e d u le s m edia
2 . T e a c h e r s o p era tio n o f equipm ent
3 . P r o v id e s data on n ew m a teria ls
4* S u g g e s t s appropriate m a teria ls
5* S u g g e s t s n ew u s e s fo r m a te ria ls

12*1

125

6* M aintains equipment
7. C tesslltee and stores m aterials
8* Prepares specialised materials
S u g g e s tio n s fo r a d d itio n s o r d e le tio n s to th e "God frey " list*

APPENDIX IV
t
SECOND LETTER TO EXPERTS
M ay 2 1 , 1968

TO:

F a c u lty M em bers of th e 1965 and 1966
NDEA Summer I n s titu te s for E ducational
M ed ia Building C oordinators a t M .S .U .

FROM:

Arthur D . K atser, Graduate Student
T itle VIB In stitu te for In stru ctio n a l
D evelop m en t

RE:

Rating o f a l i s t of m ed ia -rela ted a c t iv it ie s that
E d u cation al M edia Building C oordinators m ight be
e x p e c te d to perform .

The a tta c h e d form is the s e c o n d , and l a s t , portion o f the
exp loratory stu d y o f m ed ia -r ela ted a c t iv it ie s performed by b u ilding
coordinators w ho a tten d ed NDEA summer in s titu te s at M ich ig a n S ta te .
I w ould lik e to a s k your h e lp , o n c e a g a in , in ob tain in g som e "b ase
lin e " data for th e stu d y th a t I am in v o lv ed w ith a s a part o f my d i s ­
s e r ta tio n .
The a tta c h e d form in c lu d e s m ed ia -rela ted a c t iv it ie s w h ich you
h elp ed to m odify and d e sc r ib e in February o f t h is y e a r . W ould you
p le a s e exam in e t h is l i s t and th e n , on the b a s is o f the o b je c tiv e s and
a c t iv it ie s e s p o u s e d during the in s t itu t e , rate e a c h o f th e e ig h te e n
a c t iv it ie s u sin g th e L lk e r t-ty p e -s c a le p ro v id ed . As you w ill n o te , *
th e q u estio n n a ire a sk s : how appropriate is i t , in your o p in io n , for
an In stru ctio n a l m edia b u ild in g coordinator to perform e a c h o f th e
s p e c if ic a c t iv it ie s l i s t e d . As you rate e a c h a c t iv it y p le a s e k eep in
mind th at your d e c is io n sh o u ld be b a sed on th e o b je c t iv e s and a c t iv ­
i t i e s e s p o u s e d during th e in s t it u t e .„

126

127
B e lo w i s a l i s t o f in str u c tio n a l m edia s e r v ic e s and a c t i v i t i e s w h ic h
p u b lic s c h o o l in str u c tio n a l m edia p e r s o n n e l may perform . How appro­
p ria te i s i t , in your o p in io n , for an In stru ctio n a l m edia b u ilding c o ­
ord in ator t o perform e a c h o f th e s p e c if ic a c t iv it ie s l i s t e d b elo w for
th e d e v e lo p m e n t and m ain ten a n ce o f an e f f e c t iv e m edia program?
H ig h ly
Appro­
p riate
O rdering m a teria ls and
sc h e d u lin g eq u ip m en t.
S u g g e s tin g appropriate
a u d io v is u a l m a te ria ls
for c la s s r o o m u s e .
T e a ch in g te a c h e r s t o
o p e r a te eq u ip m en t.
S u g g e s tin g n ew or
d iffe r e n t u s e s for
a v a ila b le m a te r ia ls .
K eeping te a c h e r s u p - t o d a te on n ew a u d io v is u a l
m a te r ia ls .
R epairing and m aintain in g
th e eq u ip m e n t.
C la s s if y in g and sto rin g
m a te r ia ls .
Preparing s p e c ia liz e d
a u d io v is u a l m a te r ia ls .
P a rticip a tin g in curriculum
an d in str u c tio n a l d e v e lo p ­
m ent a c t i v i t i e s .
P a rticip a tin g in b u d g et
p lan n in g for th e m edia
program .
P a rticip a tin g in th e p lanning
for an d u s e o f in str u c tio n a l
sp a ce.

Appro­
p riate

In H ig h ly
C an't
D e c id e Appro- Inappro­
prlate p ria te

O r g a n iz in g , a d m in iste r in g ,
• and train in g stu d en ts fo r
p r o je c tio n is ts s e r v i c e .
Providing a m eans fo r e v a lu ­
a tio n o f m aterials an d e q u ip ­
m en t.
Providing an o n -g o in g
in - s e r v ic e training p ro­
gram for fa c u lty .
P roviding appropriate
p u b lic re la tio n s s e r ­
v i c e s an d m aterials o n
m edia program.
Providing a lim ited
p roduction f a c ility
for fa c u lty u s e .
P roviding a p r o fe s s io n a l
lib rary for the f a c u lt y .
E ncouraging In terest in
m edia u tiliz a tio n b y th e
f a c u lt y .

APPENDIX ?
FIRST LETTER TO INSTITUTE PARTICIPANTS

M arch 1 9 , 1968

M r. H enry A dam skl
4 1 3 0 Alpha S t .
L a n sin g , M ich ig a n
D ear M r. A d am sk l,
B e c a u se o f your p a r tic ip a tio n in th e 1 9 6 5 -6 6 N .E .E .A . summ er
in s titu te program a t M ich ig a n S ta te U n iv e r s ity , I am w ritin g to
you to a s k your a s s i s t a n c e .
You are v ery m uch a w a r e , I k n o w , o f th e im portance o f e f f e c t iv e
in - s e r v ic e te a c h e r e d u c a tio n , p a rticu la rly in th e f ie ld o f in s t ­
r u c tio n a l m ed ia . W e are now in th e p r o c e s s o f e v a lu a tin g our
ow n in - s e r v i c e m edia program h ere a t M .S .U . and are under­
ta k in g s e v e r a l s t u d ie s t o provide e s s e n t i a l in fo rm a tio n .
E s s e n t ia lly , w e n e e d your co o p era tio n in co m p letin g th e e n c lo s e d
q u e stio n n a ir e on or b efo re April 1 5 th . For our r e s u lts to h a v e
maximum s ig n if ic a n c e , it i s e x tr e m e ly im portant to h a v e a 100%
retu rn . Our q u e stio n n a ir e sh o u ld require a p p ro x im a tely tw en ty
m in u tes to c o m p le te . You ca n be a s su r e d th a t your tim e w ill be
g r e a tly a p p r ecia te d and th e inform ation d eriv ed put to v a lu a b le u s e .
In a d d itio n , a l l in d iv id u a l r e s p o n s e s w ill be trea ted c o n fid e n tia lly
in a c c o r d a n c e w ith th e e t h ic s o f su c h r e s e a r c h . N eith er n a m es or
r e s p o n s e s w ill be in d iv id u a lly id e n tifie d in th e in terp reta tio n and
reporting o f r e s u lt s .
P le a s e f e e l fr e e to make com m ents on th e q u e s tio n n a ir e . The la s t
p age h a s b e e n s p e c i f i c a l l y in clu d ed for th is p u r p o se . You w ill
n ote th a t a stam p ed and a d d r e ss e d return e n v e lo p e h a s b e e n pro­
v id e d . W hen y o u h a v e co m p leted th e q u e stio n n a ire p le a s e p la c e
it in t h is e n v e lo p e and return it to u s at your e a r lie s t c o n v e n ie n c e .
129

130
You w ill h a v e our d e e p a p p recia tio n for your a s s is t a n c e in th is
p r o je c t.
C ord ially#

C h a rles F . Sch uller# D irecto r
In stru ctio n a l M edia C enter
E n c lo su r e s

APPENDIX VI
FOLLOW-UP TO PARTICIPANTS
A pril 1 5 , 1968

Mr* B ill Grady
Box 1398
U n iv e r s ity o f A rkansas
F a y e t t e v ille , A rk ansas 72701
D ear M r. Grady:
I am w ritin g to yo u o n c e a g a in to a s k your h e lp w ith r e s p e c t t o our
M . S . U . f o llo w -u p su r v e y o f NDEA sum m er in s titu te p a r tic ip a n ts. W e
h a v e re a c h e d a p oin t in our re sea r ch w here w e h a v e to s e t a c lo s in g
d a te o f April 25th for d ata reco rd in g .
A se a r c h o f our record s in d ic a te s t h a t , a s o f t h is d a t e , w e h a ve n o t
r e c e iv e d your fo llo w -u p su rv ey q u e s tio n n a ir e . If w e h a v e erred , w e
a p o lo g iz e for ta k in g your tim e . If n o t, w e d o h ope th a t you w ill ta k e
a fe w m om ents to a s s i s t u s in gath erin g t h is n eed ed d a ta .
R esearch sh o w s th at la te return on q u e stio n n a ir e s com e from im portant
r e sp o n d e n ts w h o a b s o lu te ly must n ot be n e g le c t e d . T hey are often
in v o lv e d w ith oth er Important m atters requiring th eir a tten tio n ; th e y
m ay h a v e stron g f e e lin g s about th e s u b je c t m atter o f th e q u e s tio n n a ir e ,
or c o n v e r s e ly , th e m atter a t hand m ay s e e m t o ta lly ir relev a n t to th em .
A ll o f t h e s e in d ic a te th at you are " s p e c ia l p e o p le " . T h erefo re, it i s
e x tr e m e ly im portant th a t your v ie w s n ot be o m itte d .
In c a s e our q u e stio n n a ire m a teria ls w ere m is p la c e d , w e are e n c lo s in g
an oth er s e t for your c o n v e n ie n c e . P le a s e n o te that w e h a v e in clu d ed
a stam p ed return e n v e lo p e .
Thank you v ery much for your co o p era tio n in th is p r o je c t.
h ope to hear from you in th e very n ear fu tu r e .
C o r d ia lly ,
C h a rles F . S c h u lle r , D irector
In stru ctio n a l M ed ia C en ter
131

W e c e r ta in ly

APPENDIX VII
FIRST LETTER TO PRINCIPALS
M ay 5 , 1968
t

Mr. Arthur S h ep p ard , P rin cip a l .
Kennedy S c h o o l
L a n sin g , M ich ig a n
D ear M r. Sheppard:
B eca u se your fa c u lty in c lu d e s a p a rticip a n t in th e 1 9 6 5 -6 6 N .D .E .A .
summer in str u c tio n a l m edia in s titu te program at M ich ig a n S ta te
U n iv e r s ity , I am w ritin g to y ou to a sk your a s s i s t a n c e .
You are v er y much a w a r e , I k n o w , o f th e im portance of e f f e c t iv e in s e r v ic e te a c h e r e d u c a tio n . W e are now in th e p r o c e s s o f e v a lu a tin g
our ow n in - s e r v ic e m edia program here a t M .S .U . and are undertaking
s e v e r a l s t u d ie s to provide e s s e n t i a l in form ation . O ne v it a l portion o f
th is p ro ject In c lu d e s the g a th erin g o f o p in io n s from lo c a l a d m in istra­
to r s s u c h a s y o u r s e lf.
E s s e n t ia lly , w e n eed your co o p er a tio n in c o m p letin g th e e n c lo s e d
q u e stio n n a ir e on or b efore M ay 1 5 th . For our r e s u lts t o h a v e maximum
s ig n if ic a n c e , it is e x tr e m e ly im portant to h ave a .100% return. Our
q u e stio n n a ir e sh o u ld require a p p ro x im a tely ten m in u tes to c o m p le te .
You ca n b e a ssu r e d that your tim e w ill be g r e a tly a p p r ecia te d and th e
inform ation d eriv ed put to v a lu a b le u s e .
In a d d itio n , a ll in d iv id u a l r e s p o n s e s w ill be trea ted c o n fid e n tia lly
in a c c o r d a n c e w ith th e e t h ic s o f su c h r e s e a r c h . N eith er n am es or
r e s p o n s e s w ill b e in d iv id u a lly id e n tifie d in the in terp reta tio n and
reporting o f r e s u lt s .
P le a s e f e e l free to make com m en ts on th e q u e s tio n n a ir e . You w ill
a ls o n ote th at a stam ped and a d d r e sse d return e n v e lo p e h a s b een
p rovid ed . W hen you h ave co m p leted the q u e stio n n a ire p le a s e p la c e
it in t h is e n v e lo p e and return it to us at your e a r lie s t c o n v e n ie n c e .

132

133
You w i l l h a v e our d e e p a p p r ecia tio n for your a s s i s t a n c e In t h is
p r o je c t.
C o r d ia lly ,
C h a r le s F . S c h u lle r , D irecto r
In str u c tio n a l M edia C en ter
E n c lo su r e s

APPENDIX VIII
FOLLOW"UP TO PRINCIPALS
M ay 1 6 , 1968

M r. S hepp ard , P rin cip al
K ennedy Junior H igh S c h o o l
2 3 0 5 0 - 13 M ile Road
S t . C lair S h o r e s , M ich ig a n
D ear M r. Sheppard:
I am w ritin g to you o n c e a g a in to a s k your h elp w ith r e sp e c t to our
M .S .U . In -S e r v ic e M ed ia S urvey. W e have r e a c h e d a p o in t in our
r e se a r c h w h ere w e m ust bring our c o lle c t io n o f d a ta to a c l o s e . W e
a re attem p tin g to ob tain a l l com p leted q u e stio n n a ir e s by th e 2 4th of
M ay.
A se a r c h o f our records in d ic a te s t h a t , a s of t h is d a te , w e h a v e not
r e c e iv e d your su rv e y q u e s tio n n a ir e . If w e h ave erred , w e a p o lo g iz e
for ta k in g your tim e . If n o t, w e d o h ope that y o u w ill tak e a fe w
m om ents to a s s i s t u s in gath erin g t h is n eed ed d a ta .
R esea rch s h o w s that la t e returns on q u e stio n n a ir e s come from im­
portant r e sp o n d en ts w h o a b s o lu te ly m ust not be n e g le c te d . T hey
are o fte n in v o lv e d w ith o th er im portant m atters requiring th e ir a t ­
ten tio n ; th e y may have stron g f e e lin g s about th e su b ject m atter o f
th e q u e s tio n n a ir e , or c o n v e r s e ly , th e matter at hand may s e e m
t o t a lly irrelev a n t to th e m . All o f t h e s e in d ic a te th a t you a re
" s p e c ia l p e o p le " . T h erefo re, it is ex tre m e ly im portant th a t your
v ie w s not b e o m itted .
In c a s e our q u e stio n n a ir e m aterials w ere m is p la c e d , we are e n c l o s ­
in g an oth er s e t for your c o n v e n ie n c e . P le a se n o te that w e h a v e
In clu d ed a stam ped return e n v e lo p e .
Thank you v er y much for your co o p er a tio n in t h is p roject, w e c e r ta in ly
h o p e to hear from you in th e very n ea r fu tu re.
C o r d ia lly ,
C h a r les F . S c h u lle r , D irecto r
In str u c tio n a l M ed ia C en ter

134

135
APPENDIX IX
TABLE 8.---Summary of data describing the differences In the
frequency with which media related activities were
performed by classroom teachers serving as coordi­
nators and educational media directors after attending an M.S .U. summer media Institute in 1965 or 1966.

Number of Classroom
Teachers Who,
Performed Performed
Activity ■ Activity
Frequently
Rarely
m

3

10

5

10

3

9

6

' 9

8

11

10

9

10
10

5

15

5

lit

7

13

13

8

n

15

6

11

3

16

7

15

3

16

m

it

Number of Media
Directors, Who

■
Activity

Performed
Activity
Frequently

Ordering and Schedul­
ing equipment
Suggesting appropriate
materials use
Teaching Teachers to
operate equipment
Suggesting new or
different uses of
available materials
Keeping teachers upto-date on new
materials
Repairing and maintain­
ing equipment
Classifying and
storing materials
Preparing special
AV materials
Curriculum and Instruc.
Devel. Activities
Budget Planning
Planning new Instruc.
space
Administering student
proj ectionists
Evaluation of equipment
and materials
Providing on-going,
in-service training
Providing public rela­
tions service
Providing production
facility
Providing media library
Encouraging interest in
media utilization
I

Performed
Activity
■Rarely

lH

2

15

0

12

2

15

2

.16

0

9

8

12

1

liJ

2

9

1

11

1

11

2

10

5

11

2

12

1

12

n

12

1

7

0

17

1

136

TABLE 9*— Summary of data describing the differences In
frequency with which mecU'a related activities
performed by librarians and educational media
coordinators after attending an M.S.U. summer
Institute in 1965 or 1966.
Number of Librarians
Who,
Performed
Performed
Activity
Activlty
Frequently
Rarely
11

1

12

1

4

5

6

4

11

2

3

12

12

1

3.

8

6

5

3

9

7

4

7

8

4

7

2

8

1

11

6

the
were
building
media

Number of Coordinators , Who
Activity

Performed
Activity
Frequently

Ordering and Schedul­
ing equipment.
Suggesting appropriate
materials.
Teaching Teachers to
operate equipment.
Suggesting new or dif­
ferent uses of a v a i l .
materials.
Keeping teachers upto-date on new
materials.
Repaired and Main­
tained equipment.
Classifying and storing :
. materials.
Preparing special AV
materials.
Curriculum and Develop­
ment Activities.
Budget Tlanning
Planning New Instruc.
space.
Administering Student
Proj ectionists.
Evaluation of equip.materials.

Performed
Activity
Rarely

63

3

48

5

37

6

46

7

53

6

32

21

47

14

37

17

30

18

34

26

30

23

48

16

31

14

36

12

25

30

7

Providing on-going
in-service training.
Providing public rela­
tions service.
Providing production
facility .

33

23

11

1

Providing media
library.

33

20

14

1

Encouraging interest
in media.

62

4

APPENDIX X
TABLE 10.— A summary of major Job assignments held by
participants of the 1965 and 1966 summer
media Institutes held at Michigan State
University with the total number of re­
spondents holding each Job.

Job Title

No. of Respond­
ents Having
This Title

Job Title

No. of Respond­
ents Having
This Title

Classroom
Teacher

33

Media
Director

School
Librarian

17

Curr. or
Instruc. Dir.

0

Ed. Media
Bid. Coord.

72

A s s t . Super­
intendent

0

Super intendent

19

Assistant
Principal

3

Principal

7

Regional Co­
ord. or Dir.

2

Counselor

1

College
Faculty

5

Curriculum
Coordinator

1

Graduate
Student

3

Helping
Teacher

2

Federal
Programs

1

Subject
M a t . Coord.

1

Other

6

137

0

138
TABLE 11.— A summary of the currpnt degree status of 174
participants in the 1965 and 1966 summer media
Institutes held at Michigan State University.
Degree Status

Frequency

Degree Status Frequency

Teaching Certificate
only

0

Masters plus
hours

B. A . ) B.S., E . E d .

6

Specialists

2

94

B.A. plus hours

^7

Ph.D., Ed.D.

1

M . A . , M.S. , M.Ed.

16

Other

0

TABLE 12.— A summary of the frequency with which partici
pants in the 1965 and i960 summer media
Institutes at Michigan State University have
received formal media training in varying
academic levelB.
Academic Area in
Which Media Training
Has Been Taken

Freq.

Academic Area in
Which Media Training
Has Been Taken

Freq.

Undergraduate
Instruction

76

Regional Workshop

Graduate
Instruction

60

NDEA Institute

Masters Level
Instruction

6k

Commercial Work
shops

24

Orad. Level
beyond Masters

61

Intern Programs

2

In-Service Training
at Local School

69

Employment in
Business or
Industry
Other

36
174

13

9

139

TABLE 13.— Summary of sources of funding for building
media programs selected by educational media
building coordinators who attended the 1965
or 1966 summer media Institutes at Michigan
State University and reported this to be
their major source of funds.
Major Funding Source

Freq.

Major Funding Source

Freq.

Local Ear-Marked
Funds for each
school building

Ml

Local Administrator's
discretionary fundB

8

Local ear-marked
funds for entire
district program

22

Special State
project funds

1

Local instruction
funds for building

12

Federal NDEA or
ESEA funds, etc.

Local instruction
funds for district

16

Other

M2

5

APPENDIX XI
%

N .D .E .A . IN-SERVICE MEDIA SURVEY
1.

Your N am e

2. A ge
la s t

fir s t

3 . S ex

m iddle

4.

H ow lo n g h a v e y o u h eld your current p o s itio n a s p r in c ip a l? ______

5.

N e w e r E d u ca tio n a l M edia
D uring th e p a s t tw e n ty y e a r s or s o , m any n ew te a c h in g a id s h ave
b e e n d e v e lo p e d . Some o f t h e s e are s u f f ic ie n t ly e la b o r a te to
c h a n g e , or e v e n to r e p la c e tem p o ra rily , th e c la s sr o o m com m unl- _
_ c a t io n p r o c e s s e s w h ich w ere form erly p retty much lim ited to
c h ild r e n and t e a c h e r s . R adio, t e l e v i s i o n , m otion p ic t u r e s , s li d e s
an d f ilm - s t r ip s , and phonograph and ta p e r e c o r d e r s , ce r ta in ty p e s
o f te a c h in g m a ch in e s and program ed lea rn in g m ethod s — a ll are
e x a m p le s o f w h a t m ight be term ed th e "N ew E d u ca tio n a l M e d ia " .
(NEM)
In A m erican e d u c a tio n to d a y , th ere i s so m e co n tr o v e r sy co n c e r n ­
in g t h e s e N EM . The fo llo w in g sta te m e n ts r e p r e se n t v a r io u s p o in ts
o f v ie w on t h is q u e s tio n .
P le a s e in d ic a te th e e x te n t of your a greem en t or d isa g r e e m e n t w ith
e a c h s ta te m e n t. P le a s e d o n 't make e ffo r ts to b e c o n s is t e n t or to
s e l e c t th e "right an sw er" — th ere are n o n e . S im p ly e n te r th e
proper num ber in the s p a c e b efo re e a c h s e n t e n c e a cco rd in g to th e
fo llo w in g co d e:
1 . A gree stro n g ly
2 . A gree m od erately
3 . A gree s lig h t ly
4 . D is a g r e e s lig h t ly
5 . D is a g r e e m od erately
6 . D is a g r e e str o n g ly
1.

The w id esp re a d u s e o f th e NEM w ill r e v o lu tio n iz e th e
p r o c e s s o f in stru ctio n a s w e know it n o w .

2.

The p o s s ib le u s e s of th e NEM are lim ited o n ly by th e
im a g in a tio n o f th e p erso n d ire ctin g th e u s a g e .

mo

1^1
. P le a t * in d ic a te th e e x te n t o f
e a c h sta te m e n t.
1•
2.
3.
4.
5•
6.
t

_____

■

your a g reem en t or d isa g r e e m e n t w ith
A gree str o n g ly
A gree m od erately
A gree s lig h t ly
D isa g r e e s lig h t ly
D isa g r e e m od erately
D isa g r e e stro n g ly

3.

The w id e r e so u r c e s o f the NEM stim u la te th e c r e a tiv e
stu d e n t.

4.

There are n o e d u c a tio n a l fro n tie rs in th e NEM — Just
new g a d g e t s .

5.

M o st ch ild ren s e e th e NEM m ain ly a s en terta in m e n t,
rather than a s e d u c a tio n .

6.

M o st te a c h e r s lo s e th e g r a tific a tio n o f p e r so n a l a c c o m p lis h ­
ment w hen th e c h ild i s tau gh t b y m a ch in e.

7.

U se o f th e NEM c o n s titu te s a major a d v a n c e In p rovid in g
for in d iv id u a l d iffe r e n c e s in th e learning n e e d s of s t u d e n t s .

8.

M uch w id er u sa g e o f th e NEM i s n e e d e d .

9.

The v ic a r io u s n e s s o f lea rn in g b y NEM a id s i s not co n d u ­
c iv e to th e m ost e f f e c t iv e le a r n in g .

10.

If surp lu s funds e x i s t w hich co u ld be s p e n t o n ly for s u p p le ­
mentary b ook s or for more NEM eq u ip m en t, th e la tte r sh o u ld
be c h o s e n .

11.

C hildren ca n learn th e b a s ic v a lu e of a g o o d e d u c a tio n o n ly
w hen tau gh t by c o n v e n tio n a l m ethods — n o t by th e N EM .

12.

The problem s of g e ttin g m a te ria ls and eq u ip m en t w h en you
n eed i t , darkening ro o m s, s e ttin g up th e eq u ip m en t, and
o th erw ise d isru p tin g c l a s s e s ten d to co u n tera ct th e v a lu e
o f m ost NEM .

13.

The "authoritative" p r e s e n ta tio n s of m ost o f th e NEM ten d
to produce an u n c r itic a l a c c e p ta n c e on th e part of m o st
c h ild re n .

14.

The p a s s iv e q u a lity o f learn in g by NEM i s n ot c o n d u c iv e
to th e m ost e f f e c t iv e le a r n in g .

142
P le a s e in d ic a te th e e x te n t o f your a g reem en t or d isa g r e e m e n t w ith e a c h
s ta te m e n t.
*

1 . Agree str o n g ly
2 . Agree m o d era tely
3 . Agree s lig h t ly
4 . D isa g r e e s lig h t ly
5 • D is a g r e e m od erately
6 . D isa g r e e str o n g ly
15 •

The proper stu d e n t a ttitu d e s for e f f e c t iv e lea rn in g are not
d e v e lo p e d a s w e ll by th e NEM a s by c o n v e n tio n a l m ethods
o f t e a c h in g .

16.

O n ly through th e NEM ca n v ic a r io u s lea rn in g e x p e r ie n c e s
b e p rovid ed in th e c la s s r o o m .

17.

The e x p e n s e o f m ost o f th e NEM i s ou t o f a l l proportion
to th e ir e d u c a tio n a l v a lu e .

18.

The NEM g iv e l i t t l e op portu nity to p rovide for th e in d iv id ­
u a l d iffe r e n c e s o f c h ild r e n . \w

19.

The p e r so n a l r e la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n te a c h e r and c h ild i s
e s s e n t i a l in m ost learn in g s it u a t io n s .

20.

NEM m a te ria ls a re s o s p e c if i c a s to h ave lit t le a d a p t­
a b ilit y to d iffer en t te a c h in g requ irem en ts or s it u a t io n s .

21.

W ith in c r e a s e d u s a g e of th e NEM , the te a c h in g ro le may
be dow ngraded to c le r ic a l w o rk , p ro cto rin g , grad in g f and
oth er sim p le a d m in istra tiv e t a s k s .

22.

The d ev elo p m en t o f NEM c e n te r s in e v e r y s c h o o l unit
sh o u ld b e en co u ra g ed and f a c ilit a t e d .

23.

The NEM d o n ot su ita b ly p rovid e for th e s p e c ia l n e e d s of
e ith e r s lo w le a rn ers or b righ ter c h ild r e n .

£BHJ1
to lo w is a H a t o f In stru c tio n a l m edia s e rv ic e s and a c tiv itie s w hich
p u b lic sch o o l in s tru c tio n a l m edia p e rso n n e l may perform* How a p ­
p ro p ria te i s | i t , in your o p in io n , fo r a h in stru c tio n a l m edia b u ild in g
c o o rd in a to r to perform e a c h of the s p e c if ic a c tiv itie s lis te d below
fo r th e d ev elo p m en t and m ain ten an ce o f a n e ffe c tiv e m edia program ?
H ighly Appro­
Appro­ p ria te
p riate
O rdering m a te ria ls and
sc h e d u lin g e q u ip m e n t.
S u g g estin g a p p ro p ria te
a u d io v is u a l m a te ria ls
fo r c la ssro o m u se*
T each in g te a c h e rs to
o p e ra te equipm ent*
S u g g estin g n ew o r
d iffe re n t u s e s fo r
a v a ila b le m aterials*
Keeping te a c h e rs u p - to d a te o n new a u d io v is u a l
m aterials*
R epairing an d m ain tain in g
th e eq u ip m en t.
C la ssify in g a n d sto rin g
m a te ria ls •
P reparing s p e c ia liz e d
a u d io v is u a l m a te ria ls .
P a rtic ip a tin g in c u r ­
ricu lu m and In s tru c tio n a l
developm ent a c t i v i t i e s .
P a rtic ip a tin g in b u d g et
p lan n in g fo r th e m edia
program .

In C a n 't
D ecide Appro­
p riate

H ighly
inappro­
p ria te

P a rticip a tin g in th e
p lan n in g for an d u s e o f
in str u c tio n a l s p a c e .
O r g a n iz in g , a d m in iste r ­
in g , and tra in in g s t u ­
d e n ts for p r o je c tio n is ts
s e r v ic e .
t

Providing a m ea n s for
e v a lu a tio n o f m a teria ls
and equipm ent
Providing an o n -g o in g
in - s e r v ic e tra in in g
program for f a c u lt y .
Providing appropriate
p u b lic r e la tio n s s e r v ic e s
and m a teria ls on m edia
program .
Providing a lim ite d
production f a c ili t y
for fa c u lty u s e .
Providing a p r o fe s ­
s io n a l library for
th e f a c u lty .
E ncouraging in te r e s t
in m edia u tiliz a tio n
by th e fa c u lty .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anastisi, Ane. Psychological T e s t i n g *
MacMillan Company,195^.

New York:

The

•

Barnard, David P.
"A Study of the Audio-Visual Adminis­
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Schools of Vocational and Adult; Education In
Wisconsin." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation,
Indiana University, 1955.
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"ACT - Analysis of Contingency
Tables." Computer Institute f o r Social Science
Research, Program Abstracts.
East Lansing: Michi­
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Berio, David K.
"You: Are in the People Business." Audio
visual Instruction. VIII (June, 1963), p. 374.
Bigelow, Donald N.
"Title XI National Defense Education
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147
Dralle, Wayne Roger.
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70-9573

KIRKLAND, J r., Gordon Laidlaw, 1943AVTAN UTILIZATION OF SMALL WOODLOTS
IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN.
Michigan State U niversity, Ph.D., 1969
Zoology

University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan

AVIAN UTILIZATION OF SHALL WOODLOTS IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN

bY
Gordon L^V Kirkland, Jr.

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
In partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Zoology

1969

ABSTRACT

AVIAN UTILIZATION OF SMALL WOODLOTS IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN
by
Gordon L. Kirkland, Jr.

The once great deciduous forests of southeastern Michigan
have been reduced during the last 250 years to a mosaic of
Isolated wooded areas which dot the landscape.

These woodlots are

acquiring Increasing importance as bird habitats, especially in
urban areas.

Including only 16 percent of the land which was

formerly 95 percent covered with forests, the woodlots represent
the last refuges for woodland birds in southeastern Michigan.
During 1968, an Investigation of three woodlots near East Lansing,
Michigan, was undertaken to determine their bird species
composition and the ways in which birds may utilize them.
Three major forest types of southeastern Michigan were
represented in the study.

Tourney Wood lot on the Michigan State

University campus In Ingham County contained a relatively
undisturbed 15-acre stand of Beech-Maple forest.

Red Cedar

Wood lot, also on the MSU campus in Ingham County, was a muchdisturbed 20-acre remnant of the Silver Maple-American Elm
riverine association.

The third study area included a 15-acre

stand of oaks at the Rose Lake Wildlife Research Center in
Shiawassee County.

It stands on a peninsula created by the

damming of run-off and Is known as the Floodings.

Gordon L. Kirkland, Jr.
A total of 250 hours of field work was conducted during
W+2 trips to the woodlots:
k2 to the Floodings.

**9 to Red Cedar, 51 to Tourney, and

Each study area was visited an average of

four times (range, two to seven) monthly.

Data were collected

on the species present, numbers of individuals, conspicuous
activities, and behavior.
One hundred and twenty-one species representing 16 orders
and 36 families occurred in the three woodlots.

This was 88

percent of the orders, 67 percent of the families, and 36
percent of the species known to have occurred In the state up
to 1959.

Red Cedar had 88 species, Tourney 78> and the Floodings

87 . Thirty-nine of the species were recorded In only one wood lot:
9 in Red Cedar, 7 In Tourney/ and 23 at the Floodings.
species were found in two of the three study areas:

Thirty-four
17 species

In Red Cedar and Tourney, 12 species In Red Cedar and the
Floodings, and 5 in Tourney and the Floodings.

Forty-eight

species occurred in all three woodlots with 23 of them exhibiting
significant differences In frequency of occurrence In the woodlots.
The differential distribution of the species between the
three woodlots indicates that they have certain unique properties:
thetr similarities in species composition indicate there are factors
which promote the presence of the same species In more than one
woodlot.

However, the absence of a species, particularly one

which Is infrequently encountered, from a woodlot does not

Gordon L. Kirkland, Jr.
necessarily Indicate that It cannot or did not occur there;
only that It was not recorded there.

It Is possible to Identify

factors In the woodlots which may influence the presence or
absence of certain species, including the amount of water,
presence of conifers, openings, grassy areas, proximity of urban
centers, and the

number of dead trees.

The great diversity of bird species recorded In the three
study areas in 1968 Is evidence of the importance of such small
areas to the local avifauna.

As the pressures for increased

land utilization

by an expanding population and economycontinue

to grow, it will

be important to give serious thought to
t

preserving more woodlots and wooded lands, particularly near
urban centers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would first like to express my appreciation to my
wife, Carol, whose confidence, aid, and encouragement have been
Instrumental In the completion of this work.

She has sacrificed

time and effort to assist In Its typing, analysis, and revision.
Dr. George J. Wallace, as chairman of my doctoral committee,
provided assistance in the planning and preparation of this
work with special emphasis given to its editing and revision.
Dr. Roll in H. Bak6r, as an advisor and friend for four years,
gave inspiration, encouragement, and advice in all stages of the
project.

He was also kind enough to furnish office space in the

Museum during my graduate work.

My other committee members,

Drs. T. Wayne Porter and Gilbert W. Mouser, are thanked for
taking time to evaluate this project and to help edit the
manuscript.

My thanks are also extended to the faculty and staff

of the Department of Zoology for the use of equipment, and for
providing me with a graduate assistantshfp for the last four years.
Assistance outside the Department of Zoology was provided
by Mr. Robert F. Trojanek of the Campus Parks and Planning Division,
who allowed me to utilize aerial photographs of Tourney and Red

I

ii
Cedar Woodlots.

Hr. William Fouch on the staff at the Rose

Lake Wildlife Research Station provided me with maps of the
Floodings area.
This work was partially funded by a Grant-In Aid of
Research of $150 from the Society of Sigma XI, which was used
to purchase a field tape recorder and to defray travel expenses.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ...........................................

page t

Table of Contents..............................................

iff

List of T a b l e s .............................................

V

List of Figures.............................................

vi

Introduction ...............................................

I

Methods and Materials.......................................

6

Southern Michigan Forests and the Study Areas..............
Southern Michigan Forests . . . ....................
Red Cedar W o o d l o t ...................................
Tourney Woodlot........................
The Floodings ....................
. . . . . . . . .

.1°
10
IS
22
26

Results and Discussion .....................................
Avian Distribution Between the Woodlots ............
Birds Observed in a Single W o o d l o t ..........
Birds Observed In Only Two Woodlots..........
Birds Common to A 1 1 Three W o o d l o t s ..........
Monthly Distribution.................................
Influencing Factors .................................
Nesting Sites.................................
Habitat Diversity.............................
F o o d .........................................
Shelter.......................................
W a t e r ..................................... .
Woodlots vs. Residential Areas as Bird Habitats . . .

32
33
33
38
42
49
51
52
55
58
61

Summary and Conclusions with Recommendations for the Future.
Summary and Conclusions .............................
Recommendations for the Future.......................

69
69

Bibliography ...............................................

77

ill

63
64

72

Iv
Appendix - Accounts of S p e c i e s ............................ page 81
Pod Iclpedi formes...................................
82
Podictpedtdae...............................
82
82
Cicon Iiformes.....................................
A r d e l d a e ...................................
82
Anser Iformes.......................................
85
A n a t i d a e ...................................
85
Falcon!formes .....................................
94
Acclpitrldae ...............................
94
Galllformes.......................................
97
Phaslanidae.................................
97
G r u i f o r m e s .......................................
101
Gruldae.....................................
101
101
R e l l l d a e ...................................
Charadrl(formes ...................................
103
C h a r a d r N d a e ...............................
103
Scolopactdae ...............................
104
Col umb If o r m e s .....................................
105
C olumbidae.................................
105
Cucul Iformes.
...............................
108
Cuculidae...................................
108
Strlgl formes......................
109
Strigidae...................................
109
Apod If o r m e s .......................................
Ill
Apod 1dae
............................
Ill
Trochilidae. . . . . . .....................
112
Coracit f o r m e s .....................................
112
Alcedinidae.................................
112
Piciformes.........................................
'114
PI cldae.
..........
114
Passertformes .....................................
123
Tyrannidae.................................
123
Hlrundinidae................................
128
Corvidae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
130
Pari d a e ....................................
135
S i t t i d a e ...................................
138
Certhidae...................................
141
Troglodyt idae......................... ..
141
Himidae.....................................
143
Turd i d a e ...................................
146
Sylviidae...................................
151
Bombyci 11 Idae..........................
152
Sturnldae...................................
153
Vireonldae.................................
156
P a r u l l d a e .................................
159
P l o c e i d a e .................................
169
Icteridae ........................ . . . . .
170
Thraupidae.................................
179
Frtngilltdae ...............................
179

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.

Forest Survey - 20 Counties of Southern Michigan ..

Table 2.

Dates of Visits to Woodlots.....................

Table 3.

Birds Found Only In Red Cedar - 9 Species..........

Table

Birds Observed Only In Tourney - 7 Species......

Table 5.

Birds Observed Only at the Floodings - 22 Species.

.

37

Table 6.

Birds Common to Two Woodlots - Red Cedar and Tourney 17 S p e c i e s .........................................

39

Birds Common to Two Woodlots - Red Cedar and the
Floodings 12 S p e c i e s ............................

40

Birds Common to Two Lots - Tourney and the Floodings 5 Species...........................................

4l

Species Exhibiting Neither Significant Difference In
Number of Days Sighted Nor In Rankings of Individuals

43

Species Exhibiting Significant Differences in Number
of Sightings.......................................

44

Comparison of Woodlots with Regards to the Species
Exhibiting Significant Differences in Ranks . . . .

47

Table 12.

Species Totals per Month..........................

52

Table 13.

2-Way Analysts of Variance of Monthly Totals. . . .

53

Table 14.

Birds Known or Presumed to Have Nested In the Woodlots
During 1968, with'Preferred Nest Locations According to
Pough (1946, 1951).................................

56

Table 15.

Diversity of Birds Feeding Within the Three Woodlots

59

Table 16.

Summer Avifauna of Illinois Urban Residential Areas
(Birds per 100 A c r e s ) ..........

66

Twenty Most Common Summer Residents in the Three Study
Areas . . .
.......................................

67

Table 7*

Table 8.

Table 9.

Table 10.

Table 11.

Table 17.

v

page 3
8
.3**
36

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.

20 Counties of Southeastern Michigan................ page 2

Figure 2.

Biotic Provinces of Michigan.......................

11

Figure 3*

Oak-HIckory Forest in Michigan.....................

13

Figure 4.

Map of Red Cedar Woodlot...........................

18

Figure 5*

Map of Tourney Woodlot .

.........................

27

Figure 6.

Map of the Floodings...............................

28

Figure 7*

Graph of Number of Species per Month...............

50

vi

INTRODUCTION
Michigan was a forest wilderness when first seen by
European explorers In the 17th century.

Forests covered 95

percent of the land; marshes, lakes, natural openings, lake
beaches, shifting dunes, and garden-sized clearings of the
Indians msHe up no more than 5 percent of the land surface of the
state (Veatch, 1953).

However, Day (1953) places emphasis on the

the Indian's clearing operations as an important factor in the
formation of sizable openings in the continuous forest.

Today

the original forest area has shrunk until only 55 percent or
20 million of the state's 36 million acres are still forested In
either original or second growth forest.

Much of this land is in

the Upper Peninsula and the northern half of the Lower Peninsula,
so that the percentage of forest cover in the southern part of
the Lower Peninsula averages only about 17 percent (Schneider, 1966),
From the period 1950“55, the 20 counties of southeastern
Michigan (Figure I) averaged only 15*72 percent forest cover
(Table 1).

Cunningham (19^6) classifies this region as either

(1) agricultural areas or (2)

primarily agricultural lands with

from 15“55 percent of the land supporting forest.

Forested, or

or more precisely wooded, areas In southeastern Michigan consist

1

2

MICHIGAN

By Wood, 1932

Figure 1.

20 Counties of Southeastern Michigan

3

Table I.

COUNTY

Forest Survey - 20 Counties of Southern Michigan

TOTAL ACRES

FOREST ACRES

PERCENTAGE FOREST

Branch

323.800

35,900

11.1

Calhoun

453,800

45,100

9.9

Cl Inton

365,400

32,700

8.9

Eaton

362,900

35,100

9.7

Genesee

412,200

59,800

14.5

Gratlot

362,200

56,700

15.7

Killsdale

384,600

44,000

11.4

INGHAM

357,800

38,100

10.6

Jackson

451.200

58,300

12.9

Lapeer

421,800

106,900

25.3

Lenawee

482,600

63,100

13.1

Livingston

365,400

96,800

26.5

Macomb

307,800

35,600

11.6

Monroe

359,700

36,900

10.3

Oakland

561,300

127,200

22.7

Saginaw

519,700

110,500

21.3

St. Clair

473,600

106,600

22.5

SHIAWASSEE

345,600

38,800

11.2

Washtenaw

458,200

87,800

19.2

Wayne

388,500

35,400

9.1

7,958,100

1,251,300

15.72

Compiled fror Michigan Department of Conservation, F orest Survey
1950-55.
t

k
primarily of small. Isolated woodlots,*, often situated on lands
not suited for agricultural purposes.

Narrow, more continuous

wooded areas occur along rivers and streams.
This drastic change in the vegetative cover, with an 85
percent reduction in forest cover between the 1830's and the
1960's in southeastern Michigan, has undoubtedly had an effect
upon the bird life.

It may be assumed that birds for thousands

of years had become accustomed to the almost continuous forest cover.
The present study is concerned with the possible significance of
forest reduction upon the present and future avifauna in southern
Michigan.

McAtee (1926) addressed the problem when he stated

that "most birds are born in trees, spend a great deal of their
time in trees, and obtain much Of their food from trees."

Thus

the continued existence of wooded or forested areas would seem
a requisite for the maintanence of forest bird life as we know
it today in southern Michigan.

If the clearing of forests has

not already had a major effect upon the avifauna, the question
must be asked, "How much of the remaining wooded areas can be
sacrificed without danger of extirpation of many bird species
from their former ranges?"

Also, "Which types of woods can be

sacrificed with the fewest number of species being affected?"
An analagous situation in Iowa lends a note of urgency
to these questions.

The nearly total destruction of that

state's many small ponds and marshes has led to a severe reduction

5
In the number of nesting waterfowlt and thus the elimination
of Iowa as an Important producer of ducks (Linduska, 196*0 •
The former presence of these small bodies of water provided
waterfowl with food, protection, and nesting sites, notably the
same functions performed by woodlots for thetr resident birds.
With the reduction of the once great expanses of Michigan
forests to a mosaic pattern of woodlots as a background, this
study was

undertaken to Investigate the avifauna of three

"typical" woodlots in the East Lansing, Michigan area.

The

purpose was to collect data on the species composition, abundance,
and distribution of the birds in the woodlots during the twelve
months of 1968.

Further ft was hoped that these data would

indicate the importance of small woodlots in southeastern Michigan
to the resident and migrant birds which frequent them.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Each woodlot is an entity, unique from all other woodlots
on the basis of a large number of characteristics including
size, species composition of Its trees, the density of the
canopy, number of dead trees, and the land use of surrounding
open spaces.
which

Thus, it Is difficult to choose one or more woodlots

canbe described as "typical".

The choice of three woodlots

was based in part on the fact that there are three major types
of hardwood forests in southeastern Michigan:
(2)

(1)

beech-maple,

oak or oak-hlckory, and (3) sliver maple-American elm

(riverine association).

Three woodlots also provide sufficient

diversity for a study covering an entire year, without placing
undue strain upon the investigator to keep the lots surveyed
sufficiently.

Additional

lots might have been studied, but at

a sacrifice in depth and length of the other studies.
The woodlots were chosen on the basis of a number of
considerations including:
1.

Accessibility, which involved both distance from the
Michigan State campus and the fact that all were on
State-owned lands where trespassing would not be a
problem.

2.

The size of the lot, with all three of sufficient size
to meet Kendeigh's (19Mt) size requirements for bird
population studies.

7
3.

A prior knowledge of the three areas through bfrdlng
trips In 1965“6 7 » In order to be sure that these
lots were to be "representative" of woodlots In the
East Lansing, Michigan area.

The three woodlots, designated as Red Cedar, Tourney, and the
Floodings will be described In detail

in the section on

Southern Michigan Forests and the Study Areas.
During 1968, 142 visits, totalling
were made to the study areas (Table 2).

approximately 250 hours,
Most visits were made

between 6-10:00 A.M., In order to see birds when they are
characteristically the most active and conspicuous.

To sample

species not commonly diurnal, several visits were taken In the
late

afternoon (3-5:00 P.M.) and early evening (7-8:00 P.M.).
1

Although data were recorded on the activity of the birds observed
during visits, the primary purpose of this study was to determine
the species composition of the woodlots; thus,the visits were
mainly In the morning hours which are best.for observing most
birds, although certainly it Is not possible to obtain a complete
picture of their daily behavior with such an approach.
Bushnell "Banner" 7 x 50 binoculars were used to observe the
birds.

Field notes were recorded on a 3M Wollensak portable

tape recorder, Model Number 4200, which was purchased with part
of the funds of a Sigma XI Grant-In-Aid of Research of $150.
Field notes on tape were then transcribed to written form upon
return from the field.

Additional data on bird locations were

8
Table 2.

MONTH

RED CEDAR

January

2, 7, 1**, 21

February

March

Apr 11

May

Dates of Visits to Woodlots

TOT.
4

1. 3, 8, 18,
27

5

7, 14, 18, 26

4

TOUMEY
4, 9, 16, 21

TOT.
4

3

2, 10, 16, 21

4

5, 11 , 17, 22
27 , 28

6

7, »2

2

3, 5, 21, 22

4

1,8, 14, 15. 1!
25, 31
7

8, 14, 18, 23
25, 29, 31

7
4, 17

2

2, 9, 16, 25

4

1, 6

2

3, 19, 28

3

5

2, 11, 16,
24

4

6, 9, 14, 22,
27

5

10, 20, 25,
30

4

2, 7, 11

3

4, 8, 11

3

June

1, 7, 11, .23

4

6, 18, 21

3

July

4, 7. 26, 29

4

7, 15, 19, 28
30

5

2, 7

2

3

September

7, 13, 22, 25

4

October

8, 13, 20

3

5

6, 16, 22

5

4, 12, 23

5, 11, 18, 23,
25

3

5

August

TOT.

2, 13, 20

2, 10, 19, 21,
28

5, 14, 23, 26,
30

FLOODINGS

6, 12, 15, 17,
26
1, 10, 12, 15
23

5

1
November

December

9, 16, 23

1, 6. 9

3

3
49

51

42

9

plotted on maps of the three woodlots.

These maps were used

primarily during the breeding season when birds are less likely
*

to wander.
Because the woodlots were not uniform in size and shape,
it was difficult to survey the lots with a consistent and identical
method.

The method of censusing of each lot was influenced by

its size, shape, topography, and water "hazards".

In general,

the periphery was censused at a distance of from 20-75 feet inside
the border.

Then, where possible, transects were walked through .

the interior with stops every 150 feet to listen for birds.
Observations to determine species Identity, numbers of Individuals,
location (type of vegetation, height), and interactions (intraand inter-speciffc) were recorded where possible.

In some cases,

it was not possible to identify birds to species (e.g.. some
warblers, flycatchers, and woodpeckers).
made to the lowest taxon possible.

Identifications were

Common and scientific names

of birds used In this study follow the A.O.U. Checkl1st of
North American Birds. Fifth Edition (1957)*
Vegetative analysis of the three woodlots was limited to
the identification of the major tree species and some of the
major understory elements.

This information was used to classify

the woodlots In accordance with the classification by the Society
of American Foresters of forest cover types of the Eastern United
States (1932).

Haps of the vegetative composition of the lots were

constructed in an attempt to learn vegetative preference of the birds.

SOUTHERN MICHIGAN FORESTS AND THE STUDY AREAS

Southern Michigan Forests

Michigan's Lower Peninsula (Figure 2) is covered by
forests of the Canadian and Carolinian Biotic Provinces, with
elements of each overlapping In the Transition Zone which
separates them (Cleland, 1966).

The forests are primarily those

of the Beech-Maple and the White Pine-Northern Hardwoods regions
of Braun (196*0, plus scattered representation of the northward
t

extension of the Oak-Htckory Region from Indiana.

Braun (op. cit.)

notes that the vegetative composition of Michigan is complex due
to its recent

escape from the Influence of the continental

sheets of the Wisconsin Glaciation.

ice

Time has not permitted a

regional stabilization of the forests in a climax, and thus
Michigan fs contrasted with the vegetative uniformity of southern
regions without histories of recent disturbances.

Bog woods and

Oak-Htckory communities of a climax character are interspersed
within the dominant Beech-Maple Forests of the southern

portion

of the state.
Quick (1923) characterizes the forest In the southern Lower
Peninsula as mesophytic with deep shade beneath the dominants and

10

11

o
Lake Superior

CANADIAN BIOTIC PROVINCE
a.

Lake
Huron

CANADIAN
BIOTIC
PROVINCE

TRANS I

Lake
Michigan
CAROLINIAN BIOTIC PROVINCE

L.,

by Cl el and. 1966
Figure 2.

Biotic Provinces of Michigan

12
a ground cover of moist humus.

Dominants Include:

Acer

saccharum. Betula lenta, Carva cord 1form!s. Fagus grand!folta.
Fraxlnus amerIcana. Ostrya vlrglniana. T 111 a amerlcana. duereus
rubra, and Ulmus amerlcana.

Cain (1935) In discussing a virgin

Beech-Maple forest In Berrien County, Type 57 of the Society of
American Foresters (1932), describes the flora as rich, but that
In the virgin portion the herbaceous and shrub layers are very
open due to the density of the crown and the

arborescent layer.

Parmelee (1953) states that the Oak-Upland forest, a term
for the Oak-Htckory, was an extensive and distinctive element of
the primary vegetation of southern Michigan.

This forest was

prominent In varying degrees south of a line west from Saginaw
Bay (Figure 3).

Dominance of this type occurred on soils with

increasing sand and gravel content, In sandy loams, gravelly
loams, loamy sands, and sand (Wood, 1930).
better soils supported Beech-Maple.

Those sites with

Early settlement in the

1830's produced a significant reduction in this type, as it
generally occupied well-drained sites.

Such sites were considered

the best locations for early roads, as well as farms.

Thus,

the Oak-Hickory forests were felled before heavy cutting took
place in the other forest types.
Although originally a minor portion of the forests of
Michigan, the Lowland Hardwoods Forest (Bryant, 1963) or the
Southern Wetland Forest (Veatch, 1953) now represents 6-10

13

_Oak-HIckorv|

525*0 Dominant

Oak-Hlckoryj
“plentiful,
but not
dominant

Lake
Huron

s
Mlchlga

bv Uood._1932_
Figure 3.

Oak-Htckory Forest In Michigan

\U
percent of the commercial forest lands in the Lower Peninsula
(Bryant, 1963)•

This primarily riverine forest is characterized

by American elm, ash, swamp white oak, stiver maple, basswood,
and shagbark hickory, along with occasional sycamores, cottonwoods,
sourgums, and aspens (Veatch, 1953)*

Undoubtedly, the fact that

this forest type is located in wet areas has prevented its
destruction to the extent of other forest types in southeastern
Michigan.
Although Michigan was first viewed by European explorers
early In the 17th century, its forests suffered relatively little
exploitation by the first settlers who were primarily interested
In the fur trade.

For nearly two centuries the interior of Michigan

remained virtually untouched.

This fact Is substantiated by the

absence of any roads leading Into the Interior as late as 1817
(Parmelee, 1953).

However, the period following 1830 brought a

significant increase In the population of the state which rose
from 32,000 in 1830

to 175,000 by 1838.

By 1837, there were

4*33 sawmills In operation In the southern part of the state
(Parmelee, 1953).

Trees were felled to open the land, to provide

ash for manufacturing glass and soap, and to build fences.
Bryant states that in Ingham County 21 sawmills were in operation
before i860, and that 80 percent of the land had been cleared
for agricultural purposes.

At that date, only 15 percent of the

county remained in forests, 5 percent more than that of today

15
(Michigan Department of Conservation Forest Survey, 1950).
Schneider (1963) reports that much of the land in Ingham County,
cut over during the lumbering operations, remained open as it
was further cleared for agriculture.
completed by the i860's.

This task was nearly

Little major damage to the remaining

wooded areas which may have been burned over one or more times
prior to adequate fire protection in the 1920's.
The three woodlots used in this study were chosen to
represent the major forest types previously discussed.

They will

be described in some detail so that the reader may become
acquainted with the various factors which may have had an effect
upon the birds of each woodlot.

Included in the following

descriptions will be the relevant history of the woodlots, thetr
size, vegetative composition, amounts of water, the character of
surrounding lands, and any other pertinent factors.

The

discussion Is basically vegetative in nature, rather than floristlc,
and is supplImented by maps of each woodlot.

Red Cedar Woodlot

Red Cedar Woodlot is situated in the SE corner of section
1^, T 4N, R 1W of the Michigan meridian in Ingham County, Michigan.
It lies along the south bank of the Red Cedar River and is bounded
on the north and the east by Kalamazoo Street, on the west by a
small

Inlet of the river, and on the south by MSU's University

16
Village plus shrublands and fields.

This woodlot is a portion of

the'Michigan State University lands; however, this status has not
spared It from exploitation and destruction.

Parallel sewer lines

running east and west have necessitated the removal of 20-50 foot
wide strips of trees for the length of the lot.

A power line also

bisects the woodlot, north-south.
The Red Cedar study area comprised a total of 23 acres of
wooded and open lands which may best be classified as sliver
maple- American elm forest, Type #60 of the Society of American
Foresters (1932).

The open areas, the result of the construction

of the above-mentioned sewer and power lines, plus the old stream
channel

(oxbow), constitute approximately 25 percent of the area.

This woodlot was the most diverse of the three both vegetatively
and f lor 1st ical ly, and thus It is difficult todescribe.
The study area's proximity to the Red Cedar River and the
old channel has a decided effect upon it with standing water
occurring in the woodlot throughout much of the year.

The high

water table certainly promotes the presence of such trees as
si1ver maple(Acer saccharlnum), cottonwood (Populus deltoldes),
sycamore (Platanus occidental is). peach-leafed willow (Salix
amygdaioides) . and boxelder (Acer nequndo).

The herbaceous cover

is abundant due partly to the high water table and partly to
the open canopy in many sections.

16
Village plus shrublands and fields.

This woodlot Is a portion of

the Michigan State University lands; however, this status has not
spared It from exploitation and destruction.

Parallel sewer lines

running east and west have necessitated the removal of 20-50 foot
wide strips of trees for the length of the lot.

A power line also

bisects the woodlot, north-south.
The Red Cedar study area comprised a total of 23 acres of
wooded and open lands which may best be classified as silver
maple- American elm forest, Type #60 of the Society of American
Foresters (1932).

Th

' “

* n

of the above-mentlone
channel

m

(oxbow), cons

This woodlot was the
and floristically, an
The study area
old channel has a dec
occurring in the wood

'iding water
ne year.

The high

water table certainly promotes the presence of such trees as
silver maple(Acer sacchar1numl. cottonwood (Populus deltoldes),
sycamore (Platanus occidental Is). peach-leafed willow (SalIx
amygdaloldes) . and boxelder (Acer negundo) .

The herbaceous cover

Is abundant due partly to the high water table and partly to
the open canopy in many sections.

17
Red Cedar Woodlot Is In a state of flux in Its tree
species composition.

The effect of the Dutch elm disease has been

to kill most of the mature American elms, thus opening the
canopy.

The large number of dead elms is an important characteristic

of the woodlot.

An unfortunate aspect of this die-off has been

the cutting of many of the more conspicous dead elms by the
MSU Grounds Department In compliance with an East Lansing
ordinance against standing

dead elms.

Since Red Cedar Woodlot

Is designated as a natural area (nature preserve), such Inter­
ference with natural succession would seem unpardonable, particularly
in view of the operation of bulldozers and large trucks In the
Interior of the woodlot.

Possibly as serious is the dumping and

burning of the trees along the south trail in the lot.
At least eight distinct areas or sectors are present
within the study area based on vegetative types and degree of
isolation (Figure k)

These brief descriptions indicate only the

most important vegetative elements, and not necessarily the degree
of floristic variety.
Area I lies along the south side of the south road and is
1000 feet long and from 125-225 feet wide.
40-75 feet high.

The canopy ranges from

Several low sections collect rainwater and

run-off; sometimes standing water remains for several weeks.

Major

components include silver maple, sugar maple (Acer saccharum). white

Figure k.

Hap of Red Cedar Woodlot

19
oak (Quercus alba), black cherry (Prunus serotlna). white
ash (Fraxinus amerlcana). cottonwood and willow (Saltx so.)*
Undergrowth is abundant, both woody and herbaceous.
(Rhus toxicodendron)

is plentiful

Poison Ivy

in both prostrate and climbing

form, in nearly all portions of the study area.
Area I) is the largest contiguous wooded portion of the
study area and measures 600 feet on the east, 800 feet on the
south, and 500 feet on both the north and the west.

Within this

area are numerous low portions representing flood channels.
These support few trees but do have heavy growth of herbaceous
and low woody materials, especially poison ivy.

Water often

collects In these for considerable periods of time.

The dominant

trees are very large with the canopy at 60 or more feet tn much
of Area II.

Major trees include white ash, sycamore, sugar

maple, silver maple, black cherry, cottonwood, willow, beech,
basswood (Tl1 ia amerlcana). slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), and
American elm.

With the most complete canopy of any section,

the interior ground cover is like that found in Tourney Woodlot
with much young woody growth.

Saplings are abundant, especially

sugar maple.
Between Areas I and II lies the south trail or Area III.
The trail marks the site of the south sewer line and the open
area varies in width from 50-125 feet.

In the central portion It

is crossed by the power line which has an accompanying N-S

20
cleared strip.

The vegetation of the south road Is primarily

grasses and weeds slowly being encroached upon by pioneer trees,
especially sycamores.
burned wood.

One major feature Is a large pile of

Several standing dead elms are present In the

eastern end.
Area IV Is similar to Area III and runs along the north
side of the woodlot.

It lies between the pond and the river

and was created by the sewer line.

Luxuriant growths of grasses

up to six feet in height are found In the molster places.

Other

herbs and weeds are found along the length of the trail which
varies In width from 20-150 feet.
A small area, Area V, 300 feet by 150 feet, lies south of
the western section of the south road which supports a relatively
young growth of trees.

These Include cherry, white oak, white

ash, and silver maple.

Few of these exceed 40 feet in height.

A dense growth of sapling black cherry borders on the road.
That area west of the power line lying between the south
road and the pond Is designated Area VI.
are large and scattered.

Most of the trees

Silver maples, willows, white ashes,

cottonwoods, white oaks, and basswoods are dominant, while there
are many young boxelders.

There is dense underbrush bordering

the open space by the power line.

Area VI Is a low region

supporting a dense shrubby and herbaceous layer, especially
nettle (Urttca dloca) which Is found In the wet shady locations.

21
Between the pond and the north trail and extending west
of the pond,

is Area VII.

This is a strip of trees along the

trail only one tree wide in the central portion but up to 125
feet wide at the east and west ends.

Large trees include

slippery elm, white oak, silver maple, cottonwood, and boxelder.
The western end supports a grassy region with many small trees,
Including a large number of sapling sycamores.
The northern side of the north t ral lr.next' to^.the river, Area
VIII, Is similar to Area VII.

It runs nearly the length of the

study area and varies from 25*100 feet In width.
in this occurs where the power line crosses.

The only break

Dense underbrush

and herbaceous layers occur between the silver maple, sycamore,
American elm, white ash, boxelder, basswood, beech, and slippery
elm.
Red Cedar Woodlot is subjected to periodic flooding,
tn the spring but also In the summer of 1968.

usually

The extent of the

flooding varies, and at times nearly 100 percent of the woodlot
Is under water.

The retreat of the flood waters deposits a layer

of mud on vegetation and the ground.

The low places retain

standing water for weeks or months after the river has returned
to its banks.
Thus it may be seen that Red Cedar Woodlot is both diverse
and subjected to influences both natural and man-made which
may have an effect upon its bird species composition.

There are

more varied habitats in close proximity than occur in other

22
woodlots, and the die-off of American elms has created open
spaces, a temporary source of food, and nesting sites for cavity
nesters.

The one aspect of this study area which has possibly

prevented even further destruction and exploitation Is the
abundance of poison ivy, which certainly must deter all but the
most hardy or foolhardy from setting foot Inside Its borders.

Tourney Woodlot

As described by Schneider (19&3) , Tourney Woodlot is a
15 acre stand of relatively undisturbed beech-maple forest
acquired by Michigan State University from the estate of Frank
Bennett In May, 1939.

The property is located In the NE I A

of the SE I A of section 30, T 4N, R !W of the Michigan meridian,
Ingham County, Michigan.
Road, 1A

The woodlot extends west of Hagadorn

mile south of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad tracks.

Conifer plantings at the eastern and western ends, plus an open
area at the eastern end increase the size of the study plot by
another five acres bringing the total to approximately 20 acres.
The surrounding lands consist of pastures on the north and south
with experimental fields on the west and pasture land east
beyond Hagadorn Road.

The woodlot stands as an island of trees

on a slightly elevated piece of land surrounded by MSU
agricultural lands.

23
The topography of the woodlot Is simple with the western
half essentially level.

In the eastern half the land gradually

dips to the east Into a depression 40 feet lower than the western
end.

In the depression Is a pond, 120 by 20-40 feet.

contained water throughout 1968.

It

East of the pond Is an abrupt

ridge 25 feet In height which gradually grades to the east.
Another depressed area occurs along the southern edge near the
eastern end which contains standing water in the spring and
after heavy rains.
The major portion of the woodlot, nearly 75 percent,

Is

predominately beech (Faqus grand!folla) and sugar maple (Acer
saccharum), making up the canopy as well as sapling and pole
stage trees.

Young trees are mostly maples with much of the summer

herbaceous layer composed of young maples no more than two feet
In height.

The degree of development of the herbaceous layer

varies within the woodlot and also with the season.

In April

and May, spring beauty (Claytonta carolIniana). bloodroot
(Sangulnaria canadensis), Mayapp1e (Podaphy11 urn peltatum), t r1111urn
(Trillium grandiflorum). and dog-toothed violet (ErvthronIum
amerIcanum) are abundant, covering much of the forest floor.
The development of the canopy In May causes a regression of the
green portions of many ground plants, and In the summer only a
few of these persist.

Virginia creeper (Parthenoclssus qulnqucfolla).

along with the maples, make up most of the herbaceous cover during

2k
summer and fall.

Along the western fence there Is a dense

shrub layer In the central portion of the woodlot composed of
sapling sugar maples and elderberries (Sambucus canadensis).
This nearly impenetrable section gradually thins to the east
until visibility Is relatively unobstructed, although herbaceous
and shrubby cover persists.
In addition to beech and maple, minor canopy components
of the main woodlot Include basswood (TT11a grand Ifoil a), black
cherry (Prunus serotlna). American elm fUlmus amerlcana). white
ash (Frax1nus americana) , Ironwood (Ostrya vfrginlana). black
oak (Quareus rubra), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), and prickly ash
(Zanthoxylem amerlcana).

These are uncommon In the central

portion and more abundant along the periphery, especially at the
southern and eastern ends.

Few of these, as well as beeches or

maples, are present as standing dead trees.

Although there are

many trees with dead upper portions, few dead trees remain
standing.

There are several scattered sections of blowdowns

within the woodlot.
The eastern and western ends of the woodlot are distinct
from the central

portion primarily due to the conifer plantings.

At the eastern end planting of red pine, spruces, tamaracks,
and cedars extend in a SW-NE direction in 700 foot strips extending
north of the south border.

The conifer strips run along the ridge

east of the pond and vary In width from 60-240 feet.

The

25
tamaracks are confined to the southern end in a depressed area.
The spruce section In the middle Is extensive enough to give
the impression of a boreal forest in its interior.
vary in height from 15-30 feet.

The conifers

North of the conifer strip is an

extension of prickly ash and locusts up to 40 feet in height.
Three other major areas In the eastern end are the central area of
large poplars fPopuius sp.), a small group of white birches
near the wet area, and two large oaks at the southeast end with
associated tamaracks.

The remainder of the eastern end is

grassy with blackberry or other growths scattered.
strip extends along the eastern fence.

A shrub

There Is a woodpile

up the hill from the birches and 1/4 acre of blackberries west of
the conifers on the south side.
In the western end there Is less variety with more
extensive portions of single habitats.

West of the west fence

there Is a 200-foot wide strip of rather open woods with very
large scattered maples and beeches.

The distribution and density

of the brush and sapling growth are spotty.
research area in this section.

There is one sod

At the northwest corner Is a

100 by 150 foot planting of young spruces up to 15 feet In
height, planted 6-10 feet apart.

Next to these trees is an open

parking area where farm machinery is stored.
by two large oaks.

Shade is provided

A 40-foot wide pine belt extends south of the

spruces along the west end, and then continues east of the south­

26
west corner for another 150 feet.

Grassy areas are present where

there Is sufficient light reaching the ground.

The south­

western end borders on the south on part of the MSU nursery
with many ornamental shrubs.

There Is also a large 50 by 200

foot area south of the woodlot us'ed by the MSU Grounds Department
as a compost dump where hay and corn are thrown.

This supports

abundant growths of weeds and appears to provide excellent cover.
The above-mentioned sections of Tourney Woodlots are
labelled in Figure 5*

In general this woodlot presents a

rather homogeneous environment on the Interior with the
peripheryai areas providing a fair amount of variety.

The Floodings

The woodlot at the Floodings (Figure 6) consists of a
13-acre peninsula in the NE corner of section 21, T 5N, R IE
of the Michigan meridian, Shiawassee County, Michigan.

The

area of the Floodings lies southwest of the corner of Woodbury
and Clark Roads and comprises part of the northeastern section
of the lands of the Rose Lake Wildlife Station of the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources.

This land was acquired by the

station In 19^6 with Pitman-Robertson Act monies.
The present flooded condition has resulted from the
damming of the drainage in 1955* with the present water level
reached in 1957*

The rising waters have isolated timber

the eastern and southern shores.

along

These trees are now dead and

27

pro <ro

E<WCO O* I

U
UIUTUW

I

Figure 5«

Map of Tourney Woodlot

A/

. fence
»

&

trail.

* tROAO

$

*
'/AS

K.

\

fWAI m
OAK
WO O DS

Y 0 W 6

J
Wvv

>fe

Figure

29
extend up to 1/4 mile south of the peninsula.

Typical marsh

vegetation of cattails grows along the shores not bordered by
t fmber.
The main woodlot Is primarily a young, even-aged black
oak (Quercus velutina) stand and contains very few dead trees.
A few white oaks contribute to the canopy, but these do not
appear healthy and seem to be dying.

Linder the 40-50 foot

canopy Is a poorly developed subcanopy comprised of black oaks
and black cherry (Prunus serotina) with maples (Acer saccharum
and Acer rubrum) along the eastern shore.

There is 1 Ittle new

growth of trees and the shrub layer is composed primarily of
scattered Ironwood (Ostrva vlrqintana). red-osler dogwood
(Cornus stolonifera). American hornbeam (Carplnus caroltnlana) .
and bitternut hickory (Carva cordlformis).

Herbaceous growth

Is sparse, being limited to those few places where sunlight can
penetrate the canopy, especially near several old roads which
wind through the woodlot.

Mushrooms are common In both the

wel 1,-1 ighted and shady areas, along with Indian pipe (Monotropa
unlflora)

in late summer.

Most shrub and young tree growth was associated with the
southern and western shorelines where willows (Salix sp.).
buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidental 1s) . blgtooth aspen
(Populus grandidentata) . witch hazel

(Hamemalls virqinlana).

quaking aspen (Populus tremuloldes). riverbank grape (VItis

30
riparla) . gooseberry (Ribes sp.), and raspberry (Rubus sp.) were
found.

Herbaceous growth was more abundant in these areas.

Broad-leaved cattail was abundant along the shore.
Experimental cutting in 1959 of approximately 1/8 of the
woodlot along the western shore has produced a re-growth of
oaks towards the interior and aspens near the shore.

The only

pronounced transitional stage between the mature oaks and
fields occurs along the northern border of the woodlot where a
band of young red maples grades Into grass and goldenrod fields
for a distance of 25-60 feet.

The field also contains a few

young cherry trees and ground blackberry fRubus sp.).

At the

northwest corner there is a growth of young sassafrass (Sassafras
albidum).
A 35~foot wide windrow of pines and spruces planted in
1951 extends north of the woodlot from the center of the peninsula.
To the west of the windrow are fields tn which wildlife plantings
have been made over the last 15 years.

Two extensive hedges

lie in a NW-SE orientation and are separated by a cornfield
40 yards wide.

The northern hedge is smaller and is bordered

by a dirt road on the south.

It is composed of multi flora rose

(Rosa multIflora) In the western end and honeysuckle (Lonicera
sp.) at the eastern end.
the western pond.

The southern hedge is larger and borders*

It is composed of honeysuckle, autumn olive

(Elaeagnus umbel lata) , and >highbush cranberry (Viburnum tr 1lobum).

31
with several 20-30 foot aspens in the middle section.
The areas at the Floodings surveyed in this study
Included the 13-acre block of woods, the 2-3 acres of corn and
hedge, plus eight acres of flooded timber and ponds for a total
of 23 acres.

A number of different habitats were found in this

area which included;

(1)

Hedges and cultivated fields,

fields at the northern end,
timber,

(5)

Cattail marsh,

the brushy shoreline, and (7)

(3)
(6)

Large oak woods,

(4)

(2) Open
Flooded

Western cut-over area and

Conifers.

*

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Before beginning a discussion of the results,

I believe

that It Is necessary to point out the limitations of this one
year study.

First is the fact that In any census It Is not

possible to observe or record all species present.

There will

always be a small percentage which will escape detection, even
after four visits (Kendelgh, 19Mf).

Also the mobility of birds

means that they are not restricted to a particular area, as
are many terrestrial forms, but they can move from woodlot to
woodlot with relative ease.

Such movements tend to obscure

distributional patterns which are seen in less mobile forms.
Spatial

isolation is not a dominant factor, although habitat

patterns do Influence bird distribution of "rare" and certain
migrant species.

Low populations often prevent these species

from utilizing all areas in which they might possibly occur.

Thus

the absence of a "rare" species in one woodlot does not necessarily
mean that suitable habitats are not present;

it may indicate that

there were not enough Individuals to occupy all potential areas
of occurrence.

However, species which are common in one woodlot

and absent from another might indicate a lack of suitable
habitats In the woodlot from which they are absent.

32

With these

33
limitations in mind, I have attempted to discuss the results
of this study.

Avi an Distribution Between the Wood lots

During 1968, a total of 12*1 species of birds were observed
in the three study areas.

Certain species were seen In only

one lot, others occurred in two of the three, and still others
were observed in all three.

The following material

is a

discussion of the occurrence of the birds in the three woodlots.

Bi rds Observed In a Single Woodlot

Thfrty-eight species were sighted only in a single woodlot;
9 In Red Cedar, 7 In Tourney, and 22 in the Floodings.

It may

be noted that these species suggest that there may be niches
in one woodlot which are absent from the others; however, the
absence of a species, particularly one seen on less than four
occasions, does not mean that the species could not or did not
occur in the other two woodlots.

On the other hand, there are

certain species which can be said to be associated with areas
which are more or less unique to that lot.
Of the nine species found only in Red Cedar Woodlot
(Table 3)> seven (yellow-bellied sapsucker, yellow-bellied
flycatcher, white-eyed vireo, Cape May warbler, bay-breasted
warbler, blackpoll warbler, and purple finch) were transients.

3k

Table 3.

Birds Found Only In Red Cedar - 9 Species

SPECIES

*

SPECIES

*

Gadwa11

1

White-eyed Vlreo

1

Ruby-throated Hummfngbirt

2

Cape May Warbler

1

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

2

Bay-breasted Warbler

2

Yellow-bellied Flycatchei

2

Blackpoll Warbler

3

Purple Finch

2

* - Number of days sightec

35
The ruby-throated hummingbird was a summer resident seen during
the nesting season.

The gadwall was a winter visitor.

The seven species observed only in Tourney Woodlot
(Table k) were either transients or visitors.

Migrants seen In

the spring included the winter wren, veery, parula warbler,
and black-billed cuckoo, while the red-breasted nuthatch was
observed in the fall.

The golden-crowned kinglet was present

both in the spring and in the fall.

Bewick's wren was a summer

visitor.
Most of the 22 species associated with the Floodings and
the surrounding marshy areas were primarily aquatic or semiaquatic (Table 5).

Of the six species of ducks, the bufflehead

and the hooded merganser were spring transients; the blue-winged
teal, scaup, and baldpate were spring and fall migrants; while
the ring-necked duck was a summer resident breeding in the marshy
areas south of the lot.

The broad-winged and sharp-shinned

hawks are summer residents in the Ingham-CiInton-Shiawassee
County area, although they were not frequently encountered in
or near the lot.

The immature bald eagle would, no doubt,

best be termed an occasional visitor, as its presence in the
Lansing area is unusual.

Also seen as spring migrants were the

sandhill crane and common snipe.

Summer residents included

the Virginia rail, common galllnule, coot, tree swallow, and
prothonotary warbler.

The bank and rough-winged swallows were

36

Table 4.

Birds Observed Only In Tourney - 7 Species

SPECIES
Black-billed Cuckoo

1

Red-breasted Nuthatch

2

Winter Wren

1

Bewick's Wren

1

Veery

1

Golden-crowned Kinglet

8

Parula Warbler

1

* - Number of days sighted

\

■>v

37

Table 5.

Birds Observed Only at the Floodings - 22 Species

*

SPECIES

SPECIES

*

.

1

Coot

American Widgeon

k

Common Snipe

1

Blue-winged Teal

9

Tree Swallow

11

Ring-necked Duck

6

Bank Swallow

1

Lesser Scaup

k

Rough-winged Swallow

1

Bufflehead

1

Mocklngbi rd

1

Hooded Merganser

3

Soli tary Vi reo

1

Sharp-shinned Hawk

2

Prothonotary Warbler

3

Broad-winged Hawk

1

Swamp Sparrow

1

Bald Eagle

1

Sandhi11 Crane

1

VIrglnta Rail

1

Common Gallinule

5

Bittern

_

12

* - Number of days sight ed

•

%

38
summer visitors from nearby nesting areas.

The only fall

visitor was the swamp sparrow, while the mockingbird was a
spring visi tor.
Thus of the 38 species observed only in one lot, a
majority (29 of 38 or 7&.8%) can be classified either as
transients or visitors of one type or another.

This Indicates

that many of the birds are not found in the Ingham-Shiawassee
County area during extended periods of the year, or that when they
are present, they are rather rare.

The fact that these species

are either "rare" or transitory possibly accounts for their not
being seen In more than one woodlot, rather than that the
other woodlots do

not have suitable habitats.

BI rds Observed in

Only Two Woodlots

in addition to the 38 species found only In one of the
three lots, there
woodlots.

were 35 species seen In only two of the

Red Cedar and Tourney had 17 species in common (Table 6);

Red Cedar and the Floodings had 13 species

in common (Table 7);

while Tourney and the Floodings had only 5 species in common
(Table 8).
The characteristics of the species shared by two tots
Indicate

the amount of similarity between the woodlots.

From

these figures, Red Cedar and Tourney would seem to be the most
similar, and Tourney and the Floodings the least.

If one notes the

39

Table 6.

Birds Common to Two Woodlots - Red Cedar and Tourney 17 Species

NUMBER OF DAYS SIGHTED
SPECIES

.RED CEDAR

TOUMEY

Rock Dove

1

3

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

6

1

Acadian Flycatcher

1

1

Hermit Thrush

1

1

Swalnson's Thrush

5

2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

4

2

WarblIng VIreo

6

4

Red-eyed VIreo

9

6

Magnolla Warbler

1

1

Blackburnian Warbler

1

1

Chestnut-sided Warbler

2

1

Pine Warbler

1

1

OvenbIrd

2

1

Wt 1son's Warbler

1

1

Canada Warbler

1

2

American Redstart

k

2

House Sparrow

9

10

ko

Table 7*

Birds Common to Two Woodlots - Red Cedar and the Floodings 12 Species

NUMBER OF DAYS SIGHTED
SPECIES

RED CEDAR

FLOODINGS

Pied-btiled Grebe

1

11

Great Blue Heron

3

\k

Green Heron

1

12

Mallard

8

17

Black Duck

1

6

Spotted Sandpiper

2

1

Chimney Swift

2

2

Belted Kingfisher

6

\k

Red-bellied Woodpecker

1

7

Eastern Kingbird

6

]k

Least Flycatcher

5

1

Wood Thrush

i

1

k\

Table 8.

Birds Common to Two Lots - Tourney and the Floodings 5 Species

NUMBER. OF DAYS SIGHTED
TOUMEY

SPECIES

FLOODINGS

Cooper's Hawk

1

1

Bobwhite Quail

2

1

Barn Swallow

2

k

Eastern Meadow!ark

1

1

Tree Sparrow

2

3

1

species which are shared by woodlots,

it Is possible to see

some correlation between the habitat preferences of the birds and
the habitats included within the lots.

Red Cedar and Tourney

Woodlots hare birds associated with diverse hardwood forests
(warblers, vireos, thrushes) or-human habitation (house sparrows
and pigeons).

Red Cedar and the Floodings share many birds

primarily associated with water and wet areas (ducks, herons,
and kingfisher).

Tourney and the Floodings have birds in common

which are characteristic of fields and open areas surrounding
the lots (bobwhite, barn swallow,

meadowlark ) ..

Blrds Common to A 1 1 Three Woodlots

Forty-eight species were found to occur in all three
woodlots.

This would suggest that the habitats utilized by these

birds were found in each study area.

Of this total, 25 species

(Table 9) exhibited neither significant differences in the number
of days sighted nor in the rankings as determined by X

2

tests.

It might be assumed that the habitats utilized by these 25
species were present in each woodlot to approximately the same
degree.

Since 4 orders and 13 families are represented In these

25 species, a large number of niches must be present.
Of the 48 species common to the three areas, 23 did
exhibit significant differences In numbers of days sighted,
in rankings, or both.

For the seven species which showed only

differences in number of sightings

(Table 10), It is difficult

*t3

Table 9*

Species Exhibiting Neither’Significant Difference In
Number of Days Sighted Nor In Rankings of Individuals

Red-tailed Hawk

Black-throated Green Warbler

Ki 1Ideer

Baltimore Oriole

Yellow-shafted Flicker

CowbIrd

Downy Woodpecker

Scarlpt Tanager

Wood Pewee

Cardinal

Common Crow

Rufous-sided Towhee

House Wren

Savannah Sparrow

Catbi rd

Vesper Sparrow

Brown Thrasher

Slate-colored Junco

Robin

Chipping Sparrow

Cedar Waxwing

White-crowned Sparrow

Y e 1low-throated VIreo

White-throated Sparrow

Myrtle Warbler

44

Table 10.

Species Exhibiting Slgnlcant Differences In Number
of Sightings

RC-T

Great-crested Flycatcher

RC-F

X

X

White-breasted Nuthatch

X

Brown Creeper

X

Tennessee Warbler

X

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

X

Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch

T-Fl

X
i
X
X

X

X

X - Indicates significant dtf :erence betw sen palrs of woodlots

45
to estimate how important this is, due to the fact that there
was an unequal abundance of birds in the three woodlots.

All

seven species were more common in Red Cedar Woodlot which had
the greatest total number of sightings.

Thus any difference

might be due simply to the fact that Red Cedar had more birds.
Wore important were the 16 species which had either
significant differences in rankings or ranking and numbers of
sightings.

If a species differed in ranking, It meant that it

was contributing more (or less) to the avifauna of one woodlot
than to another.

This difference might represent a basic difference

in the avifauna and thus the habitats of the study areas.

Two

species (mourning dove and blue jay) were more common In Tourney
and three (chickadee, red-winged blackbird, and field sparrow)
at the Floodings.

This Is contrary to what might be expected

on the basis of birds being more abundant in general at Red
Woodlot.

Cedar

It is obvious that the redwing's abundance wasinfluenced

by the cattail marshes surrounding the woodlot at the Floodings,
while the mourning dove utilized

the conifer plantings at

Tourney Woodlot both for roosting and nesting.
Of the 11 species with significant differences In both
numbers of sightings and rankings, six ( pheasant, red-headed
woodpecker, tufted titmouse, hairy woodpecker, grackle, and
song sparrow) were most common in Red Cedar; two (great horned
owl and starling) were most common in Tourney; and three (wood

46
duck, yellow warbler, and yellowthroat) were most common at
the Floodings.

Thus, again, the general higher abundance of birds

in Red Cedar Woodlot is not reflected in all species.
To note how these 16 species differ in their rankings
when pairs of woodlots are compared, using a X

test at the 5 percent

level of significance with one degree of freedom, see
Table 11.

•

In Red Cedar the pheasant and the tufted titmouse

have higher rankings than in either Tourney or the Floodings.
The tufted titmouse may have shown a preference for the moist
bottom lands as suggested by Pough (1949).

The open areas between

the wooded sections of the study area at Red Cedar may have
provided the habitat diversity necessary to keep the pheasants
within the lot during the entire year, whereas at the other two
woodlots they left these areas during the summer months, possibly
for the extensive open areas surrounding them.

The number of

red-headed woodpeckers appears to be correlated with the abundance
of dead timber, as this species was ranked significantly higher
in both Red Cedar and the Floodings than in Tourney.

It Is difficult

to explain the significant difference In the ranking of the
song sparrow.

It ranked higher in both Red Cedar and Tourney than

at the Floodings.

Possibly the fact that there are less grassy

areas associated with the Floodings,most of the woodlot being
surrounded by water, may account for this difference.

Starlings

rank higher both in Red Cedar and Tourney than at the Floodings,
most likely due to thetr association with man and his agriculture.

*♦7

Table II.

Comparison of Woodlots with Regards to the Species
Exhibiting Significant Differences In Ranks

COMPARISON OF PAIRS OF WOODLOTS
Ranked higher In Red Cedar than in Tourney

SPECIES
Ring-necked Pheasant
Red-headed Woodpecker
Tufted T!tmouse

Ranked higher In Red Cedar than at Floodings

Ring-necked Pheasant
Hairy Woodpecker
Tufted Titmouse
Starling
Song Sparrow

Ranked higher In Tourney than In Red Cedar

Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
B1ue Jay
Field Sparrow

Ranked higher In Tourney than at Floodings

Great Horned Owl
StartIng
Song Sparrow

Ranked higher at Floodings than In Red Cedar

Wood Duck
Mourning Dove
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee

Table 11 (cont.)

COMPARISON OF PAIRS OF WOODLOTS
Ranked higher at Floodings than in Red Cedar
(cont.)

SPECIES
Yel low Warbter
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellowthroat
Field Sparrow

Ranked higher at Floodings than In Tourney

Red-headed Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Yellow Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellowthroat
Common Grackle

*♦9
The fact that the Floodings is a decidedly different area
in respect to habitat is reflected in {he number of species
i

which ranked higher there than at Tourney and Red Cedar Woodlots.
The Floodings had eight species ranking higher than those in Red
Cedar and six higher than those In Tourney.

Some of these

such as the red-winged blackbird, yellow warbler, and yellowthroat
are species associated with marshy areas and are easy to explain.
The wood duck was a summer resident in the waters south of the
Floodings woodlot, whereas it was only a visitor at the other
two woodlots.

The grackle is another species associated with

watery areas, and although It ranked significantly higher at
the Floodings than at Tourney, the largest number of grackles
seen on any one visit was 125-175 on September 15 in Tourney
Woodlot.

The red-headed woodpecker, blue jay, mourning dove,

and field sparrow have been mentioned previously.

The black-

capped chickadee's significantly higher ranking at the Floodings
than at Red Cedar or Tourney is also difficult to explain.

Monthly PIstrlbution

As might be expected, the graph of the number of species
per month In

the woodlots exhibits a bImodal curve for 1958,

clearly indicating the influxes of spring and fall transients
(Figure 7)•

A two-way analysis of variance of the totals per

month indicates that at the 5 percent confidence interval there

RED CEDAR

60

TOUMEY
FLOODINGS
50

30

SPECIES

COUNTS

PER MONTH

40

20

10

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

MONTHS, 1968
Figure 7*

Graph of Number of Species per Month

0

N

D

51
is a significant difference between the months (Tables 12 and
13)*

This would be expected due to the great range between the

months with the lowest and highest totals.

The same analysis

indicates that there was no significant difference between the
three woodlots in the total species per month during 1968.
Thus the species differences between the woodlots, which have
been discussed previously, are qualitative rather than
quantitative (n nature.

Influencing Factors

In discussing avian utilization of woodlots, it is
appropriate to consider the ways in which birds use woodlots,
or in other words, the roles which woodlots play In the lives
of the birds. This Is. d!scussed partially in the species accounts
however, no attempt is made In that section to classify the
various functions of woodlots.

Depending upon the species

involved, woodlots are important In the lives of birds in varying
degrees.

Certain species spend much of their lives within the

borders of the woodlot, and for them the woodlot provides many
of the requirements to sustain life.

Other species whose niches

encompass areas beyond the borders of the woodlot obtain only a
portion of their life needs within it.

No distinction will be

made In this section with regards to the total effect of the
woodlot on the lives of the birds mentioned.

The following is a

52

Table 12.

MONTH

Species Totals per Month.

RED CEDAR

TOUMEY

JANUARY

17

16

9

FEBRUARY

13

12

7

MARCH

24

14

30

APRIL

34

31

25

MAY

63

41

49

JUNE

32

26

41

JULY

26

29

36

AUGUST

30

13

38

SEPTEMBER

39

36

46

OCTOBER

30

23

31

NOVEMBER

14

17

13

DECEMBER

9

11

3

FLOODINGS

53

Table 13.

2-Way Analysis of Variance of Monthly Totals

d.f.

SOURCE

M.S.

SS

F

2

203.7

101.85

2.483

8 locks

11

5320.2

483.65

11.793*

Error

22

902.3

Total

35

6426.2

Treatments

Test - HQ :

Difference between treatments (woodlots) c 0
M jS j TRTS
M.S. ERROR ~

.
n
o itq ?
F(*05*2,22)r 2.483

.05 a 3.44
Test - Hq :

41 .01

Not significant

Difference between blocks (months) a 0
a

F (-0 5 - " ■ 2 2 ) *

n -793

Significant at less than .05 level
.05 level

>

2.23 < . 2 3

5^
list of ways tn which woodlots may be important in the lives
of birds:
1.

Nesting sites

2.

Habitat diversity

3•

Food

k.

Shelter

5.

Water

Nesting Sites

One of the most important functions of the woodlot is to
provide nesting sites for summer residents.

The number of

possible sites Is a function of the vegetative diversity.

Since

birds nest at levels from the ground to the upper canopy, and at
heights in between, any Increase in the layering or stratification
of the woodiot Is going to Increase the number of possible nest
sites, and thus the number of potential breeding species.

In fact,

MacArthur and MacArthur (1961) state that in deciduous forests
the species diversity of birds Is related to the height and
density of the foliage and the resulting stratification, rather
than to the plant species composition, per se.

Even-aged

stands, such as that at the Floodings, often have poorly developed
strata beneath the canopy due to the dense shade (Smith, 1966)
and thus would tend to have fewer nesting species.

In the three

woodlots used In this study, 36 species were known or presumed
to have nested in 1968.

Not included in this list are either

55
aquatic birds or those nesting in trees and vegetation In
the water.

These 36 species, when classified according to their

preferred nesting localities (Table 14), on the ground, in
shrubs or low trees, in the canopy, or In cavities of any
height (using figures compiled by Pough, 1946 and 1951)*
indicate that 17 percent nested on the ground, 55 percent nested
in shrubs and low trees, 31 percent nested In the canopy, and
25 percent nested in cavities.

Since certain species nest In a

variety of locations, and since some individuals may change their
nest site from one nesting to the next, such as the rufous­
sided towhee, field sparrow, and song sparrow (Van Tyne and Berger,
1959)> I have placed several of the species in two categories.
These figures are somewhat comparable to those obtained by
Turcek (Smith, 1966) In oak-hornbeam forest of Europe, where
15 percent were ground nesters, 25 percent nested in the herb
and shrub layers, while 29 percent nested in the canopy.

Certainly,

the heavy utilization of the shrubby layers of the woods signifies
their importance In maintaining a large diversity of breeding
species within the wood lot.

HabItat PI vers ity

Habitat variability has been correlated with species
diversity and abundance, and this is particularly noticeable
when one considers habitat Interspersion and the edge effect.

56

Table 14.

Birds Known or Presumed to Have Nested in the Woodlots
During 1968, with Preferred Nest Locations According to
Pough (19^6, 1951)

SPECIES

GROUND

Ring-necked Pheasant

X

Woodcock

X

UPPER CANOPY

SHRUBS,0-15'

Mourning Dove

X

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

X

CAVITY

X

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

X

Yellow-shafted Flicker

X

Red-headed Woodpecker

X

Hairy Woodpecker

X

Downy Woodpecker

X

Kingbird

»

Crested Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher

X

Least Flycatcher

X

X
i

1

X

Wood Pewee
Blue Jay

X

X

X

Black-capped Chickadee

X

Tufted Titmouse

X

White-breasted Nuthatch

X

Catbi rd

X

Brown Thrasher

X

Robin

X

X

Cedar Waxwlng

X

X
X

Starling
Yellow-throated Vlreo
Red-eyed VIreo

X
X

WarblIng VIreo
Red-winged Blackbird

X
X

X

Table

SPECIES
Baltimore Oriole

14

GROUND

(cont.)

SHRUBS, 0-15'

UPPER CANOPY

CAVITY

X

*

Grackle

X

Cardinal

X

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

X

Indfgo Bunting

X

Goldf inch

X

Towhee

X

X

Field Sparrow

X

X

Song Sparrow

X

X

Totals

5

20

X

11

9

57
Birds commonly require more things for survival and reproduction
than can be found in a single field or woodlot, and the chances
for survival are increased if both habitats are close at hand as
along an ecotone (Welty, 1962).

This effect can be illustrated
•

when comparing Red Cedar and Tourney Woodlots.

In both cases,

the highest numbers of birds and the greatest species diversity
were associated with the edges of these woodlots.

In Red Cedar

the amount of edge was approximately 5200 feet and was inter­
spersed throught the lot due to cutting of trees for sewage and
power lines.

In Tourney the edge was confined primarily to the

perimeter of the woodlot and measured approximately 1*000 feet.
This may have accounted in part for the larger total number of
sightings in Red Cedar, 709 vs. 507, which was 39.8 percent
more than in Tourney.

Lay (1938) Indicates that margins of

clearings or edges have 95% more birds representing 41% more
species than the interior of corresponding woodland.
In addition, the greater development of the forest
shrub understory in Red Cedar may have been a factor In Its
larger population since the development of the forest shrub
understory is believed to be a key factor in producing higher
bird populations (Odum, 1950).

One of the more striking aspects

of this study was the conspicuous absence of many birds in the
Interior sections of the Floodings' woodlot.

Although birds were

seen on the trunks of trees (woodpeckers and nuthatches) or In

58
the canopy (redwings, blue jays, and tanagers) very few were
seen below 10 feet.

Certainly the consplcous lack of herbaceous

and shrubby layers was a factor since numerous birds were recorded
from these moderately to well developed layers In Tourney and
Red Cedar Woodlots.

Food

Woodlots provide food for first order consumers In the form
of sap, buds, nectar, fruits, and mast; and to second and third
order consumers, through both invertebrates and vertebrates which'occur
there.

Inasmuch as a major part of animal diversity is thought

to be the result of the exploitation of new niches related to
sources of food, the diversity of avian taxa feeding In woodlots
gives an Index of the magnitude and variety of the food resources
within the woodlot.

From my observations,

I concluded that

species representing 11 orders and 27 families (Table 15) fed
within the woods or utilized the woods In obtaining food.
These can be divided Into five major categories which are:
1.

Those feeding on plants and animals (invertebrates)

directly associated with the trees, shrubs, and herbs of the
woodlot(the largest category, which includes:

Phasianidae,

Columbidae, Cucultdae, Pictdae, Tyrannldae, MImldae, Turdfdae,
Sylvlidae, Bombycl11Idae, Sturnldae, Vireonldae, Parulldae,
Plocetdae,

Icteridae, Thraupidae, and FrIngi11Idae).

59
Table 15.

Diversity of Birds Feeding Within the Three Woodlots

ORDER

FAMILY

NUMBER OF SPECIES

CtconiI formes

Arde idae

2

Anseriformes

Anatldae

2

Falcon Iformes

Accipitr I'dae

3

Gal 11 formes

Phastanidae

1

CharadrlI formes

Scolopacidae

3

Columbi formes

Columb idae

1

CuculIformes

Cuculidae

2

Strlgiformes

Strigidae

1

Coracli formes

Alcedinidae

1

Piciformes

PIcidae

6

Passer Iformes

Tyrannidae

6

Corvidae

2

ParIdae

2

SIttldae

2

Certhldae

1

Troglodytldae

3

Mimldae

2

Turdidae

5

Sylvi idae

2

Bombyci11idae

1

Sturnidae

1

Vireonidae
ParulIdae

18

Ploceidae

1

Ictertdae

4

Thraupldae

1

FrlngillIdae

16

60
2.

Those feeding on animal matter which is present in

response to the woodlot environment, both invertebrates such as
mosquites or earth worms and vertebrates such as squirrels and
birds (includes: Accipitridae, Strigidae, Tyrannidae, Turdidae,
SylW i d a e , ParulIdae, and FrIng111Idae).
3.

Those feeding in waters which may be present within

the woodlot, and those which might not feed in like-sized
areas

In more exposed situations (indludes:

Ardeldae, Anatidae,

Scolopacidae, and Alcedinidae).
4.

Those perching in the woodlot and hunting in open

areas either in the interior or along the edge (includes:
Accipitridae, Strigidae, Tyrannidae, Corvidae, Turdidae, and
IcterIdae).
5.

Those returning to the woodlot to eat or digest

food obtained often at some distance outside the woodlot
(includes:

Accipitridae, Strigidae, Alcedinidae, Corvidae,

Sturnidae, and Icteridae).
Although it was impossible In many cases to Identify
the food eaten by birds and in others It could only be assumed
that the bird had fed within the woodlot, the large number of
species which utilized the food resources of the woodlot indicates
the broad spectrum of food items available.

61
Shelter

Woodlots provide shelter for many species.

I would

divide shelter Into two baste types; shelter from potential
enemies and shelter from the elements.

Another system, which

combines these two to some extent, was devised by Leopold
(1933) and has five major categories:

(1) winter cover

(protection from snow and cold, a place to remain hidden);
(2) escape cover (an area which is safe from predators);
(3) loafing cover(shade In the summer and cover in the winter);
(4) roosting cover .(protect Ion at night); and (5) nesting cover
(previously discussed and providing protection for nests and
parents).

Providing shelter Is somewhat dependent upon the

time of year, since some species which are summer residents
of fields return to woodlots in the winter for protection, both,
from the weather and predators.

In addition, just as woodlots

vary with regard to their nest sites and food resources, they
also vary in the amount and quality of shelter.
The degree of protection from predators varies with the
species composition, density, and the stratification of the
woody vegetation.

In the 1 ight of my experience in attempting to

locate birds in various types of woods, the denser the foliage,
the more protection.

Wei 1-developed herbaceous and shrubby

layers will provide shelter for more species than If they are
reduced or absent.

Either natural or planted conifers can be

62
particularly important as shelter areas, especially during
those seasons when deciduous trees are without leaves.
However, even conifers can vary in the degree of protection
they afford depending upon the size of the tree and the type
of needles.
Of course,

it Is sometimes difficult to separate protection

from predators and protection from inclement weather.

Were

birds such as pheasants, mourning doves, crows, grackies,
great horned owls, golden-crowned kinglets, and chickadees,
which were observed In the conifers at the Floodings and Tourney,
present because of shelter from natural enemies or the weather
or both?
The moderating effects of woodlands on climate are well
documented.

In the interior of the woodlot, the humidity is

higher, the temperature is more moderate, and the wind velocity
is decreased (Smith, 1966).

These factors vary within the woodlot

depending upon height and distance from the edge; however, the
woodlot does present an environment which Is overall
than that encountered in surrounding open areas.

less severe

This is

particularly important In winter when small birds can benefit
from even the slightest decrease in cold stress.

63

Water

Although free water Is not necessary for all species of
birds, it is important in those species which obtain little
moisture In their foods (Van Tyne and Berger, 1959).

Thus

the presence of open water can influence the occurrence of some
species.

Water may also be used for bathing, and in the case

of more aquatic species may provide sources of food and nest
sites.

The effect of water on the distribution and abundance of

birds may be seen In the three woodlots.

Water was more abundant

at the Floodings and Red Cedar than at Tourney.

At the Floodings

14 of the 21 species found only at that lot had a direct or
indirect relationship with the watery areas surrounding the woodlot.
The gadwall at Red Cedar was observed on the river.

Of the 12

species shared by Red Cedar and the Floodings, seven were
associated with the water.

Neither the birds found only at

Tourney nor those species also recorded with another lot were
water birds.

Only the wood duck and the red-wing, common to

all three woodlots, might be considered as birds associated with
water.
However, water is not only Important in the lives of those
species considered aquatic or semt-aquatfc;

tt is an important

factor In the lives of many other species.

Certain arboreal

species which do not ordinarily descend to the ground may depend
on small pockets of rainwater in leaves and branches or moisture

64

fn their food; however, many species regularly visit pools,
springs, and streams specially to drink (Thomson, 1964).
Certainly the lack of water can place a hardship on many species,
forcing them to travel to areas outside their territories for
water.

Such travels, particularly if they involve flying,

beyond the boundaries of a woodlot, would expose the bird to
unnecessary dangers, especially if water was its only reason
for making the trip.

Thus the presence of standing water In a

woodlot is a benefit to many of the resident birds, and may
even promote higher densities.

This fact is discussed by

Odum (1950) who states that so much emphasis has been placed
on temperature as a factor controlling the distribution and
abundance of birds that the importance of the water factor has
been overlooked.

In addition to the importance of standing

water for drinking, is its effect on moderating temperatures,

in

producing more luxuriant vegetation with a consequent greater
variety of niches, and in increasing food.

Woodlots vs. Residential Areas as Blrd Habltats

The destruction of the three study areas would of necessity
require the species and individuals to utilize other areas.
Certain species, especially those which were partial to the
edges, could successfully inhabit in residential areas.

At

least 25 species recorded as summer residents in the three woodlots
have been observed as nesting birds in urban residential areas

65
in Illinois (Graber and Graber, 1963)

(Table 16).

However,

from 75-80 percent of the individuals were of only four species,
house sparrow, robin, starling, and rock dove.

In comparing

the urban summer residents with the twenty most common summer
residents in the three study areas (Table I7)» it appears that
most woodlot birds are at a competitive disadvantage In urban
areas.

The natural areas, as represented in the woodlots, seem

to provide a competitive advantage to native species over
Introduced species.
from urbanization.

Only the robin appears to benefit significantly
Whereas there were 36 breeding species

In the 60 acres of the study areas, a total of only 28 species
were recorded in 333 urban acres (Graber and Graber, 1963)*
Species not recorded as urban residents, but present in the three
woodlots Indluded:

ring-necked pheasant, woodcock, yellow­

billed cuckoo, ruby-throated hummingbird, ha Iry woodpecker,
eastern kingbird, acadian flycatcher, least flycatcher, blackcapped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, brown thrasher, cedar
waxwing, yellow-throated vireo, red-winged blackbird, baltlmore
oriole, rose-breasted grosbeak,

indigo bunting, goldfinch, and

field sparrow.
Woodlot destruction would also adversely affect transients
which depend upon woodlots for shelter and food.

Although these

items might be found In residential areas, woodlots provide more
continuous and extensive habitats for these species.

Heavy uses

66
Table 16.

Summer Avifauna of Illinois Urban Res IdentI a
(Birds per 100 Afcres)

SPECIES

NORTHERN
ZONE

r

CENTRAL
ZONE

House Sparrow

435

378

271

StarlIng

121

119

180

132

109

102

Common Grackle

96

27

22

Rock Dove

69

40

38

Mourning Dove

31

38

17

Chimney Swift

14

27

24

B1ue Jay

16

16

21

House Wren

17

13

16

Catblrd

1

4

22

Cardinal

6

4

9

Yellow-shafted Flicker

6

8

4

Brown Thrasher

1

4

3

Robin

Great-crested Flycatcher

•

----

5

Tufted-Ti tmouse

5

Chipping Sparrow

3

Eastern Wood Pewee

1

1

1

Red-headed Woodpecker

----

2

Wood Thrush

----

2

WarblIng VIreo

1

1

Downy Woodpecker

1

1

Red-eyed VIreo

1

1

Brown-headed CowbIrd

----

Rufous-sided Towhee

----

Song Sparrow

1

1
1

67
Table 17.

Twenty Most Common Summer Residents In the Three Study
Areas

SPECIES

RANK

TOTAL NUMBER
OF SIGHTINGS

NUMBER OF MONTHS
RECORDED

1

Blue Jay

86

12

2

Cardinal

82

11

3

Song Sparrow

71

12

4

StarlIng

69

12

5

Red-winged Blackbird

68

9

6

Tufted Titmouse

67

12

7

White-breasted Nuthatch

60

12

8

Goldfinch

59

11

9

Grackle

59

8

10

Crow

58

12

11

Robin

54

9

12

Ring-necked Pheasant

53

12

13

Yellow-shafted Flicker

53

9

14

Black-capped Chickadee

52

11

15

Downy Woodpecker

51

12

16

Mourning Dove

48

11

17

Catblrd

37

6

18

Hairy Woodpecker

27

11

19

Cowb!rd

26

4

20

Indigo Bunting

22

4

68
of Insecticides and domestic cats are often added dangers
encountered In residential districts.

It Is also questionable

whether urban areas would provide habitats attractive to many
of the birds classed as visitors.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS WITH
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Summary and Conclusions

An Indication of the Importance of woodlots to the
avifauna of southeastern Michigan Is that 121 species
representing 15 orders and 36 families were recorded from the
three study areas during 1968.

If one considers that Zimmerman

and Van Tyne (1959) list a total of 339 species from 17 orders
and 5*+ families which have been recorded in Michigan,

it is

evident that the 60 acres In this study provided habitats for
a substantial portion of the species known from the state in
1959*

This amounted to 36 percent of the species tn 88 percent

of the orders and 67 percent of the families with many of those
not recorded In the study areas characteristic of the larger
bodies of water of the Great Lakes, the northern boreal areas,
and the prairies of the southwestern portions of Michigan.
*

The recording of such a large number of species In a
limited area supports the conclusions of Graber and Graber (1963)
in their work in Illinois, which indicate that the forest has
the greatest avifaunal variety of any habitat In that state,
although five others (urban residential areas, marshes, shrublands,
orchards, and field crop areas) support larger populations.

69

70
This would enhance the general relationship which has been
found between habitat complexity and faunal diversity.

However,

with the low frequency of occurrence In many species (69 were
seen on fewer than ten visits In the three woodlots combined)
Indicative in many cases of 1ow populat ion levels, it can be
concluded that these forms would be more affected by habitat
loss and deterioration than species with higher population
levels.
I feel that there Is sufficient evidence from this study
to conclude that there are differences In avifauna between
various woodlots.

It would be naive to presume that the three

woodlots used in this study are anything more than representatives
of three basic types of woodlots which are found in southeastern
Michigan: Beech-Maple, Oak-HIckory, and Silver Maple-Amerlean
Elm.

With the rather unique character of each woodlot due to

Its size, vegetative composition, amount of dead timber, character
of the surrounding areas, and amount of standing water, the
avian species composition probably* varies to a greater or lesser
degree with each woodlot in southeastern Michigan.

By knowing

the characteristics of the woodlot and having a knowledge of
the life histories of local birds, it should be possible to
predict which woodlots will support populations of which species of
birds.
In addition to differences in species composition between
the woodlots, there were also evidences of habitat preference

71
within the woodlots.

Certain species preferred open areas;

others remained close to water; while a few were mostly seen in
or near conifers.

Information of this sort is valuable in

evaluating which habitat factors in a woodlot are influencing the
presence of certain birds. In noting these preference,

I see

an opportunity in lands not dedicated as "natural11 areas to
promote woodlot birds in the same manner in which game biologists
have manipulated thetr lands to produce high yields of game
species.

McAtee (1918) makes a similar proposal for a variety

of public and private lands.

A manipulation of plant species,

water availability, etc. of woodlots could Increase species
diversity in many cases.
1.

Several which I consider impartant are:

Planting of conifers.

Conifers provide food and

shelter for many species, as well as ameliorating the effects
of wind upon the interior of the woodlot if planted on the
periphery.
2.

Artificial openings.

Openings in more extensive

woodlands increase the edge and promote species favoring such
situations,
3.

including robins, catbirds, and cardinals.
Increasing water.

The damming of streams and springs

can create Impoundments which provide habitat's for water-loving
birds (herons, rails, sandpipers, water-thrushes, and ducks).
A secondary aspect might be the increase In dead timber caused
by the rising water, favoring woodpeckers, tree swallows, and
other hole-nesting species.

72
4.

Planting of food plants for birds (honeysuckle,

multiflora rose, corn, hlghbush cranberry).

These provide nest

sites for edge species, plus an added food supply to maintain
winter bird populations.
5.

Increasing the amount of dead standing timber.

Woodpeckers plus other cavity nesters would benefit.
be Important In young, even-aged stands of trees.

This would

The erection

of nest boxes might be another way in which this could be
accomplIshed.
The implementation of any of these procedures would
certainly assist the avian residents of southeastern Michigan
woodlots.

The results of this study indicate that these birds

are present In great variety and often in large numbers.

Thus

woodlots are important habitats for birds and should be given
important consideration for preservation as natural areas.

RecommendatIon for the Future

it is evident that the clearing of the forests of Michigan
has brought about changes In the species composition and abundance
of birds In southeastern Michigan,

Forest dwellers have become

reduced or extirpated while the birds of the open areas and edges
have increased.

Some species, either not compatable with man's

Interests (certain hawks), or unable to adjust to the changes
wrought by man(sandhlli crane) have withdrawn to less densely
populated areas.

In the place of many of the more aesthetically

73
pleasing native birds, we have seen an increase in certain less
desirable native species, plus the three most common introduced
species, the house sparrow, rock dove, and starling.

In

attempting to reverse the deleterious effects of indiscriminate
land clearing,

I feel that It 'is important to conduct studies

such as this to determine what birds are present and how they
utilize their environment.

The natural history of our native

birds is poorly known, even of some of the most common species
(Batts, 1955)*

Thus,

it is important to conduct studies such

as this and those of Batts in Kalamazoo (1937) and Washtenaw
(1955 and 1961) Counties in order to determine the types of
habitats utilized by birds.

This information is. needed in

evaluating environments for future preservation, and is timely
now in view of the development of nature cefiters.
The woodlots and woodlands in southeastern Michigan
often consist of marginal

lands, not suited for economic development.

In the case of swampy and rocky lands, our present demands and/or
technology often do not justify their appropriation for man's use.
However, the demand for these lands will

increase as predictions

of future economic and population growth are realized.

Before

this land is blindly destroyed in the name of progress, some
efforts should be made to evaluate the potentialities of each
type of land as wildlife habitats or simply as natural areas.
Each acre of woodland has an inherent value as the home of wild-,
life which has evolved to live in that particular habitat.

Just as

7*t
the characteristics of the wooded land differ with each woodlot
or woods, so do certain of the faunai elements with narrow
habitat requirements.

Other species with broad habitat tolerances

or niches are widespread in a variety of types of woodlands.

The

species with the narrow habitat tolerances are in the greatest
danger of extirpation due to destruction of natural areas,
which would lead to a fulfillment of Graber and Graber's
(19&3) prediction that in the future bird numbers will continue
to increase while species diversity continues to decrease.
The effects of man's alteration of the environment upon
the native fauna are compounded by the speed at v^hich they are
taking place.

The great reduction of southeastern Michigan's

forest took only a few generations.

Although most living organisms

possess the ability to adapt to changing conditions, such changes
are long term processes especially in birds.

The rapid

reproduction of smaller organisms, which allows micro-organisms
to rapidly acquire resistance to antibiotics or insects to
acquire immunity to insecticides,

is not approached by birds.

In addition, some highly adapted species have less genetic
variability than others; they lack the raw material for successful
adaptation.

These species may be doomed if their habitats

are reduced beyond a critical

level.

The Kirtland's warbler is a

classic example of a species lacking the ability to adapt to
new or altered environments.

The chance of extinction of this

species is decreased by prescribed burnings of Jack-pines In the

75
species1 summer range,
conditions

In order to maintain the proper environmental

(Line, 1964).

Although few of our native woodland

bird species require the dramatic measures necessary in the case
of the Klrtland's warbler, the time is fast approaching when the
preservation of our woodlands may become a procedure necessary
to prevent a drastic reduction of avifaunal diversity in south­
eastern Michigan.
In the case of woodlot birds, especially smaller non­
passerines and passerines,
public in their welfare.

It Is difficult to interest the
Although for a number of years such

groups as the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club
have warned of a troubled future with respect to America's
natural

resources, there now appears to be an increased public

awareness of man's place In and responsibility for his
environment.

Increases in air and water pollution and pesticide

use are conspicuous examples of man's mistreatment of his world;
however,

I feel that these are no more serious than man's

Insidious encroachment upon his natural areas.

The Inter-State

Highway System, suburban sprawl, the growth of urban areas,
and more intensive farming practices rapidly have been reducing
the amount and variety of our open lands, and little thought has
been given to the consequences.

It is my hope that public

opinion can be turned in the direction of demanding an accounting
of the natural areas in the state's regions of high population
density.

If this does not occur, then there is a good possibility

76
that the future will iee large "sterile" areas surrounding
our urban centers where songbirds, especially nesting species,
will no longer abound in the diversity present today.

And these

will not have disappeared so much through the effects of air and
water pollution or pesticides-, as from lack of suitable places
to nest and raise their young.
This study indicates the diversity of avian species
which presently occurs in our small wooded areas.

It Is

certainly not feasible, however, to protect all the remaining
woodlots in southeastern Michigan.

Thus to belie the assertions

of many promoters and developers that "conservationists never
compromise" (Lindsay, Schmelz, and Nichols, 1969), I would
recommend that an effort be made to analyze additional wooded
areas such as those used in this study.

A sufficient number of

such studies could provide an adequate knowledge of the avifauna
of the woodlots of southeastern Michigan.

By knowing what

species occurred in what type of woodlots,

it would be possible

to evaluate the areas slated for destruction either by private
individuals or governmental agencies.

Although governmental

*

Inertia and bureaucracy make it difficult to alter government
projects, public opinion can overcome such difficulties.

In the

case of private concerns, the local unit of government's powers of
eminent domain might play a vital role In preserving much of
southeastern Michigan's. wooded areas for their avian residents,
as well as for the future generations who will want to enjoy
the aesthetic value of these birds.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Ornithologists Union.1957* Checklist of North American
Birds. Fifth Edltlon. The Lord Baltimore Press, Baltimore,
691 pp.,
Barrows, Walter 1912, Michigan Bird Life. 2 volumes, Michigan
Agricultural College, East Lansing, Michigan, 822 pp..
Batts, H. Lewis, Jr. 1955, "A Simple Study In Winter Bird Ecology",
Jack-Pine Warbler 33(4);
115-26.
— —

1957, "A Preliminary Report on Seasonal Distribution of
Birds in Kalamazoo County, Michigan", Jack-Pine Warbler
35(1): 9-13.

— — —

1961, "Nesting Success of Birds on a Farm In Southern
Michigan", Jack-Pine Warbler 39(2): 72-83.

Bent, Arthur Cleveland 1938, Life Histories of North American Birds
of Prey (Part 2 ) : Orders Falcon 1formes and Strlqiformes.
U.S. National Museum Builetin #170, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, 482 pp..
------ 1952, Life Histories of North American Flycatchers. Larks.
Swallows, and A 1 1 ies. U.S. National Museum Bulletin # 179,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., U.S. Government
Printing Office, 538 pp..
—

—

1968, Life Histories of North American Cardinals. Grosbeaks.
Buntings. Towhees. Finches. Sparrows. and A ! 1ies. U.S.
National Museum Bulletin #237 (3 parts), Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing
Office, 1889 p p . .

Braun, E. Lucy 1964, Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America^
Hafner Publishing Co., New York, 596 pp..
Bryant, Robert Louis 1963, The Lowland Hardwood Forests of Ingham
County. Michigan: Their Structure and Ecology. Ph.D.
Thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

77

78
Cafn, Stanley A. 1935, "Studies on Virgin Hardwood Forest III:
Warren's Woods, A Beech-Maple Climax Forest.in Berrien
County, Michigan", Ecology 16: 500-13.
Cleland, Charles Edward 1966, The Prehistoric Animal Ecology and
Ethnozoology of the Upper Great Lakes Region. University of
Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 294 p p ..
Cunningham, R.N. 19^6, 1940 Distribution of Forests in Michiganfmap).
Wayne State University Press, Detroit.
Day, Gordon M. 1953* "The Indian as an Ecological Factor in the
Northeast Forest", Ecology 34(2): 329-46.
Graber, Richard R. and Jean W. 1983. "A Comparative Study of Bird
Populations in Illinois, 1906-1909 and 1956-58", Builetin
of M 1 1nols Natural History Survey 28(3):
383-528.
Johnson, Oscar W. 1958, "Observations on a Colony of Bank Swallows
near East Lansing, Michigan", Jack-Pine Warbler 36(4):
173-77*
Kendelgh, S. Charles 1944, "Measurement of Bird Populations",
Ecological Monographs 14(1): 67-106.
Lay, Daniel W. 1938, "How Valuable are Wooded Clearings to
Bird Life?", Wilson Bulletin 50: 254-56.
Leopold, Aldo 1933. Game Management. C. Scribner's and Sons,
New York, 481 pp..
Lindsey, Alton A., Damian V. Schmelz, and Stanley A. Nichols I969>
Natural Areas in Indiana and Thei r Preservation. Indiana
Natural Area Survey, Department of Biological Science,
Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana.
Linduska, Joseph P., editor 1964, Waterfowl Tomorrow. U.S.
Department of the Interior, Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C., 770 pp..
Line, Les 1964, "The Bird Worth a Forest Fire", Audubon 66(6):
370-375.
MacArthur, R.H. and J.W. 1961, "On Bird Species Diversity", Ecology
42; 594-98.

79

McAtee, W.L. 1918, "Attracting Birds to Public and Semipublic
Reservations", U.S.D.A. Bui let in #715, Washington, D.C.
—

1926, "The Relation of Birds to Wood lots In New York
State", Roosevelt Wildlife Bulletin 4: 7-157.

Mendal1, Howard L. 1958, The Ring-necked Duck in the Northeast.
University Press, Orono, Maine, 317 pp..
Michigan Department of Conservation, Forest Survey. 1950-55.
Odum, Eugene P. 1950, "Bird Population of the Highlands (North
Carolina) Plateau in Relation to Plant Succession and
Avian Invasion", Ecology 31: 587-605 .
Parmelee, George Wyman 1953, The Oak Upland Continuum in Southern
Mlchigan, Ph.D. Thesis, Michigan State College, East
Lansing, Michigan.
Pough, Richard H. 1946, Audubon Land Bird Guide. Doubleday and Co.,
Garden City, New York, 3T2 pp..
—

1951, Audubon Water Bird Guide. Doubleday and Co., Garden
City, New York, 352 pp..

Quick, B.E. 1923, "A Comparative Study of the Distribution of the
ClImas Association in Southern Michigan", Papers. Michigan
Academy of Science. Ar t s . and Letters 3: 211-44.
Schneider, Gerhardt 1963, A Twenty Year Ecological Investigation In
a_ Relatively Und 1sturbed Sugar Maple-Beech Stand 1n
Southern Michigan. Ph.D. Thesis, Michigan State University,
East Lansing, Michigan.
- 1966, "A Twenty Year Ecological Investigation in a Relatively
Undisturbed Sugar Maple-Beech Stand in Southern Michigan",
MSU Agricultural Experimental Station Research Bulletin #15,
61 pp..
Smith, Robert Leo 1966, Ecology and Field Biology. Harper and Row,
Publishers, New York, 086 pp..
Society of American Foresters 1932, "Forest Cover Types of the
Eastern United States: Report of the Committee of
Forest Types", Journal of Forestry 30: 451-98.
Thomson, Sir Arthur L. 1964, New Dictionary of Birds. Nelson and
Sons, London, 928 pp..

80
Van Tyne, Josselyn 1938, Checklist of the Birds of Michigan.
Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, #329, 1938.
Van Tyne, Josselyn and Andrew J. Berger 1961, Fundamentals of
Ornlthology. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 62^ pp..
Veatch, J.O. 1953, Solis and Land of Michigan. Michigan State
College Press, East Lansing, Michigan, 2k) pp..
Walklnshaw, Lawrence H. 1966, "Studies on the Acadian Flycatcher
In Michigan", Bird Banding 37(4): 227-57.
Wallace, George J. 1969, Personal Communication.
Wetgand, John D. 1967, "Ferruginous Hawk Attacks Great Horned
Owl". The Auk 8*»(3): ^33.
Welty, Joel Carl 1962, The L 1fe of B1rds. W.B. Saunders, Co.,
Philadelphia, 5^6 PP •.
Wood, Lamar M. 1930, Silvicultural Management of the Oak-Hlckorv
Forest Type In Southern Michigan. Masters Thesis, Michigan
State College, East Lansing, Michigan.
Zimmerman, Dale A. and Josselyn Van Tyne 1939, A Distributional
Checklist of the Birds of Michigan. Occasional Papers
of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, Michigan, #608, 63 pp..

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

Accounts of Species

The following species accounts include a record of the
days on which each species was seen or heard tn the three
woodlots.

The accounts also Include a record of the activities

of the birds and the locations in the lots where they were
found.

Any intra- or interspecific interactions which I felt

warranted description were Included.
As has been indicated previously, the absence of a
species from any wood lot does not mean that It did not or could
not occur there.

It only means that it was not observed there

by me during my study.

An example Is the golden-crowned kinglet

which was "absent" from Red Cedar Woodlot in 1968, but was
seen there on April 12, 1969*

However, the species accounts

do provide a record of the utilization of the three woodlots
by the 121 species which were recorded in them during 1968.

81

82
POD 1C IPEDI FORMES

POD IClPEDI DAE
Pied-billed Grebe - Podlivmbus pod Iceps
Red Cedar
March 14

Tourney
No record

Floodings
April 7
May 3
June 4, 17
August 1
September 3, 12,
19 , 28
October 2, 11

A single individual was seen on the Red Cedar River on
March 14, in company with nine mallards (4 dtf and 5 99). one cT
black duck, and one 9 gadwall.

This probably represented a

visitor.
The pied-billed grebe was a summer resident at the Floodings
with at least one brood of two young seen on June 4 swimming
20-60 yards off the south shore.

Grebes were seldom seen closer

than 20 yards from shore, except on September 28, when a pair was
seen within 6 feet of shore, and also on October 2, when one
individual was sighted in the cattails near the southwest point.
No more than four grebes were seen on any one day.

Cl CON 11 FORMES

ARDEIDAE
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodtas

83
Tourney
No record

Red Cedar
August 4, 23
September 7

Floodings
March 27, 28
May 3, 5, 21
June 17
July 2, 25
August 1, 6
September 3, 12, 28
October 2

Single individuals were sighted In Red Cedar Woodlot on
three occasions.

The first sighting, on August 4, was of an

immature individual possibly hunting at the northeast end of the
pond.

The second and third sightings were of adults, one of

which flew into the area of the pond and could not be located
later; the other flew in from the west and perched
the east end of the pond..

In a tree at

It is possible that the presence of

these birds may have been in response to the construction of a
section of Interstate k$6 through a sizable area of swampy
woodland for several miles west of the lot.
The great blue heron Is a breeding bird In the swampy and
marshy areas near the Floodings.

The first birds were seen in

the vicinity of the lot on March 27, 28, with three feeding along
the shores of the east pond on the latter date.
Immature individual was sighted on August 1.
were seen on August 6 and September 3.

The first

Later immature birds

In general,

the birds were

observed along the shores of the ponds among the cattails, and
also standing In the many dead trees which lie next to the east
side of the lot and to the south.

No nesting sites could be

84

located from the shores of the lot.
Great blue herons were never observed together but were
always well separated.

The only Interaction noted between

great blues and other birds occurred on May 5 when a low flying
individual was chased by two redwings.
These great birds were extremely wary in both localities
and took flight readily.

It would appear from this behavior

that nesting success might easily be jeopardized through
interference by man's activities.

Green Heron - ButorIdes vlrescens
Red Cedar
April 30

Tourney
No record

Floodings
May 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 2, 17
August 1, 6
September 3. 12,
19, 28

The only green heron observed In Red Cedar Woodlot was
seen on April 30.
horizontal
pond.

It flew In from the river and landed on a

limb of a large maple tree at the east end of the

It perched on the limb 10 feet from the ground and close

to the trunk.
Green herons were common summer residents at the Floodings.
They were seen feeding along the marshy shores both In dense
vegetation and in exposed areas.

From May through July, no more

than two herons were seen per visit, often perched from 20-35
feet high in dead trees along the shore.

85
More birds were seen during August and September with a
maximum of 10 on August 6.

They often were observed roosting

9-15 feet up in leaved-out red maples along the north end of the
lot.
When present in a group-, there were often encounters
between individuals; one would chase another through the branches
of a tree.

Often these encounters terminated only when one bird

would take flight to another tree.
When surprised while perched, the green herons would
either "freeze" or they would take flight, calling loudly until
they reached another perch.

Their calls often served to warn

other birds, which would become alerted or would take flight.

American Bittern - Botaurus lentlqinosus
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
May 22

An American bittern was heard calling along the east shore
of the east pond at the Floodings on May 22.

ANSERI FORMES

ANATIDAE

Mai lard - Anas platyrhynchos

86
Red Cedar
March T47 18, 26
April 5, 30
May 1, 15
June 11

Tourney
No record

Floodings
March 22, 27
April 7, 12
May 3, 5
June 4
July 2
August 1
September 3» 12, 19*
28
October 2, 11, 16
November 10

Mallards were spring residents In Red Cedar Woodlot, but
were not seen after the middle of June.

Semi-domestic mallards

are year-round residents on the Red Cedar River, due to feeding
of these ducks on the MSU campus.
Individuals

and 5??)

This may account for the 9

seen on March 14 (see Pied-billed Grebe).

Mallards were seen singly or In pairs In the pond during the months
of March through June.
On May 1, one female was seen swimming downstream on the
river trailed by 15 young.

They appeared to be several days old

and may have been hatched from a nest along the banks of the
river.

Young were not later seen.
The first mallards were seen at the Floodings on March 14

with 2 dtf and a

seen in the company of 18 ring-necked ducks, 12

buffleheads, 2 black ducks, 2 hooded mergansers, and 4 baldpates.
Mallards were residents of the areas south of the woodlot for 9
months.

In general they were confined to the regions of downed

timber and were seldom seen In open water.
During the summer months all mallards were females or
males in eclipse plumage.

Males were seen only on March 22, 27;

87
April 7; May 5; June k; September 28; and October 11, 16.

No

young were seen at any time during the year, although It Is
presumed that the swampy areas south of the lot may have produced
some broods of mallards.

The mallard was the most common duck in

the area during 1988; although there were times during migration
when they were outnumbered by other species.
The presence of hunters in October led to a drastic
reduction in the number of sightings, and an increased wariness
of the remaining individuals.

Black Duck - Anas rubripes
Red Cedar
March 14

Tourney
No record

A single
female

mallard.

mallards,

Floodings
March 22
April 12
September 3» 12, 19,
28

drake was seen on March 14 in the company of a
This pair was part of a larger group of 8

I female gadwall, and 1 pied-billed grebe, which was

swimming along a portion of the Red Cedar River.
On March

22, a pair of black ducks was seen on

pond at the Floodings (see Mallard).

A pair was also

the west
seen flying

west from the southwest point.
The blacks seen In September consisted of single individuals
except for four, observed feeding 75 yards off the south shore
t
on September 28. The single Individual seen on September 13 was
in company with 10 mallards, one scaup, and two pied-billed

88
grebes.

AM

14 were in the area of a number of prostrate logs, on

which they were resting, and around which they were feeding.

Gadwal1 - Anas strepera
Red Cedar
March

Tourney
No record

Floodings
No record

The lone gadwal1 sighted during 1968 was seen on the
Red Cedar River on March 14 (see Pied-billed Grebe).

Zimmerman

and Van Tyne (1959) describe the gadwal1 as an uncommon transient
and Fts scarcity at the Red Cedar Woodlot plus Its absence at
the Floodings agrees with this determination.

Blue-winged Teal - Anas dlscors
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Although the blue-winged teal

Floodlnqs
May 3, 5
August 1
September 3, 12, 19,
28
October 2, 11
is recorded as a nesting

bird in the East Lansing area (Van Tyne, 1938), no nesting
blue-wings were recorded for the area immediately adjacent to the
Floodings in 1968, although they have nested previously (Wallace, 1969)
The blue-winged teals were characteristically late in arriving
(Barrows, 1912), and when first seen, they were exhibiting
eptgamic behavior.

On May 3, two males and one female were seen

at the north end of the east pond in ah area of rapid encroach­
ment by cattails and other marsh plants.

One male chased the other

until both took flight, whereupon the aggressive male returned.

1

89
A previously hidden female swam slowly to him after about k5
seconds during which time a number of low calls were emitted.
On Hay 5* a single male was seen on the west pond.
During the late summer and fall, blue-wtnged teals were
seen in the areas south of the woodlot, often in the company of
mallards, and on one occasion (August I) a scaup.

The ducks were

either feeding near logs or lily pads, or they were resting on
the many logs.

The only sizable number of blue-wings was seen

October 2 when 20 individuals were seen in three groups of 12,
2, and 8 .

The group of two was in association with two baldpates

and two coots.

American Widgeon-

Mareca amertcana

Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
March 22
April 7
September 28
October 2

The American widgeon or baldpate was present at the
Floodings as a spring and fall migrant.

Four males were seen

on March 22 (see Mallard); and a single male was sighted flying
from the west pond on April 7*
A lone male was seen swimming in the middle of the west
pond on September 28.

The only females observed were two

swimming along the east shore of the east pond.

They took

flight at my approach and circled for five minutes before
landing again.

90
Wood Duck - Alx sponsa
Red Cedar
AprlTTT

Tourney
May 8 , 18

Floodings
April 12
May 3
June 4, 17
August 6
September 12, 19, 28

The only wood ducks In Red Cedar were a pair seen on
April 14, which were on the ground In the middle of the lot near
the vernal pond.

They took flight, heading north and east.

On May 8 , a pair of wood ducks was seen flying from north
to south In Tourney Woodlot.

The birds were seen Investigating a

hole in a large maple, approximately 40 feet In the air and 70
yards from the small pond up the west hill.
pair was seen swimming on the pond.

Ten days later, a

The mate followed the female,

giving a series of head bobs, which the female repeated.

The

male grabbed the female twice by the neck and the back.
Subsequent examinations of the tree and observations of the pond
did not reveal any further signs of nesting.
that they did not nest In the woodlot.

It was assumed

Although there are numerous

hollow trees, the pond may have not been large enough to
accomodate the female and her young safely.
Nest boxes have been erected at the Floodings, and whether
they were used or not, at least one brood of wood ducks was
produced at the Floodings.

On June 4, a female with eight

young was seen swimming leisurely along the east side of the
lot.

On August 6 , three wood ducks, a female and possibly two

91
young, were observed resting on two exposed logs along the east
side of the lot.

They took flight after the excited calls of

a fleeing great blue heron.
In September adult and young wood ducks were seen in the
waters surrounding the lot In the company of mallards, and
biue-winged teals.

There were approximately 10 wood ducks at

the Floodings during September.

Ring-necked Duck - Avthva col laris
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
March 22
April 7, 12
May 3, 5
June k

Prior to 1925 the ring-necked duck was not known to
nest in Michigan.

The breeding range was from Minnesota and

Wisconsin north and west through the prairies, as well as tn
scattered areas in the west (Mendai1, 1958).

Barrows (1912)

notes that the migration was most common between March 20 and
April 10 In the spring and in September and October in the fall.
In recent years, the rlng-neck has substantially expanded its
breeding range eastward until

it now breeds in Michigan, Ontario,

New York, and as far east as Nova Scotia.

Zimmerman and

Van Tyne (1959) list breeding records of this species from
Dickinson, Alger, Roscommon, Schoolcraft, Mackinac, Chippewa,
and Kalkaska Counties.
The rlng-neck was a breeding bird of the wet areas
surrounding the Floodings.

The large group of 18 ring-necks

92
( !0 dtf and 8 99) had dispersed by May 3 until only a single pair
was present.

On June 4, a female with 7 young was seen swimming

in dense cover off the southwest point.

This was the last

record of ring-necks In the area for 1968.

Since the normal

incubation is 26-27 days (Mendal1, 1958) and the young were
probably 2-3 days old when observed,

it would appear that

Incubation was initiated on or about May 7.

Mendal 1 (1958)

notes that although egg laying Is recorded from as early as
May 1, it usually does not start before the second week In May.
If one assumes one egg layed per day, egg laying in the pair
at the Floodings may have begun on May 1 or before if more than

8 eggs were layed.
Lesser Scaup - Avthva affinis
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodlngs
May 3
August 1
September 3 1 28

The lesser scaup was a spring migrant at the Floodings
with three males sighted on the west pond on May 3.

Later In

August, a female was observed swimming on the south pond In the
company of a female blue-winged teal, and near a larger group of
mallards and blue-wtngs.

A single female was seen on September 3

in the company of 10 mallards, a black, and 2 pied-billed grebes.
Larger numbers were seen September 28 when a raft of 12 was seen
in the cattails and downed trees south of the lot.

93
Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
March 22

The bufflehead was a spring migrant in the area of the
Floodings, occurring on March 22 when 6 pairs of buffleheads
»

were seen In the company of 6 other species of ducks (see
Mallard).

Hooded Merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

FIoodi ngs
March 22
April 7
May 5

Although the hooded merganser was a spring migrant
at the Floodings, there is a question of whether it may also
be a nesting bird in some years.

Although Barrows (1912)

restricts the breeding areas to wooded streams, Pough (1951)
suggests that this species will nest In hollow trees associated
with both running and still waters.

If wood ducks can find

suitable nesting cavities at the Floodings, possibly hooded
mergansers may also.
One pair of mergansers was seen on March 22 in a larger
group of six species (see Mallard).

On April 7» a group of two

males and three females was observed south of the lot sitting
on exposed logs and quietly swimming.

A larger group of six

or more females was observed In the same area on May 5.

s*
FALCON IFORMES

ACC IPITRI DAE
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Acclplter strlatus
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Flood!nos
September 19» 28

A single sharp-shinned hawk was observed on September
19 flying across the water south of the lot at a height of from
5-10 feet.

It was being pursued by a crow which was giving the

'^lobbing" call, typically heard when crows are attacking a
great horned owl.
On September 28 an immature Individual was seen perched
about 20 feet high on a limb of a large dead tree, south of the
woodlot.

On four separate occasions this bird stooped at a

kingfisher perched In an adjacent tree.

Each time the kingfisher

eluded the hawk by flying close to the water's surface.
the fourth "attack" both birds flew to the west.

After

Later the hawk

was observed sitting In the original tree with its wings and tail
spread in the sun.

It appeared that these "attacks" may have

been done more In play than in earnest, as most were what might
be described as leisurely in nature.

The fact that this was

a young bird also gives credence to the thought that the hawk
was sharpening its flying skills at the expense of the harassed,
but unhurt kingfisher.

95
Cooper's Hawk - Acciptter cooper 11
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
December

Floodings
March 22

7

On March 22, a single Individual was seen flying over
the fields to the west of the Floodings.
A single adult Cooper's hawk was observed on December 7
perched In a tree at the corner of the road west of Tourney
Woodlot.

After approximately 10 minutes It flew to the conifers

at the west end of the lot and landed In the pines.
to the original

It returned

roosting tree 5 minutes later.

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo lamafcensls
Red Cedar
March 26
May 31
August U

Tourney
January II
July 30
December 7

Floodings
January 23
June 17
July 25
September 28

Lone red-tatls were observed In Red Cedar Woodlot on three
occasions In 1968.

The March 26 record was of an individual

circling In a clock-wise direction at a height of 50 feet In a
30 yard circle.

On May 31 four grackles. were seen chafing an

adult red-tail.

The August sighting involved a bird perched 35

feet up In a tree along the south road.

The bird flew at my

approach towards the northeast end of the lot.

Later It was seen

perched In another tree close to a group of playing children,
whose shouts did not appear to frighten the. bird.
The January and July red-tails at the Tourney Woodlot were
seen flying over the:lot.

The December sighting involved a

96
red-tall working with a large group of crows In mobbing a great
horned owl.

As the owl was fleeing from the crows, the hawk

took one swipe at it.

After following it for approximately

75 yards, the hawk flew to the north and left the owl to the
crows.

Weigand (1967) has a recent account of the attack of a

ferruginous hawk (Buteo veqalis) on a great horned owl which might
indicate that such attacks by buteos are not uncommon.

Red-tails

have been recorded as nesting In Tourney Woodlot (Wallace, 1969).
At the Floodings,

red-tailed hawks were seen perched on

stumps at the edge of the lot in January and June.

The January

bird was the only species sighted in the lot on that date.
both cases the birds took flight when

In

I approached.

The July and September records involved hearing red-tails
cal 1 Ing.

Broad-winged Hawk - Buteo playtpterus
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
September 28

One individual was seen circling in a counter-clockwise
direction over the north section of the Floodings at a height
of 150-200 feet on September 28.

It flew rapidly to the west

when a group of four crows began to fly in its direction.

8ald Eagle - Hallaeetus leucocephal us

97
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
June k

A single Immature bald eagle was observed at the Floodings
on June 4.

At 8:50 A.M. the bird appeared to the north of the

east pond and was flying in a southerly direction.
mobbed by 12-15 redwings and grackles.
at a height of 18 feet until

It was being

The bird continued south

It reached the water's edge, at which

time it descended to just above the surface and flew slowly
looking from side to side.

After approximately 75 yards, It lowered

its legs and snagged a 6-8 inch bullhead.
to a horizontal

The eagle took the fish

limb of a dead tree 50 yards off the east shore

and consumed it in 7 minutes.

When finished, the bird took

flight and headed leisurely towards the south and was not seen
again.
The bald eagle, which was originally widely distributed
over the state, was severely reduced In numbers by the early
1900's (Barrows, 1912).

Inroads on the population by poachers,

and more recently by the effects of pesticides have reduced
the numbers to a point where each sighting Is noteworthy.
Although the bird Is not rare in southern Michigan, this
observation is worthy of mention as it is quite far south of the
nesting areas In the northern Lower Peninsula.

GALL IFORMES

PHASIANIDAE
Bobwhlte - ColInus virglnlanus

98
Red Cedar
No record

Toume
June
September 17

*

Floodings
August 1

On June 6 , a single bird was heard calling in the field
south of Tourney Woodlot.

The September 17 bird was calling

at the northwest end near the pines.
At the Floodings, the only bobwhite was observed in the
corn patch at the northwest end of the lot.

Ring-necked Pheasant - Phaslanus colchlcus
Red Cedar
January 21
February 18, 27
March 7, 1^, 18, 26
April 5, 1**, 23, 26, 30
May 1, 8 , 15, 19, 25, 31
June 1, 7, II, 23
July 7, 26
August k
September 25
October 8 , 13, 20
November 23
December 9

Tourney
January k, 11, 21
February 2, 13, 20
March 10, 16
April 10
May 29
December 11

Floodings
January 25
March 5, 11, 22
October 2, 11, 16*
November 25
December 8, 11

Ring-necked pheasant or evidences of their presence were
found in Red Cedar Woodlot in all twelve months of 1968.

During

the first three months of the year, tracks were noted In all
sections of the lot, including along both trails, the heavy
timber at the east end, and the more open woods at the west
end bordering on the fields.

One male and seven females were

observed along the. south trail on February 18.

This group

probably represented most of the pheasants In the lot during the
winter months.
During the spring months of April, May, and June, fewer

99
birds were seen; however, It appeared from the number of males
heard calling that there had been an Influx of two or three males.
Three and possibly four were heard calling on May 1.

It

appeared that the males were located near the four corners of
the lot.

On June 23, seven yourrg were flushed from the grass

along the fence at the west end of the lot.

During the second

three months males

were seen on several occasions; however, vocal

identification was

usedIn most cases.

Tracks were seen in

the

mud along the trails, and It appeared that the birds often travelled
these pathways.
Observations dur.tng the last six months of the year were
less frequent.

A dust bath area was found along the bank of the

river at the edge of the open area on the east end of the north
trail.

Birds were more frequently seen or heard at the west end

of the lot.

In December there appeared to be a great deal of

activity in the grassy region under the power lines, as evidenced
by tracks and droppings.
In Tourney, the ring-necked pheasant was confined mostly to
the regions of the conifers at the east and west end of the lot.
No birds were heard or observed in the interior portions.

Three

males were in residence at the west end of the lot during the
winter months.

They were frequently seen feeding in the fields

north and west of the lot, and upon being frightened would seek
refuge in the dense spruces and pines along the western border.
Only one female was observed at the west end.

One male and at

100
least three females wintered In the conifers at the east end.
The females often were flushed from the branches of spruces
where they had been roosting.

All were below 10 feet.

Forms were

also discovered under the trees, and on one occasion a pheasant
was flushed from one of these depressions.

Birds were observed

flying into the lot from fields at the east end of the lot.
A dead female was found on March 10.

Pheasants were neither seen

nor heard during the summer and fall months.
The only pheasant found at the Floodings during the winter
months was a dead female on the Ice 15 feet from the east shore.
All that remained of the bird were several
sternum, and numerous feathers.

long bones, the

Bird droppings were found near

the body.
In March a male was heard calling along the north border of
the lot on March 5, and on March 11 and 22 and a male and four
females were seen in the corn field northwest of the lot.

All

other sightings took place in the corn area with probably no more
than one male involved.
It would appear that in those woodlots with no openings In
the interior, the Floodings and Tourney, that pheasants avoid the
central portions of those lots.

Instead their activities are

confined to the peripheral areas, particularly the conifer areas
in the case of Tourney.

The large open areas interspersing the

woods at Red Cedar seem to attract pheasants with the birds more
prone to travel
other two lots.

in the interior regions of Red Cedar than in the

101
GRUI FORMES

GRUIDAE
Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

FIoodlnos
March 28

Two were seen at the Floodings on March 28.

When first

sighted from Woodbury Road, they were flying in a southwesterly
direction towards the Rose Lake Station on Stoll Road, where
they frequent the nearby marshes.

Approximately 10 minutes

later, at 6:35 A.M., two sandhills, probably the same birds,
were observed wading In the cattails at the northwest end of the
lot.

At my approach they took flight and flew at kO feet in a

westerly direction uttering a series of "cuk-cuk-cuk" calls.
From checking with the staff at the Rose Lake Station,
It appears that this was the first sighting in the InghamShtawassee County area in 1968.

The usual date of arrival

Is

March 15-30.

RALL1DAE
Virginia Rail - Ral1us IImtcola
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
May 3

A single Virginia rail was flushed from the cattails along
the west side of the lot.

It flew for about 6 feet and then

disappeared in the heavy vegetation.

Although it was not seen

again, Barrows (1912) notes that the species probably nest

102
wherever found.

Wallace (1969) found a Virginia rail nest

with 11 eggs at the Floodings on Hay Z k t 1961.

Sora Rail - Porzana carolIna
Red Cedar
No record

Floodings
May 3, 21, 22
September 12

Toumey
July 7

The sora recorded from Toumey Woodlot was heard calling
In the grassy area at the southeast portion of the lot.

The

severe rains of late June had flooded this field to a depth of
several feet with standing water present in all low-lying areas.
This bird was apparently a visitor taking advantage of the
fortuitous increas in swampy conditions.
Soras were frequently heard calling in the marsh vegetation
west of the lot at the Floodings during May, although none were
seen.

On September 12, a bird was observed moving in the cattails

on the far side of the south channel.

This species was probably

a summer resident at the Floodings with the lack of sightings due
to its secretive habits and the fact that the marshy areas were
not explored beyond what could be seen from the shore.

Common Galtlnule - Gal I Inula chloropus
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
No record

Floodings
May 3» 21
September 19, 28
October 2

The common galltnule, along with the sora, coot, and
Virginia rail,

Is a summer resident at the Floodings whose lack

of mid-summer sightings was due to the species' secretive habits.

103
Galttnules were generally confined to the marshy edges of the
ponds where they were observed feeding.

On one occasion,

September 19* several were feeding around the edges of some
exposed logs In close proximity to 8 mallards with others feeding
30-40 yards from shore and shelter.

Coot - FulIca amerIcana
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
No record

Floodings
April 7
May 22
June 17
July 2, 16, 25
September 12, 19* 28
October 2, 11, 16

Coots were seen and heard at the Floodings during the late
spring, summer, and early fall.

Activity was generally confined

to dense vegetation at the edges of the ponds.

Only on September

19 was an Individual seen far from shore, and it was.approximately
75 yards from the edge of the vegetation.

Coots were seen In

the company of blue-winged teals (October 2) and mallards
(October 16).

CHARADRII FORMES

CHARADR11DAE
Ktlldeer - Charadrlus vociferous
Red Cedar
April 26
July 4
August 4

Toumey
October 15

Floodings
March 27
June 17
October 2, 11

10*+
The kflldeer, as expected, was associated with the open
areas at the west end of Red Cedar Woodlot, and the pond.

On

April 26 and July *+, single Individuals were seen in the field
at the west end.

One was observed on August k flying over the

east end of the pond.

The kflldeer was thus an infrequent

visitor to the lot.
The only kflldeer observed at Toumey Woodlot was a pair
seen flying south to north over the lot on October 15.
All sightings at the Floodings were of birds which were
flying over the lot.
In all three lots, ft appears that the kflldeer is associated
with peripheral areas and not with the woods.

SCOLOPACIDAE
American Woodcock - Phi iohela minor
Red Cedar
June II

Toumey
No record

Floodings
September

19

Both records of woodcocks were of individuals flushed from
grassy areas within 30 yards of water.

The Red Cedar individual

was in dense grass 20 yards south of the pond just west of the
power line.in a depression that is usually moist during much of
the year.
The woodcock at the Floodings was flushed from an area
of grass and ferns at the southwest corner of the lot, about 30
yards from
sandy.

thewestpond.

The bird flew

This is anelevated

into the interior

of

area and rather

the lot.

105
Common Snipe - Cape!la gal 11nago
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
No record

Floodings
April 12

A single Individual was flushed from the grass at the
southwest tip of the lot and flew to the west side of the west
pond.

Spotted Sandpiper- Act!tls macularla
Red Cedar
May 1, 15

Toumey
No record

Floodings
August 1

Single Individuals were observed In Red Cedar on two dates
In May.

Both were perched near the water, one on a culvert in

the north trail and the other on a branch over the stream.
At the Floodings, a single sandpiper was observed on
August 1 feeding near several pfed-btlled grebes on logs off
the south point.

COLUMBI FORMES

COLUMBIDAE
Mourning Dove - Zenaldura macroura
Red Cedar
February 18
March 26
April 5
May 19, 25
July 26
August 4, 23
September 7
October 13, 20

Toumey
January 11,
16
February 2, 13, 20
March 10, 16, 21
April 2, 10, 19, 21, 28
May 18
June 21
July 7
August 7
September 15
October 12, 23
November 14, 22

Flood 1nos
March 17
April 7
May 3, 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 16, 25
August 1, 6
September 3, 19
October 2

106
Mourning doves were seen in small numbers In Red Cedar
Woodlot.

No more than four were observed in the wood lot on any

one day, although as many as six were seen flying through.
activity was noted at the west end.

Most

One bird was seen feeding

►

in October In the area of the tree burnings along:.the south trail.
Birds were absent from the heavy timber sections at the east end
of the lot.
Large numbers of mourning doves were observed in Toumey
Woodlot during the winter months, especially In the conifer
plantings at the east and west ends of the lot.

Between 12

and 18 birds spent portions of the winter months in Toumey.
Concentrations of more than ten birds were seen on January 12
(12 individuals), February 13 ( 15 in groups of seven and eight),
February 20 (12-25 individuals), and March 16 (15 individuals).
The number of doves decreased In late March to four individuals,
which were still confined mostly to the conifers.
On May 18, a bird was flushed fran the spruces at the. east
end.

A nest containing two eggs was located on a horizontal

branch three feet off the ground.

The nest was constructed of

loosely Intertwined sticks.
The birds were vocal during the spring and summer.
was observed In the roads around the periphery of the lot.

Feeding
When

perched In hardwoods the birds tended to be in the outer branches
In the crowns of the trees.
Mourning doves were observed at the Floodings; however,

107
they were more common In the fields surrounding the lot,
particularly In the corn field.

They were In young trees on

the west and north sides on March 17 and May 22 and in larger
trees at heights of 25-35 feet on May 22 and July 25.
that four individuals were involved.

As In Toumey, the conifers

near the lot were used as roosting sites.
Floodings,

It appeared

At least at the

it would appear that the presence of this species

in the areas surrounding the Floodings is influenced by the
activity of man.

Much of the feeding and roosting occurred

In plantings made by the Rose Lake biologists.

It Is questionable

whether this species would have been as numerous had the corn
and conifers not been present.

Rock Dove - Columba 1ivla
Red Cedar
July 29

Toumey
October 1, 10, 23

Floodings
No record

The rock dove or pigeon was associated with Red Cedar and
Toumey in only an Indirect manner.

Although birds were seen

feeding and roosting In fields and buildings within a half
mile of the woodlots, on only four occasions did the birds
reach their boundaries.
over the lots.

At these times birds were seen flying

Pigeons never landed in the woodlots during

any of the observations.

108
CUCULI FORMES

CUCULIDAE
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus amertcanus
Red Cedar
May 19, 25
June 1, 11, 23
July k

Toumey
June 18

Floodlngs
No record

A pair of yellow-billed cuckoos was observed 35~*+0 feet
up In trees along the south trail near the power lines on May 19*
They were flying from tree to tree and calling.

A possible

second pair was observed at the same height near the river on the
same day.

The sighting on May 25 involved a pair calling back

and forth across the pond near the power line.

Single Individuals

were sighted In each case In June, all approximately 40 feet high
In trees along the north trail and the north side of the pond.
On June 18, a single individual was observed in the bushy
area at the east end of Toumey Woodlot, at a height of approximately
10-15 feet.

Black-bflled Cuckoo - Coccyzus ervthropthalmus
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
May 29

Floodlngs
No record

A single black-billed cuckoo was heard calling near the
southwest end of the lot on May 29.

109
STRIGI FORMES

STRIGIDAE

Great Horned Owl - Bubo vt rglnlanus
Red Cedar
July 26

Toumey
January 9
May 8
November l*t, 22, 27
December 7

Flood Ings
July 16

The great horned owl was the only owl seen In any woodlot
during 1988.
bird was
a single

It occurred In Red Cedar on July 26, when a single

perched by the power line.
Individual was

middle of the east pond.

At the Floodings on July 16,

observed perching In a dead tree Inthe
This species was thus a rare visitor

to these lots.
Great horned owls were observed In Toumey Woodlot on
six occasions and involved at least four individuals.

On January

9, two owls were seen chasing each other through the tops of the
trees at

heights of 35~&0 feet.

percent larger than

the other.

periphery of the lot.

One bird was approximately 20
Their flights were confined

to the

They generally perched several feet apart

on separate branches, although at one time they perched next to
each other for five minutes.
an hour and a half.

The chasing continued for at least

It was thought that the birds might be

intending to nest in Toumey; however, owls were not observed again
until May 8.

Then a single bird, being harassed by three crows,

finally sought refuge In the conifers at the west end.

This

110
protection was sufficient enough that the crows soon ceased calling
and left.
On November 14 the calls of two crows attracted my
attention to an owl perched on a pole In a field several hundred
yards to the west of the lot. 'The typical "owl alarm" call soon
attracted four other crows.

They perched In nearby trees until

the owl dropped to the ground, whereupon all six crows hovered
over the owl at a height of 20-25 feet and alternately swooped to
within three to four feet of the ground.

Upon my approach, the

owl took flight to the west.
On the same day, two other owls were flushed from their
roosting site on the ridge west and south of the pond.

Droppings

were scattered around

the base of the tree; however,

no pellets

were found.

littered the ground both under

thetree and

Feathers

around the east end of the lot.

Two owl pellets, as well as

droppings, were found under a large oak tree on the west shore of
the pond.
owls.

Crows later returned to the lot and harassed the two

Fresh droppings were found on November 22 and a single bird

was seen In a large maple at the west end.
high In the trees, never lower
On December 7»
group of crows.

All birds were seen

than 30 feet.

a single owl was being mobbed by a targe

A second large bird In the same tree, which

originally appeared to be a second owl, was a red-tailed hawk.
When the owl finally took flight, the red-tailed hawk pursued It
and attempted to Intercept it In flight.

The owl eluded the hawk.

111
While harried by the crows, the owl perched in numerous trees,
always close to the trunk.

It would wait until the crows were

on the opposite side of the trunk before taking flight in the
direction away from the crows in an attempt to escape.
The great horned owl appears to spend a significant
portion of Its time in Toumey Woodlot, roosting, feeding, and
escaping from the attacks of crows.

It did not nest in the lot

during 1968, although it has In other years (Wallace, 1969)*

APOD IFORMES

APOD IDAE
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica
Red Cedar
July 29
September 25

Toumey
No record

Floodings
May 3
September 12

Single chimney swifts were observed flying over Red Cedar
Woodlot at heights of 50-60 feet on July 29 and September 25.
In both cases, neither individual appeared to be hunting.

The

time was between 7:30 and 9:30 A.M. In each case.
A non-feeding individual was observed flying over the
lot at the Floodings on May 3*

At the same time tree and barn

swallows were feeding over the surface of the water.

A severe

thunderstorm struck at 9:00 A.M. shortly after the swift was
observed flying east.
Its flight.

Possibly weather conditions had influenced

On September 12, several chimney swifts, as well as

barn swallows, were observed feeding over the surface of the pond
south of the lot.

112
TROCH1LI DAE
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubrts
Red Cedar
May 31
June 1

Toumey
No record

Floodings
June 17

On May 31 a female was observed In the morning feeding
on the phlox along the south side of the south trail.

She was

moving rapidly from blossom to blossom, staying a shorter time
at a blossom each time she re-visited It.

She worked for

several minutes at one group of flowers, staying at a height of
three to five feet before flying northeast Into the area of
larger trees.

On the next day a female was seen flying about

the branches of a stiver maple at a height of *+0 feet.

It also

flew In the dead elms along the east side of the pond.
A female hummingbird was seen flying In the conifers
north of the lot on June 17*

CORACI IFORMES

ALCEDIN1DAE
Belted Kingfisher - Megacervle alcvon
Red Cedar
Apr 11 26, 30
May 1
July 26
August 4
September 13

Toumey
No record

Floodings
April 7, 12
May 3, 21. 22
June 17
July 25
August 1, 6
September 3» 12, 19,

28
October 16

113
Only single Individuals were seen on each day that
kingfishers were recorded in Red Cedar Woodlot.

In all cases

the birds were confined to the regions close to the river or
the pond, over which they flew.

Kingfishers were never observed

perching in the lot during 1968*.
The kingfisher was a conspicuous element of the avifauna
of the Floodings during seven months of 1968.

Much of the activity

of these birds, of which there were at least three individuals,
was centered around the area of dead timber offshore.

The birds

were most often observed perching in the limbs of the dead trees,
generally from 10-^0 feet up, as well as flying back and forth
across the waters south and east of the lot.

Most birds were

observed within 100 yards of the lot.
IntraspecifIc interactions were observed on August 1 when
for 20 minutes a single male chased a single female from tree
to tree on the east side.

Each flight lasted 20-30 seconds and

was accompanied by loud chattering both in flight and while
perched.

After twenty minutes a third bird, a female, arrived.

An interspecific interaction was noted on September 28
when a young sharp-shinned hawk made three harassing passes at
a kingfisher (see Sharp-shinned Hawk).

The kingfisher was later

seen after the hawk had left the vicinity.

On August 6, no

Interaction occurred when a kingfisher and a red-headed woodpecker were
perched within several feet of each other In the same dead tree.
Fishing activity was noted only once, on September 3*

The bird was perched in a dead tree and plunged into the water,
capturing a small fish.

This was swallowed upon returning to

the perch.

PIC IFORMES
PIC IDAE
Yellow-shafted Flicker - Colaptes auratus
Red Cedar
April 14, 23, 26, 30
May 1, 15, 19, 25, 31
June 7, 23
July 4, 7, 26, 29
August J+, 23
September 7, 13, 22, 25
October 8, 13, 20

Toumey
January 21
March 10
April 2, 10, 19, 28
May 18
June 6, 18
July 7, 19
August 2
September 6, 26
October 15

Floodings
March 17
April 7, 12
May 5, 21
June 17
July 2, 9, 25
August 6
September 12, 19
October 2, 16

The yellow-shafted flicker was the most common woodpecker
in Red Cedar Woodlot.

It was seen In all portion of the woodlot

and from the ground to heights of U0-50 feet mostly in dead
trees.

In April at least six flickers were present in Red Cedar.

They were noisy with frequent calls and numerous cases of birds
posturing with flashing tail feathers.

On May 1 one individual

was observed excavating a hole In a dead tree at a height of 15— 18
feet, sticking its entire body down into the cavity and withdrawing
with wood chips in its bill.

From May 1 to June 7 only one or

two individuals were seen on each visit; at least four were
present on June 23.

TWo or three were seen during July, and on

August k two adults and a young were observed in the trees along
the south trail.

The young was following the adults through the

115
trees.

Food, gathered.by the adults was bashed on a tree limb

several times before It was offered to the begging young.

An

Increase.In numbers was noted In September with as many as eight
seen per visit.

Flickers were observed feeding on poison Ivy

berries on several occasions.

Feeding was also observed on the

ground, although this was less frequent than feeding In trees.

The

only major interspecific interaction in Red Cedar involved an
attack of a Swainson's thrush upon a flicker in October (see
Swainson's Thrush).
Flickers were less common In Toumey, although they were
as conspicuous when present.
cl up to their presence.

Their loud calls were often a

The January record involved a single bird

which was perched in the large maple tree at the southwest corner.
The flickers were most common in April when upwards of ten Individuals
were present.

They were present in all parts of the lot, but

frequented the eastern end more than the western part.

On April

10 three were seen along the south side working In dying trees
and Investigating holes.
on April

Ground feeding activity was observed

19 along the east side of the conifers.

10 minutes.

This lasted for

Ground feeding was also observed on July 9 with one

flicker feeding at the edge of Hagadorn Road.

During the remainder

of the year from two to four flickers were seen on each visit
with the last recorded vocalization on September 26.
Flickers were summer residents In the area of the Floodings.
The first individuals seen on March 17 were Investigating holes

116
in several trees 40 yards south of the lot.

During April pairs

of flickers were seen off the south tip and In the northwest
end.

No more than two birds were seen on any visit.

Feeding ■

activities and the Investigation of tree holes continued through
♦

June with most activity south of the lot.
heights of 20-35 feet.

Most birds were seen at

On July 9 a pair was seen along the east

shore at a height of 12 feet.

After standing underneath the bird

for several minutes It suddenly dropped from Its perch until

it

was within two feet of my head, at which time I ducked and the
bird flew Into the interior of the woodlot.
Ground feeding was observed only on August 6 at the north
edge of the woodlot.

The only observed interspecific interaction

occurred on October 16 when a single flicker flew south from
the woodlot Into the dead timber and attempted to land in a tree
occupied by three male redwings.

One of the redwings flew at the

flicker and chased it back Into the woodlot.

Red-bellled Woodpecker - Centurus carolinus
Red Cedar
January 21

Toumey
No record .

Floodings
February 22
March 11, 17
May 5
October 11, 16, 2b

A single male red-bellied woodpecker was seen on January 21
In Red Cedar Woodlot.

When first observed the bird was feeding

at the east end of the south trail
uttering series of "chur" notes.

In medium-sized trees and
It was 18 feet up in a broken

117
off tree and was probing in and under the bark, rather than
hammering.
At the Floodings, red-bellied woodpeckers were observed
in the trees off the south and east shore on February 22 (a
male) and March 17*

On May 5 a single bird was working kO feet

up in the oaks tn the southern section of the lot, flying from
tree to tree in an area 40 yards fn diameter.

On March 11, one

red-bellied woodpecker was observed chasing a male hairy wood­
pecker until the latter flew to another tree.
then began to feed by probing in the bark.

The red-bellied

At the same time a

second bird called across the east pond.
October sightings involved single birds in trees at the
southeast corner and south of the lot.

Red-headed Woodpecker - Meianerpes ervthrocephalus
Red Cedar
May 8, 15. 31
June
23
July k, 7, 26, 29
August 2, 12, 23
September 7

Toumey
May 18

Flood 1ngs
May 21
June 17
July 2, 9, 16
August 1, 6
September 12

Although only one individual was observed on May 8, it
was evident on May 15 that a pair of red-headed woodpeckers was
in residence In Red Cedar Woodlot.

In the months of May and June

this pair confined its activities primarily to the east end of
the lot and along the south trail.

They were very vocal.

On July 29 a single bird was observed 30 feet up in trees
at the northeast end of the lot, where it was joined by two

118
other Individuals, an adult and a fledgling.

Upon the arrival

of the two birds, one of the adults began chasing a whitebreasted nuthatch and pursued ft through six or seven trees.
The woodpeckers began working In both densely and thinly foliated
trees.

At one point the young and one adult screamed at each

other from different trees, 15 feet apart before they chased
each other about the woodlot.
35 minutes of observation.

The calling continued throughout

Chasing between adult and young also

was observed on September 7.
On August 4 and adult was observed feeding in the live
branches of a red maple.
dead tree,

After flying into the maple from a

It began to glean food from the leaves.

In most

cases, red-headed woodpeckers were seen at heights of from
25~^0 feet, mostly In dead trees.

On only two occasions were

individuals seen on the ground (July 26 and August 12).
The three individuals observed during 1968 were felt to
represent a mated pair with one successfully fledged young.
With the largest number of records occurring in Red Cedar and
the Floodings, it appears that large numbers of standing dead
trees may be attractive to this species of woodpecker.
The lone sighting at Toumey Woodlot involved a single Individual
which flew from the south into the southwest end of the lot.

It

did not appear to feed, nor did it make any call.
At the Floodings red-headed woodpeckers were confined
entirely to the dead trees off the shore of the woodlot, except'

119
for two Individuals seen In the west field on July 9 and July 16.
Only adults were observed.

The birds were observed working

trees from heights of 2-25 feet.

In general these trees were

smaller than those In Red Cedar.
On July 9 two birds werfe feeding on bark insects In a tree
which was also being used as a nest tree for a pair of tree
swallows.

The parent swallows continually swooped at the wood­

peckers, apparently In an attempt to drive the larger birds
away from the nest-hole opening.

On August 6 one bird was

observed working In the same tree as a perching kingfisher.
was no overt aggressive behavior by either species.

There

It Is

possible that the two birds at the Floodings were either of the
same sex or had been unsuccessful at nesting.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphvrapicus varlus
Red Cedar
April 1A
May 1

Toumey
No record

Floodings
No record

On April 1*t a single Individual was observed at a height
of 35-**0 feet in a dead tree In Red Cedar Woodlot.

It later

flew to a partially leafed black cherry and then returned to the
dead tree.before.moving to the upper branches of a red maple.
The May 1 record was of a single Individual
30 foot tree.

In the crown of a

Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) describe this species

as a summer resident In the northern Michigan area, occurring
rarely south as far as Ingham County during the summer.

They

also suggest that the breeding range of this bird is gradually

120
shrinking northward as It was formerly a nesting bird south to
the Detroit region prior to 1900.

Hairy Woodpecker - Dendrocopos villosus
Red Cedar
January 2, 7» 14, 21
February 8
March 14
Apr 11 5» 14
May 15
June 1
August 4
September 7» 25
October 8
November 23

Toumey
January 9, 21
February 3, 13» 20
April 10
June 6
July 19
November 22, 27

FIoodtnqs
March 11
May 5

Hairy woodpeckers, although not observed during July and
December, constituted a conspicuous element of the avifauna of
Red Cedar Woodlot.

Two males and one female were observed In

the lot during January with none observed below 30 feet.

Much

movement from tree to tree was noticeable, and both sexes
frequently gave "peek-peek" calls.

On January 14 a male was

observed feeding on poison ivy berries in a vine 20-30 feet high
on the trunk of a large tree.

The Individual appeared very

thorough in its gleaning of the vines.
on dead elms nearby.

This bird had been working

On January 21 a male working 30 feet up In

a dead elm on a branch 2 1/2 inches in diameter exhibited no overt
hostility to a brown creeper less than a foot away.
Two females were observed chasing each other and calling
back and forth on February 8.
periods of feeding.

This activity was interspersed with

During the year, hairies were observed In

close proximity of starlings, hummingbirds, and flickers with no

121
apparent aggressive behavior.

However, on May 15, a male hairy

was observed chasing two downy woodpeckers from tree to tree.
On September 17 a hairy and downy were observed calling back and
forth while feeding In adjacent trees.
In general, hairfes were most often observed feeding In
dead elms In the east end of the lot.
trees.

They also fed in live

Most activity took place between 20 and 60 feet on trunks

and branches larger than 2 1/2 Inches In diameter.
Aggression of hairy woodpeckers towards downies was observed
in Toumey Woodlot on February 13 when a female hairy in the same
tree as a downy persisted In chasing the smaller bird to the
terminal branches of limbs.

Attacks were only made when the

downy would move towards the trunk of the tree, at which time the
hairy would fly at It.
"peek-peek" call.

The hairy kept up a nearly constant

The interaction lasted at least 30 minutes.

Hairy woodpeckers constituted a less conspicuous part of
the bird life In Toumey.

Birds were generally observed from 25-1*0

feet high In both live and partially dead trees.

On January 9,

two females and one male were observed feeding on trunks and
branches from three Inches to three feet in diameter, all lower
than 25 feet.

A female was observed In the pines at the south­

west portion of the lot on January 21, the only observation of
this species in a softwood.

122
Downy Woodpecker - Dendrocopos pubescens
Red Cedar
January 7, 21
February 8, 27
March 4, 14, 18, 26
April 5, 14, 30
May 1, 8, 19, 25, 31
June 1, 23
September 7, 22, 25
October 13, 20
November 23

Floodings
January 5, 25
February 6
March 22, 28
April 12
May 5
June 4
July 25
August 1
September 3, 28
October 24
December 4

Toumey
January 21
February 13
March 21
April 10
May 18
July *7, 15, 19, 28
September 15
November 14, 27
December 7

Downy woodpeckers were common year round residents of
Red Cedar Woodlot.

They did not appear to confine their activities

to any one portion of the lot but were seen In all wooded sections.
During January and February numbers of Individuals seen per
visit ranged from one to seven (February 4).
male were often seen together feeding.

Two females and one

Feeding activity was

observed at a variety of heights from several feet to 30-40
feet, and this included the bases and trunks of a
large trees as well as terminal branches.
this species

number of

The population of

decreased in the spring, and from April until

November no more than four individuals were observed on any
one visit.
Feeding activities were varied.

In many cases the birds

worked up the trunk of a tree to a height of 25-30 feet and then
dropped to the base of an adjacent tree.

On several occasions

birds were observed on the undersides of smaller branches feeding.
On May 8 a female was observed gleaning materials from the spaces

122
Downy Woodpecker - Dendrocopos pubescens
Red Cedar
January 7, 21
February 8, 27
March 4, 14, 18, 26
April 5, 14, 30
IJtay 1, 8, 19, 25, 31
June 1, 23
September 7» 22, 25
October 13, 20
November 23

Floodings
January 5, 25
February 6
March 22, 28
April 12
May 5
June 4
July 25
August 1
September 3, 28
October 24
December 4

Toumey
January 21
February 13
March 21
April 10
May 18
July* 7, 15, 19, 28
September 15
November 14, 27
December 7

Downy woodpeckers were common year round residents of
Red Cedar Woodlot.

They did not appear to confine their activities

to any one portion of the lot but were seen in all wooded sections.
During January and February numbers of individuals seen per
visit ranged from one to seven (February 4).
male were often seen together feeding.

Two females and one

Feeding activity was

observed at a variety of heights from several feet to 30-40
feet, and this included the bases and trunks of a
large trees as well as terminal branches.
this species

number of

The population of

decreased in the spring, and from April until

November no more than four Individuals were observed on any
one visit.
Feeding activities were varied.

In many cases the birds

worked up the trunk of a tree to a height of 25-30 feet and then
dropped to the base of an adjacent tree.

On several occasions

birds were observed on the undersides of smaller branches feeding.
On May 8 a female was observed gleaning materials from the spaces
*

123
between the bark of a large tree and the numerous poison
ivy vines which grew on its sides.
Aggression by hairy woodpeckers against downtes was
observed on January 7 and February 13 (see Halry Woodpecker).
Fewer downy woodpeckers were seen in Toumey Woodlot with a
maximum number of three in the January 21, February 13» and March
21 visits.

A slight preference for areas at the eastern end of

the lot may have been present; however,
were also observed in the west end.

individuals of this species

Feeding activities took place

In both large and small trees on the trunks and terminal branches.
An Immature individualwas observed on July
branches of a maple at

15

in

the lower

the east end.

Downy woodpeckers were observed both in the lot at the
Floodings and also In the trees off the shores.

Three individuals

(a male and two females) were seen on January 25, March 22, July
25, August 1, and September 28.
two were seen.

On other occasions only one or

On August 1 a possible immature male was seen.

March 22 a female was

chased by an aggressive redwing when It

flew too close to the

redwing's territory. As

in

On

the other lots,

feeding activity took place on various sized trees and In various
parts of the the trees.

PASSERI FORMES

TYRANNI DAE
Eastern Kingbird - Tvrannus tvrannus

124

Floodings
May 21, 22
June 4
August 1

Toumey
No record

Red Cedar
May 19, 25, 31
June 7
August 4

Bent's (1952). reference to the kingbird's preference
for open areas, rather than dense woods, and its apparent
disposition towards swampy areas, may In part explain this bird's
absence in Toumey Woodlot.

Kingbirds were only observed along

both the north and south trails in Red Cedar Woodlot, never tn
the denser woods.
occurred on June 7.

What appeared to be a courtship flight
Barrows (1912) notes that in the southern

portion of Michigan that egg laying commences during the first
week of June, and this suggests that nuptual flights might be
encountered during this time.
All four sightings at the Floodings Involved pairs.

In

May and June they were In the trees along the water's edge or
in trees In the water.

On May 21 the birds were hawking insects

from perches on dead trees 10-20 yards from shore.

From their

perches of 10-15 feet, they would swoop almost to the surface of
the water, and then return to their perches.

Oh

August I

the

birds were perched In the honeysuckle hedgerow northwest of the lot.

Great Crested Flycatcher - Mvlarchus crlnltus
Red Cedar
May 8, 19, 25, 31
June 1, 23
July 4, 26, 29

Toumey
June 6

Floodings
July 2
October 11

125
Great crested flycatchers fn Red Cedar Woodlot were
observed tn the upper portions of trees, generally over 30 feet,
on all occasions.
song.

Their presence was usually revealed by their

The birds were present on six of the eight

eastern woods.

dates in the

Single individuals were observed on Hay

25 and August 29.

8, 19,

Pairs were observed on June 23 and July k,

while four birds were seen on June 1 and July 26.

This species

possibly nested in Red Cedar Woodlot.
On June 6 a pair of crested flycatchers was observed
35 feet up in trees just west of the pond In Toumey Woodlot.

They

were capturing insects around the trees and chasing each other.
A single pair of birds was observed perched off the east
shore of the Floodings on July 2.

A single bird was perched

35 feet high in a dead tree east of the southeast
October 11.

point on

It was calling single notes.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - Empldonax fiavlventrls
Red Cedar
May 15, 31

Toumey
No record

Floodinqs
No record

Single individuals were observed on two dates in Hay in
Red Cedar Woodlot.

On May 15 one was perched four feet high in

dense woods at the east end of the lot.

On Hay 31 the individual

was along the east end of the south trail, perched on an exposed
limb over the road.

It was flying out to capture insects and

returning to the same perch.

126
Acadian Flycatcher - Empldonax vlrescens
Red Cedar
May 19

Toumey
June 18

Floodings
No record

The sighting of a single individual on the north trail
near the west end appears to represent the first wave of migration
of this species.

Observations of Walkinshaw (1966) In Calhoun

and Muskegon Counties indicate that the early arrival dates
average May 17 in the former and May 23 in the latter.
Ingham County lies between these two counties

As

In latitude, It

would appear that the Red Cedar observation represents what
might be close to an average date of arrival

for this bird.

On June 18 a single Individual was observed calling and
feeding in a tree north and east of the pond at Toumey Woodlot.
It was perched on a brdnch 15-20 feet from the ground.

Walkinshaw

(1966) indicates that this species has a preference for dense,
unpastured woods and that breeding dates range from June 12 to
August 6.

This species has been recorded as a summer resident

at the Floodings prior to 1968 (Wallace, 1969)*

Least Flycatcher - Empldonax minimus
Red Cedar
May 15* 19* 25, 31
June 1

Toumey
No record

Floodings
Ijlay 22

The least flycatcher in Red Cedar Woodlot was a bird of
the edges.

It was seen along both the north and south trails,

where It perched on exposed branches.

The birds were observed

catching flying insects by swooping from the perches to capture

127
their prey.

Two individuals were observed on May 19 and June 1.

i
Single Individuals were observed on other days.
The May 22 recorjd of the least flycatcher at the Floodings

l
involved a single individual perched in the outer branches of
a tree along the east shoreline.

Eastern Wood Pewee - COntopus vi rens
Toumey
May 31
June 6
July 7. 19
August 2

Red Cedar
May 15* 31
June 1, 23
August 4, 23
September 7* 13* 25

Floodings
June *♦, 17
July 9, 16
August 6

In Red Cedar wood pewees were observed only along the
edges of open areas anjd never In the deeper wooded areas.

The

birds perched on exposed 1 fmbs between 15 and 30 feet from
|

which they would hawk insects.

At least two individuals were

involved in the observations.

On September 7. the bird which

was perched on an exposed branch by the river retreated to the
cover of more densely foliated trees upon my approach.
On May 31 a pewee was heard singing in the middle of
Toumey Woodlot.

All Jther observations were of birds at the

east end near the pone

One individual had a perch about 40

feet high in a dead trje« along the west shore of the pond.

It

would preen and sing from this perch, as well as use it for a
perch from which to hnwk insects.

At least one Intraspecific

aggressive interaction took place when the individual perched there
chased a second pewee over the east ridge and then returned.

It

126
would also spend a certain portion of the time In the foliage
of trees nearby on the west ridge.

HIRUNDINIDAE
Tree Swallow - Irldoprocne bicolor
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
No record

Floodings
April 7> 12
May 3, 5, 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 2, 9, 25

The tree swallow was a common summer resident of the
Floodings.

At least two pairs of birds were involved in nesting

activities

in the flooded areas south of the lot.

nested in a hole in a dead tree 30 yards

One pair

offshore.

about three and a half feet from the water's surface.

The nestwas
It was

actively defended against a red-headed woodpecker which was
working on the tree.

The swallows dove at the woodpecker as

long as it remained on the tree.
The

swallows were observed flying over the open water

areas, the
the lot.

cattail marsh, and the fields to the north and west of
Usually only four birds were seen on any one day,
*

except on May 21 when six or eight were seen flying over the
waters to the south and east, and on July 9 when 9~12 individuals
were seen swooping at heights of 50-75 feet over the cattails and
the fields.

129
Bank Swallow - Rlparla rlparla
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
No record

Floodings
May 5

The six bank swallows observed at the Floodings on May 5
may have represented Individuals recently arrived In the East
Lansing area, which would later nest In a sand pit several
miles southwest of the lot.

The bank swallow Is known to

arrive in Michigan In late April

(Barrows, 1912) and the

sandpit colony has been described by Johnson (1958).

The six

were observed flying over the waters south of the lot, apparently
feeding.

Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidoptervx ruficol1 Is
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
No record

Floodings
June U

A single rough-winged swallow was observed flying over the
waters close to the southern tip of the lot on June k.

Barn Swallow •

■»

Hlrundo rustlca

*

Red Cedar
No record

Toumev
May 18
July 7

Floodings
May 3, 22
August 1
September 12

A single barn swallow was observed flying over the open
area at the east end of the Toumey Woodlot on May 18.

It had

flown in from the fields to the south and appeared to be hunting.
On July 7 another single individual was seen flying over the
backs of a group of feeding sheep adjacent to the machinery at

130

the northwest end.
Barn swallows were observed flying over the south and west
ponds of the Floodings on Hay 3, 22, and September 12.

On May 3

two pairs were flying In company with two pairs of tree swallows.
A single Individual was seen on Hay 22, and three were seen
on September 12.

On August 1 a single swallow was observed

swooping over the corn field at the northwest end.

CORVIDAE
Blue Jay - Cvanocltta c r 1stata
Red Cedar
January 21
March 7, 14, 18, 26
April 5, 30
May 1, 15, 25
June 1, 11, 23
July 4, 29
August 4, 23
September 7, 13, 22, 25
October 20
November 16, 23
December 1, 9

Toumey
January 21
February 20
March 10, 16
April 8, 18, 29, 31
May 8, 18, 29, 31
June 6, 18
July 7, 15, 19, 28, 30
August 2
September 6, 15, 17, 26
October 1, 10, 15, 23
November 6, 14, 23
December 2

Floodings
January 5
February 6
March 5, 11, 28
April 7
May 2, 4, 22
June 4, 17
July 2, 9, 16, 25
August 1
September 3, 12, 19, 28
October 2, 11, 16, 24
November 10, 20, 25, 30

Although blue jays were seen In Red Cedar during 11 months,
their numbers were generally lower than in Toumey or the Floodings.
From January through the June 11 sighting, from two to four were
seen.

However, on June 23 six Individuals were present, with five

at the eastern end and one at the western edge.

During July and

August, the number per visit ranged from one to four, while in
September the numbers Increased, with a maximum of 10 on September
22.

The population remained higher in the fall than during the

131
first three months of the year, and most records involved at
least three Individuals.
The blue jays In Red Cedar tended to move about and were
not restricted to one area.

They were seen at all heights

from ground level to the crowns of the trees.

Calls included

"Jays", metallic "clicks", and Imitations of red-tailed or
red-shouldered hawks.
The blue Jay was the most frequently observed species at
Toumey Woodlot occurring on 33 of 51 visits.
parts of the lot,

Jays were seen In all

They often flew into the lot from areas

outside the boundaries and on several occasions they carried food.
On January 21 a bird flew into the southern edge of the lot from
the southwest carrying a kernel of corn,

it took this to

a tree and crammed It into a crack In the bark before departing
In the direction from which It had come.

Other Individuals

were seen with kernels of corn during the year.

These were not

stored but opened by holding them with their feet against a limb
and hammering them with their bills.
From January through March only one to three jays were
observed per visit.

In April this number increased to four or

five and remained* at':this level until the end of August.

A

nesting female was discovered on May 18 in the spruces at the
east end of the woodlot.

The nest was constructed of an outer

layer of corn husks and white cloth and an inner layer of sticks
and twigs and was lined with rootlets.

It was eight feet high

132
and contained

five speckled eggs.

The female did not flush

from the nest until my hand was within six Inches of her.
From September through December the number of.Blue Jays
fluctuated from two to more than 10 per visit.

The birds

made good use of corn stalks With ears which were dumped In the
area south of the southwestern portion of the woodlot.

They

observed feeding on the corn on October 10, 15. and 23.

were

The

birds appeared to take turns with no more than two In the corn
at a time; one or two would stay at the edge of the woods.
When one individual would carry corn kernels Into the lot to
hammer on the tree branches, another would take its place.

The

hammering behavior was also observed with nuts and acorns.
During the fall jays continued to bring,food Into the lot,
from adjacent fields'.:and some from the cattle feeding areas
to the southwest.

It was apparent that the Jays were gathering

some of their food beyond the borders of Toumey and then returning
to the lot to consume It.
At the Floodings,

the blue.'jay was the second most

frequently observed bird, seen on 27 of 42 visits.

The bright

colors and frequent calls of this species made it a conspicuous
element of the avifauna of the woodlot.

Blue Jays were observed

In all sections of the lot in both mature and young trees, as
well as In the fields to the northwest.

Jays frequently flew

Into and out of the woodlot to areas west of the west pond.
During the first six months the number of blue Jays fluctuated

133
slightly with from one to four present on each visit.
Although no nests were found, at least one young was
present in the conifers north of the woodlot on July 2.

On that

date four or five Jays were in the pines and on the ground, all
calling.

From July to the end of November from four to six

Jays were seen per visit.

They continued to spend time within

the woodlot, although a greater proportion of their time was
spent In the fields than earlier In the year.

Jays with corn

kernels In their bills were seen in September and October.
Acorns were also consumed.

These were opened, as was the corn,

by holding with the feet against the limb of a tree and hammering
wi th the bill.

Common Crow - Corvus brachvrhynchos
Red Cedar
January 21
February 27
March 7, 18, 26
April 5, 26
May 1, 15, 19, 25, 31
June 1, 7
July 23
September 22, 25
October 8
December 1

Toumey
March 16, 21
April 2, 10, 21
May 8, 18/ 2 9 , 31
June 6, 18, 21
July 15, 19
August 2
September 17, 26
October 1, 23
November \k
December 7

Floodings
January 18
February 6
March 5, 11, 28
May 22
July 2, 9
August 1, 6
September 3, 12, 19,
October 2, 11, 16
November 10

Common crows were visitors to Red Cedar Woodlot In 10
months of 1968.

Generally only one or two was present on any one

date; however, six, a single crow and a group of five, were seen
on April 5.

Most crows were observed perching in trees at heights

of from 20-50 feet.

Vocalizations were heard only in about 50

13**
percent of the observations.

On April 5» a crow flew Into

the lot carrying in its bill food which had been obtained
outside the lot.

On June 7 four crows were seen chasing an

unidentified large hawk along the south trail.
The status of the commdn crow tn Toumey Woodlot was
similar to that In Red Cedar, a visitor observed in 10 months of
1968.

They were more numerous with a maximum of at least 11

individuals in the area surrounding the woodlot.

The crows

appeared to spend more time In Toumey than In Red Cedar.
Portions of the woodlot utilized included the eastern conifers
where roosting ccows were flushed on March 16 and the main woods
where crows were most frequently seen.

Mobbing activities of crows

were observed on four occasions, May 8, July 19, November 14,
arid December 7*

All

Involved great horn owls.

The mobbing was

accompanied by the typical and persistent "owl" call used by
crows when they are pursuing owls.

On November ]k and December 7

these calls by one or two crows soon attracted others from
nearby areas.

Crows were observed being mobbed by smaller

birds on May 18 (blue jay, redwing, grackles) and June 18
(blue Jays).

A dead crow was discovered In the woodlot on May 8,

one of the days when great horned owls were seen.
A crow returning to Toumey with food was observed flying
from the west on September 17 In company with three other crows.
Four crows were seen feeding in the area of the hay piles, while
two others were perched £0 feet high in nearby trees.

AH

flew

135
when I approached.
Common crows were present as visitors at the floodings
on at least one day during each of nine months.

These crows

did a great deal of moving flying from one side of the woodlot to
the other.

They would often perch In the upper portions of dead

trees in the water.

Six was the largest number seen.

A dead

crow with only the sternum and a few feathers remaining was
found at the northeastern edge of the woodlot on May 22.

Crows

at the Floodings were seen mobbing a sharp-shinned hawk on
September 19, an Immature red-tailed hawk on September .12, and
pursuing a broad-winged hawk on September 28.
Feeding activity was centered In the fields to the
northwest of the woodlot where crows fed In the corn.

PARI DAE
Black-capped Chickadee - Parus atrlcaplllus
Red Cedar
January 7* 21
February 18
March 18
July 29
August 4
September 7* 13, 22
October 8, 13, 20
November 23
December 9

Toumey
January 21
February 13
July 7, 19, 25
September 6, 15, 17
October 10, 15, 23
November 14, 22, 27
December 2, 7

Floodings
January 5
February 22
March 22, 28
April 7
May 3, 5
June 4
July 9, 25
August 1, 6
September 3, 12, 28
October 2, It, 16, 24
November 10, 2

The black-capped chickadee had an interesting seasonal
distribution In Red Cedar Woodlot during 1968.

Present during

the first three months, the chickadee was absent during the

136
three spring monthssand then present the rest of the year.
From January through March three chickadees were seen in the
woodlot in the trees along the south trail and also feeding In
wild cucumber (Edhinocystls lobata)

(January 21).

One or two Individual s’were observed during July and
August with two more in September.

They were seen feeding In

the branches of both live and dead trees.

They called frequently.

More were present in October with from 10-12 seen on October 20.
These were In the woods, along the edges and in the weeds.
The same number was present in November with only one in December.
In Toumey, a four month absence (March through June) of the
species was noted plus in August.

In January four were seen In

the southeast corner; eight to ten were scattered through the'
woodlot on February 13.

These were in both large and small

trees, feeding in the bark and branches.

In July and September

only a pair was seen in the eastern end.

They were observed In

the conifers and around the pond.'

On October 10, a large group

of a dozen or more was present scattered in the eastern end in
*

the fields, pines, spruces, birches, and by the water.
several were heard calling in the west end.

Also

This group was

absent later In October when only four were present in the
pines and weeds of the west end.

This group remained through the

rest of the year, feeding with sparrows and juncos.

A fifth

was seen on November 22 by a blackberry patch.
Chickadees were seen at the Floodings during 11 months

137
being absent only in December.

Only two birds were observed

until September 12 when a group of five or six was at the
northeast end feeding In the younger trees.
after that date.
study area.

Only two were seen

Chickadees were recorded In most parts of the

They may have attempted nesting In a dead stump

off the south shore.

Feeding took place In trees where crevices

and holes were explored.
,on September 12.

Inch worms were consumed by the birds

Feeding activity was also observed In cattails,

honeysuckle, multi flora rose, and the pines.

Tufted Titmouse - Parus bicolor
Red Cedar
January 7, 21
February 3, 8, 27
March 7, 14, 18, 26
April 5, 12, 26, 30
May 1, 8, 15, 25, 31
June 7, 11, 23
July 4, 26, 29
August 4, 12
September 7, 25
October 8, 13, 20
November 16, 23
December 6

Toumey
January 21
February 13
Match 2, 10, 21
April 2, 10, 19, 28
May 18, 29
June 6
July 19, 28
September 15, 17
November 22

Floodings
January 5
April 7
May 5, 21
June 17
July 9
August 1, 6
September 3, 12, 19, 28
October 2, 11, 24
November 25

Although the tufted titmouse was the most frequently seen
species In Red Cedar Woodlot, It was never numerous.
was the most seen on any visit, January 21.

Six Individuals

Certainly the

vociferous tendencies of the species account In part for Its
frequency of being observed.

Tufted titmice utilized various

habitats in the woodlot from the canopies of the trees In the
deeper portions of the woods to the open busy areas.
encountered in almost all sections of the study area.

It was

138
Usually seen at medium heights in trees, the tufted
titmouse vocalizations were an interesting aspect of this
species.

Beside the "peter-peter" call, titmice also gave

"yank-yank" and "chickadee" notes.
At Toumey Woodlot, the'tufted titmouse was also a noisy
but not particularly interesting species as far as activity was
concerned.

Usually solitary, only three individuals were

present through the year.

The three were seen together on certain

occasions and in opposite ends of the lot on others.

They

were seen both in large and small hardwoods, as well as In
conifers and tamaracks.
At the Floodings a pair of tufted titmice was present
through much of 1968.

Their activities were confined to the

main portion of the lot,
edge.

including the younger trees at the

They were never seen in the windbreaks to the northwest

or In the fields.

September 28 was the only date on which more

than two were seen, with four present In the southern edge of
the pines north of the woods.

SITT IDAE
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sltta carolinensls
Red Cedar
January 2, 7, 14, 21
February 8
March 7. 14, 18, 26
April 5, 14
May 1 , 8 , 19
June 23
July 29
August 4
September 7* 13» 22
October 8, 13, 20
November 16, 23
December 1, 9

Toumey
January 9, 11, 21
February 20
March 2
April 2, 10, 19
May 29, 31
June 6, 18
July 15, 19, 28
August 2
September 6, 15, 26
October 10
November 27
December 7

Floodings
March 22
July 9, 25
August 1 , 6
September 3, 12, 28
October 16, 24
December 4

139
The white-breasted nuthatch was a year-round resident at
Red Cedar Woodlot.

From January through March the number seen

per visit ranged from one to ten (January 21), although usually
there were only two or three. .The birds were vocal and
generally worked the trunks of large trees, from near the ground
to *40 or more feet in the tops.

They were not confined to any

one section of the woodlot.
From April through July only one was seen with the exception
of June 23.

Activity was the same, plus on April 5 one was seen

working on a prostrate log.

The population increased in August

and continued through November at from three to six.

This

increase may have been due partially to an influx of birds from
other areas, as well as from young produced in Red Cedar.
Vocalization continued through this time.

Besides feeding on

the trunks of the larger trees, the white-breasted nuthatches
were observed feeding in other areas

in late summer and fall.

On October 8 a single bird was feeding with chickadees In the
underbrush on the east end of the pond, while on October 20
several were feeding In the weeds along the north road.

Poison

)vy berries were consumed on October 8 in company with mrytie
warblers.

In December the population dropped to a maximum of two.

The white-breasted nuthatch was a year-round resident of
Toumey Woodlot.

The population in the woodlot during the first

four months appeared to range between two and eight individuals.

1*tO
They were seen In a variety of habitats ranging from the deepest
woods to the pines at the southwest end.

From Hay through

August the number of individuals seen per visit declined and
only one or two were seen.

On May 29 a nest hole was located
«

west of the pond 25 feet high In a large maple.
There was an Increase in the number of birds from September
through the end of the year with up to four per visit.
birds were seen in various sections of the woodlot.

These

Feeding on

prostrate logs was observed.
The Floodings did not support as many nuthatches as the
other two study areas.

They were seen primarily in the main

portion of th$ woodlot, although on October 2k, one was heard
calling in the south end of the corn.
utilized,

Dead and downed trees were

in addition to live trees.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - S 1tta canadensis
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
October 1, 15

Floodings
No record

Single red-breasted nuthatches were observed feeding and
calling in the strip of pines along the western border of
Toumey Woodlot on two days in October.

This species was described

by Zimmerman and Van Tyne(1959) as "a transient, sometimes common
In Autumn".

It breeds In the northern part of the state, rarely

breeding south of the pines plains region.
notes that this species

Barrows (1912)

Is often abundant near red cedars and

the various pines and spruces, from which it gathers seeds to

141

be stored for winter use.

CERTHIDAE
Brown Creeper - Certhia faml1 laris
Red Cedar
January 21
March 18, 26
September 22
October 8
November 23
December 6, 9

Toumey
April 2

Floodings
November 30

Brown creepers In Red Cedar Woodlot were observed working
the trunks of a number of different trees,

including silver

maple, American elm, beech, boxelder, and oak.
seen below 20 feet.

They were always

On March 26 one was observed feeding in the

southeast section of the lot.

It would start at the base of a

tree and move up the trunk to a height of 12-15 feet., then
fly 6-12 feet to the base of anadjacent tree
height of two feet, work its way up

and starting at a

the trunk again.

When In the

company of downy woodpeckers, there was no overt hostility
between them.
On April 2 a single creeper was observed on the trunk
of a dead tree along the west shore of the pond at Toumey Woodlot.
Another single bird was seen at

the Floodings on November 30,

working the trunks of botivllve

and dead oaks near the north,

edge of the lot.

TR0GL0DYTIDAE
House Wren - Troglodytes aedon

1*42
Red Cedar
September 25
October 8

Toumey
October 10

Floodings
October 16

On September 25 and October 8, house wrens were observed
Investigating In the vines growing on the trunks of trees along
the river and the pond at Red ‘Cedar Woodlot.

On each day, two

birds were at a height of six to eight feet In grape vines.

A

single wren was seen feeding with a song sparrow around the
charred logs on the south trail on September 25.
Four house wrens were diligently Investigating the nooks
and crannies of a brush pile along the western edge of Toumey
Woodlot on October 10.

The four birds appeared to be very

thorough in thetr investigation of the pile of brush both along
the ground and in-the brush itself.
On October 16, a single house wren was observed feeding
on the ground beside a large fallen log in the central portion of
the lot.at the Floodings.

Winter Wren - Troglodytes trogldytes
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
April 2

Floodings
No record

A single Individual was observed feeding around the bases
of a number of prostrate logs In the center of the lot on April 2.
It made no sound.

This species is a regular migrant In the state

and a summer resident In the Upper Peninsula and northern third
of the Lower Peninsula (Zimmerman and Van Tyne, 1959).

143
Bewick's Wren - Thrvomanes bewlckll
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
August 2

Floodings
No record

A single Bewick's wren was observed feeding along the
ridge west of the pond on August 2,

The bird was Initially

on the ground jumping up and grabbing food Items from the
surfaces of lower branches and leaves of forest floor plants.

It

later flew to some low shrubs and flitted through them at heights
of two to four feet.

Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) consider

this bird a rare or irregular summer resident in the lower
tiers of counties In Michigan, most often encountered in April and
May.

MIMIDAE
Mockingbird - MImus polyglottos
Red Cedar
No record

Toumey
No record

Flood inns
March 28

A single individual seen flying from tree to tree in the
small oaks along the western edge of the lot on March 28.

It

continued to fly south across the water south of the Floodings.

Catbird - Dumatel1a carolinensis
Red Cedar
May 57"T5, 25, 31
June 7, 11, 23
July 4, 7, 26, 29
August 4, 12, 23
September 7, 13, 22, 25

Toumey
April 21
May 18, 29,
June 6, 18,
July 7, 19
August 2

31
21

Floodings
May 3, 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 2, 9
August 1
September 19

144

In Red Cedar Woodlot catbirds were seen only In the edge
areas and not In the Interior sections of the woodlot.

During

May four birds were present with one pair along the west end of
the south trail near the power line and a pair on the north side
along the river.

These birds'were generally seen low In the

shrubs, although later in June and July individuals were
observed perching at heights of from eight to 20 feet.
occurred from May through September.

Vocalizations

One young was seen on

August 23 when a total of five Individuals (possibly six) were
present.
Catbirds were observed only In the eastern brushy areas of
Toumey Woodlot.
present.

It Is possible that four birds, two pairs, were

At least one pair nested In dense brush near the

eastern fence.

The nest was three feet off the ground and

contained two dark blue eggs with no marking on May 29.

On

June 6 the nest contained one newly hatched young and one
unhatched egg.

During the inspections

of the nest, the parents

retired to the nearby shrubs and smaller trees where they called
persistently.

Most activity was centered around the shrubs at

\

the eastern end, although catbirds were seen In the conifers, as
well as around the edges of the pond.

On July 19 and August 2

pairs of catbirds were observed feeding amongst the emergent
vegetation of the pond.
A single pair of catbirds was present at the Floodings
until June-4, when a dead one was found.

This pair had been

145
seen along the low trees and shrubs at the southwestern tip,
where it was presumed they were constructing a nest (none was
ever found).

Throughout the rest of the summer only a single

catbird was seen, usually along the honeysuckle hedgerow or in
the aspens of the western shore.

Brown Thrasher - Toxostoma rufurn
Red Cedar
April 26,
May 1

30

Toumey
May 18
September 17

Floodings
May 5, 22
June 17
July 16
August 6

Brown thrashers were present as spring migrants in Red
Cedar Woodlot.

Single birds were observed on April 26 and May 1.

A pair was seen on April 30.

The birds were present In trees

(35 feet), In bushes, and on the ground.
Single birds were seen at Toumey on May 18 and September 17The May individual was singing in a bush along the western
edge.

The fall bird was in a tree at a height of 15“20 feet.
Thrashers were observed at the Floodings in the smaller

trees and shrubs which are on the periphery of the lot, In
addition to the hedges and small trees adjacent to the tot.
Two birds were seen on May 5 in trees along the west shore, and
July 16 In sassafras trees in the northwest corner of the lot
with one bird consuming a green berry.

Two pairs were observed

on June 17, one in an old apple tree to the northwest and a
second In the shrubs of the northwest portion of the lot, as well

146

as the evergreen windbreak to the north.

TURD IDAE
Robin - Turdus migrator Ius
Red Cedar
January 21
March 26
April 5, 26
May 1, 14, 15, 19, 25
June 11 , 23
July 4, 7, 26, 29
August 4, 12
October 13, 20

Toumey
March 16, 21
April 2, 10, 19, 21, 28
May 8, 14, 18, 29, 31
June 6
July 7, 15, 19
September 26
October 1, 15

Floodings
March 28
April 7
May 3, 4, 21,
22
June 4, 17
July 2, 16, 25
August 1, 6
September 28
October 2, 16 , 24

The robin was a common summer resident at Red Cedar
Woodlot with at least one and probably two successful nestings
In the lot during 1968.
January 21.

A single winter bird was heard twice on

Although two Individuals were seen on March 26,

most robins did not arrive until April.

The population was six

Individuals during April with up to five Individuals in May.

One

pair nested In the woods along the southeastern edge of the
woodlot.

On May 14 a nest with four newly hatched young was

located five feet high In the crotch of a thorn-apple tree.
young remained In the nest until after May 25.

The

They were covered

with pin feathers on flay 19 and completely feathered on May 25.
The robin population Increased with the fledging of these three
and on July 4 there were at least twelve robins In the woodlot
with what appeared to be young from two nestings, some being
older and some newly fledged.

1*7
Robins were generally seen along the south trail, although
other areas of open woods and grassy areas were utilized.

On

July * a male was seen bathing In a puddle In the south trail,
while a young bird was gathering worms In the same puddles.

At

my approach the adult took flfght to the cover of trees on the
south side of the trail.

Upon reaching the trees, the adult

called, and the young bird took flight In the direction of the
older bird.
trail.

Cherries were eaten on July 26 along the south

In late summer there appeared to be six to eight robins

In Red Cedar Woodlot.
Two pairs of robins lived In Toumey Woodlot during 1968,
one in the eastern end and one In the western.

The first

arrivals on March 16 were at the northeastern portion of the
woodlot giving single-noted calls.

On March 21 a pair was observed

feeding on the ground In the hay area.

They flew Into the pines.

At least three robins were seen in the western e n d ,In the more
open areas of trees and grass; only two were observed at the
eastern end.

On April

19, a nest containing four blue eggs was

discovered In the conifers at the eastern end in the northern­
most spruce, four feet off the ground.

The parents called and

flew nearby while I examined the nest.

The three young had pin

feathers on May 8 and were fledged on May 1*.

No nest was found

at the western end, although two adults and a young were seen
on May 31 In the western edge of the main lot near the fence.
On July 7 a robin carrying food was seen in the large oak at the

148

southeast end.

The behavior of this and a second Individual

Indicated that a nest or young were closeby.

On that same

date a pair

On July 19* a female

was seen feeding along the pond.

with a large red berry was seen by

the pond.

Robins remained

In the east and west ends of the lot into October.
A pair of robins resided in the area of the Floodings
during the summer of I968 .

Although several were seen flying

about the woodlot on March 28, the first bird in residence was
seen on April 7 In the northwest corner.

On May 5 a pair was

observed building a nest in the center of the lot 10 feet up in
a crotch of a branch of a small white oak.
completed and was found deserted on May 21.

This nest was never
The two robins

were seen occasionally in the conifers(with some grackles)
but no nest

was found.

On June 17 the female at the south

corner made calls generally associated

with danger to a nest

of young; however, neither could be found.

Young were seen on

July 16 when four were seen with the parents off the south
shore In trees.

Three were seen later in the summer.

The young

made the robins a more conspicuous element of the avifauna and their
feeding was observed along the shore, In the fields to the north­
west, and in the honeysuckle.

It appeared that tn September

and October the robins moved north out of the lot and were
often seen at distances of several hundred yards to the north
where there was another growth of pines and old apple trees.

149
Wood Thrush - Hvloci chi a mustelIna
Red Cedar
August 4

Toumey
No record

Flood 1nqs
June 4

Three birds, possibly an adult and two young, were
perched in a group of young maples approximately 40 yards east
of the pond in Red Cedar Woodlot.

All were below seven feet.

They dropped to the ground, and began to work.the-ground
and leaves.
Orr June 4 a single-wood thrush carrying nesting material
was observed In the maple trees along the north border of the
lot at the Floodings.

Hermit Thrush -Hvloclchla guttata
Red Cedar
April 5

Toumey
April 28

Floodings
No record

A pair of hermit thrushes was seen along the north side
of the south trail on April 5 In Red Cedar Woodlot.

One gave

a call and both flew deep Into the wood.
A single hermit thrush was seen on April 28 along the
western border of the woods at Toumey Woodlot.

The bird was

feeding on the ground before flying Into a tree.

Swainson's Thrush - Hvlocichla ustulata
Red Cedar
May 1, 15,
October 8

19,31

Toumey
May 18, 31

Floodings
No record

Swainsonfs or the olfve-backed thrushes were seen in Red
Cedar Woodlot as both sprlng.andi.fall

transients.

Individuals

150
were seen from ground level to a height of 20 feet.

On May 15

a single thrush was observed feeding at the base of a sycamore
tree.

It flew Into a swampy area along the pond and began to

feed much In the fashion of a robin.
were observed at any one visit.

No more than two Individuals

On October 8 a single

Swalnson's thrush emerged from the underbrush east of the pond
chasing a yellow-shafted flicker.

It pursued the flicker over

the water and out Into the open grassy area.

All the acrobatics

of the flicker were to no avail as It was not able to elude the
thrush until It flew Into a dense tangle of vines on the trunk
of a large tree.

The thrush landed In the tree but did not

continue the chase.

There was no Indication why the flicker

should have attracted such-attentIon from the thrush.
On both dates in May Swalnson's thrushes were seen in the
western portion of the main woods at Tourney Woodlot.
area of much sapling maple growth.

This Is an

The birds were seen either on

the ground or low in trees.

Veery - Hvloclchla fuscescens
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
September 26

Flood1ngs
No record

On September 26 a single veery was seen In the branches
of a maple 25 feet high along the south border of Tourney Woodlot.

151
SYLVIIDAE
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Requlus satrapa
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
April 2,10, 19
September 26
October 1, 23
November 9» 22

Floodings
Ho record

Golden-crowned kinglets were seen In Tourney Woodlot during
spring and fall migrations.

On April 2 a female was seen

flitting along the south and west portions of the pond, and on
April

10 a pair was observed working along the bases of trees

along the south border.

They appeared to be Investigating nooks

and crannies on the trunks.

The only kinglet seen In the

conifers In the spring was a male In the eastern pines and spruces.
All the kinglets observed In Tourney (n the fall were
associated with conifers along the east or west ends.
females were seen, and often they were In the pines

Only

in the

company of cardinals, whlte-throated and fox sparrows.

Most

were seen In the pines along the southwest border of the lot.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Requlus calendula
Red Cedar
Apr 11.26, 30
May 1
September 7

Tourney
September 17
October
10

Floodings
No record

Spring and fall migrant ruby-crowned kinglets were seen
In Red Cedar Woodlot in 19&8.

Single females were observed on

April 26 and 30 working branches and vines at heights of 4-9 feet.

152
Three Individuals were seen on May 1, one in company with
myrtle and Nashville warblers and two alone in shrubs along the
northeast section of the pond.

The September 7 record was of a

female in silver maples at the east end of the south trail at
a height of 8-10 feet.
Fall transients were seen at Tourney Woodlot.

On September

17 a pair was seen in the pines at the southwest end along with
black-throated green warblers, white-throated sparrows, and
chickadees.

Several were seen in the spruces along the

eastern end of the lot on October 10.

BOMBYCILLIDAE
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycl11 a cedrorum
Red Cedar
April 5
May 15, 19, 25, 31
June 1
September 25
October 13

Tourney
September 26

Floodings
March 22, 28
April 7
July 25
August 1, 6
September 12

Migrating cedar waxwings were often abundant at Red Cedar
Woodlot.

On April 5 and May 15, 19, and 25 from two to five

individuals were seen along the edges of wooded areas.

On May 31

15 birds were seen, while on June I, September 25 and October 13,
12, 20, and 11 individuals were observed on those dafes respectively.
On September 25 at least some of the birds appeared to be immature
individuals, and all were feeding on berries under the power line.
On September 26, five cedar waxwings were observed flying

153
Into Tourney from the east.
The windrows and hedges at the Floodings were most
attractive to the cedar waxwings, although birds were seen In
the large oaks at the northwest corner and also In the dead trees
off the southern tip of the lot.

On March 28, 20 waxwings

were seen In tha poplar trees In the middle of the honeysucklehighbush cranberry hedgerow.

They were both In the trees and

feeding on the berries left from the fall.

At least ten

individuals were seen on each occasion with a maximum of 20
on March 28 and September 12.

STURNIDAE
Common Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
Red Cedar
January 14, 21
February 8, 27
March 7, 14, 18, 26
April 5, 14, 26, 30
May 1, 8, 15, 19, 25, 31
June I, 7, 11, 23
July 4
September 13, 22, 25
October 13, 20
December 9

Tourney
Floodings
February 13, 20
March 27
March 2, 10, 16, 21
April 12
April 2, 10, 19, 21, 28 May 5, 21, 22
May 8, 18, 29
June 4
June 6, 18
September 12, 28
July 7, 15,30
October 2, 11
August 7
September 6, 15, 17, 26
October 1, 10, 15
November 14

The starling was a conspicuous element of the avifauna of
Red Cedar Woodlot throughout 1968.
portions of the lot.

Individuals were seen in all

Most were In the dead elms along the north

and south trails, although many were seen In live trees.
In trees were seldom seen below 30 feet.

Those

Feeding activity was

observed In the grassy areas on numerous occasions.

15**
On January 14, 21 and February 8 individuals were seen
flying about In the lot, but it was not until February 27 that
four were seen perching In trees in the woodlot.
Into May,

From March 7

individuals were primarily seen in dead trees where they

were investigating holes.

During this time their numbers

fluctuated from 12-24, usually In groups of two or four.
Copulatory behavior was seen only on March 18 when one bird
mounted another for five seconds while they were on a horizontal
limb of a dead elm east of the pond at a height of 30-35 feet.
During May more activity on the ground was noted.
In;.the summer there appeared to be a decrease in the number
of individuals with only four to six seen per visit, as compared
with up to two dozen in the spring.

The number Increased in the

fall to from six to ten per visit, many of which were often seen
In company with hairy woodpeckers and flickers.
In 1968 the starling.was the most numerous bird in Tourney
Woodlot.

Up to 150 Individuals of this highly vocal species

were present.

During February from two to six individuals were

seen perching In the trees.

Even these few individuals were quite

vocal making assorted squawks and other notes.
the tops of trees.

They roosted in

The birds would frequently fly in and out

of the woodlot.
The largest numbers of starlings were seen in April when
from 125-150 individuals were seen on April 2.

Most of these were

in groups of two to three who were Investigating the many holes

155
present In the crowns of the mature maples and beeches.

As many

as 100 were present on April 10; however, fewer were seen later
in the month with a maximum of 30-50.

These birds were often

seen flying into the lot from adjacent fields.

On April

19 and 21

several were seen on the ground near the machinery at the
northwest end.

They appeared to be feeding in the grass and

were moving in and out of the lot.
low in the spruces at the

On

April 28 three were

seen

east end.

During May starlings could be heard In the canopies of
the trees in the main portion of the lot.

In June at least one

pair nested in the hole of a dead limb along the northeast edge
of the pond at a height of 25-30 feet.
seen low in trees along the edge.
and out of the woodlot.

In addition birds were

Many were seen flying into

Fewer were observed In July with no

birds seen on July 19 and 28.

In the later summer, large numbers

(50 or more) were observed in fields around Tourney.

An increase

In number of starlings In the woodlot was noted in the fall with
the number of roo&ting birds at 50-75*
The Floodings had the fewest starlings of any of the woodlots
with no more than 10 seen at any one time.

Individuals confined

their activities to the peripheral areas of the lot, especially
towards the south where they were often seen perching in dead
trees.

Starlings were often In company with redwings and grackles

which also perched in the

dead trees. Nesting activities or

at least nest-hole exploratory

activities were observed in May

156
and June.

The nest boxes erected for the use of wood ducks

appeared to be used as nesting cavities by the starlings.
Occasionally the starlings were seen feeding in the fields to
the northwest of the woodlot, and on June k a pair was observed
gathering food along the shore of the pond and flying with it
out into the dead trees offshore.

VIREONIDAE
White-eyed VIreo - VIreo griseus
Red Cedar
May I

Tourney
No record

Floodings
No record

A single white-eyed vireo was observed In the bushes
along the east side of the pond at Red Cedar Woodlot on May 1.

Yellow-throated Vireo - Vlreo flavifrons
Red Cedar
May 15* 31

Tourney
June 18
July 19

Flood!ngs
June 4
September 12

Spring migrants were seen in Red Cedar Woodlot with a
single singing bird on May 15 and a second Individual on May 31
In company with several other species.

The singing bird was

UO feet high In a partially leafed tree.
The two Individuals In Tourney Woodlot were seen In the
eastern section of the main part of the woods.

Both Individuals

were singing; however, the bird on July 19 was singing Infrequently
with several minutes of song, followed by several minutes of
s Ilence.

157
On June 4 two yellow-throated vlreos were seen feeding
about 15 feet up In trees along the southeastern portion of the
lot at the Floodings.
scolding notes.

One was singing, while the other gave

On September 12, five individuals were seen at

a height of 40-50 feet In maples along the eastern shore.

Sol Itary VIreo - Vireo sol Itarlus
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
September 12

A single solitary vireo was seen at the Floodings on
September 12 feeding at a height of 10-12 feet In trees along
the eastern shore of the-lot.

Red-eyed Vireo - VIreo olIvaceus
Red Cedar
May 19, 25, 31
June 11, 23
September 7*22, 25
November 16

Tourney
May 29, 31
June 6
July 28
August 2
September 26

Floodings
No record

The red-eyed vireo was an infrequently observed summer
resident of Red Cedar Woodlot.
seen.

In May only single Individuals were

They were calling 40 or more feet high in the crowns of

the trees on May 19 and 25, but on May 31 one was seen low In
the brush east of the pond.

It called only twice.

In June

single birds were seen again, with one feeding at a height of 25
feet by the south trail
June 23.

In the terminal branches of a maple on

Red-eyed vlreos were more common In September with as

many as eight on September 22.

Most were 15-20 feet In smaller

158
trees, and on September 25 three were seen feeding around Virginia
creeper.

An unusually late sighting was made on November 16

when a pair was seen 35 feet up in trees in the middle of the
eastern section of the woodlot.

They were singing, and then

dropped from the tree for six feet before taking flight to the west.
Although red-eyed vireos were seen from May through
September in Tourney Woodlot, they were not common.

Three

individuals on May 31 was the largest number observed on any
one visit.

Red-eyed vireos were seen in both the denser stands

of trees and some of the solitary trees away from the main
section of the woodlot.
trees.

Heights ranged from 10-60 feet In the

Songs were heard from May through August.

Warbling VIreo - Vi reo qj1vus
Red Cedar
June 1, 11, 23
July 4, 26
August 23

Tourney
May 29
June 6, 18
July 7

Floodings
No record

Single warbling vireos were observed in Red Cedar Woodlot
on three days in June and on July 4.
north trail and the river.

These were all along the

On July 26 three Individuals were

found with two feeding In bushes under the north edge of the power
lines while the third was east of the pond.

A pair was also seen

on August 23, 40 feet up In maples along the north trail.
Warbling vireos nested in trees just south of the southeast
corner of Tourney Woodlot.

A pair was seen in the tamaracks and

159
oaks at the southeast corner on Hay 29*

On June 6 and June 18

the birds were seen on exposed branches of a silver maple about
60 feet south of the fence.

Two warbling vireos were seen for

the final time on July 7 in locust trees at the eastern end at
heights of 15-20 feet.

PARUMDAE
Prothonatary Warbler - Protonotar la cltrea
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

Floodings
Hay 21, 22
June U

Prothonatary warblers are summer residents at the
Floodings where these birds nest in the flooded timber
associated with the lot.

On Hay 21 a single male was heard

calling from a perch on a dead tree off the eastern shore.

On

Hay 22 a male was calling from a height of US feet in trees along
the eastern shore.

It flew to a dead tree in the water and

into a south-facing hole about three feet above the surface of
the water,

it remained In the hole for only a few seconds and

then returned to the woods where it continued singing,
to feed and flew deeper into the lot.

it began

On June U the male was

seen 10 feet high In a tree off the south shore In the company of
a chickadee.

No females were seen, and although this species has

nested there in previous years,

It apparently did not In 1968.

160
Tennessee Warbler - Vermlvora pereqrlna
Red Cedar
May 15, 19, 31
June 1
August 23
September 22
October 13

Tourney
May T8

Floodings
May 21, 22

On May 15 five Tennessee warblers were observed In Red
Cedar Woodlot.

The birds were singing, and generally located In

trees bordering the open areas.

On May 19, Individuals of this

species were seen In the woods at the northeast section of the lot.
They were seen from eight feet to'^a height of 35 feet.
The fall migrants included only single birds or pairs
generally higher In the trees than spring migrants.

Fall birds

were seen in a variety of locations In the lot, as were the
spring birds.
A single Tennessee warbler was singing in the trees on the
ridge west of the pond In Tourney Woodlot on May 18.
At the Floodings one Tennessee warbler was seen on May 21
and two birds on May 22.

The May 21 Individual was working

In trees along the south shore, while the May 22 birds were In
the center of the lot at 25-30 feet and at the northwest corner.

Parula Warbler - Parula amerlcana
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
September 26

Floodings
No record

A single male parula warbler was seen flitting between the
pines and beeches at the southwestern portion of Tourney Woodlot

161
on September 26.
Yellow Warbler - Dendrolca petechia
Floodings
May 3, 5, 21, 22
June U, 17
July 9
August 6

Tourney
May 29

Red Cedar
May 5
September 22

Yellow warblers occurred as spring and fall transients in
Red Cedar Woodlot.

They were seen close to the river.

On

September 22 a pair was observed in dense tangled vegetation. in
company with black-throated green and.magnol ia* warb'lers, a
flicker, several chickadees, and a redstart.
On May 29 a male was observed singing in the wet pasture
area at the southeastern section of Tourney Woodlot.
Yellow warblers were most common at the Floodings and were
summer residents.

The birds confined their activities to areas

adjacent to the water along the entire western shore including
the honeysuckle and hlghbush cranberry windbreaks,
nested.

in which they

As many as six individuals were seen on May 3 and 22.
On June 17 a female was seen in the aspens in the middle

of the windbreak holding food In her bill.
a male was seen with food.

Shortly afterwards

Neither made an attempt to move to

the

nest while they were under observation.

was

seen perched on the tassel of a corn stalk on which it

appeared to be searching for food.

On August 6 a male

162
Hagnolla Warbler - Pendrolca magnolta
Red Cedar
May 15* 19. 31
September 22, 25

Tourney
May 29, 31
September 26

Floodings
No record

The magnolia warbler was a spring and fall transient at
*

both Red Cedar and Tourney woodlots.

At Red Cedar individuals

were seen in various parts of the lot generally near the ground
and not above 10 feet.

In the fall they were seen primarily

along the river, and on September 25 a large group of a dozen
or more was observed feeding in the weeds along the edges of
the north trail along with song sparrows.
On May 29 a male was seen feeding on a large caterpillar
gleaned from the leaves of an aspen at the southwestern side of
Tourney Woodlot.

The May 31 record was of at least two individuals

singing in the trees In the center of the lot.

A number of

magnolias were seen in the pines at the southwestern portion of
the lot on September 26.

Cape May Warbler - Dendrolca tigrlna
Red Cedar
May IT

Tourney ’
No record

Floodings
No record

A single male was seen on the north side of the south
trail towards the west end in low trees on May 8.

Myrtle Warbler - Pendrolca coronata

163
Red Cedar
May 1 , 8 , 19
October 8, 13* 20

Tourney
April 28
May 8

Floodings
May 3, 5,

21

The myrtle warbler was the most common spring and fall
transient warbler In Red Cedar Woodlot.
seen on each occasion In May.

At least a dozen were

Individuals were observed In a

variety of habitats from low brush to the canopies of trees at
heights of 30 or more feet.

Myrtles were seen In company with

ruby-crowned kinglets, Nashville, blackburnfan, and black-throated
green warblers, as well as Indigo buntings.

Songs were frequently

heard.
In the fall, the myrtles appeared to be fond of the abundant
crop of poison Ivy berries, and both adults and Immatures
consumed them.

Myrtles were also seen from the weeds along the

north trail and In the tops of trees at heights of kO feet.
The largest number of myrtles on any visit was estimated at
between 75 and 100 Individuals.

On October 20 a female was

observed feeding on the abundant grubs and worms that It was
finding between the poison Ivy vines and the tree on which they
were growing.

i

The spring migrants at Tourney consisted of Individuals
seen both In the shrubby areas, as well as singing Individuals
In the Interior.

On April 28 a pair was seen eight to ten feet

high In brushy areas, while a number of singing birds were
Six were heard on May 8.

heard

164

At the Floodings spring migrants were seen both In the
smaller trees at the edge of the lot and In the larger trees
In the Interior.

Two myrtles and two yellow warblers were

observed feeding around the catkins in aspens along the east
shore at heights of 10-12 feet on May 3*

Three Individuals

were seen in the middle of the lot on May 5.

On May 21 a single

female was seen feeding In partially leafed trees along the east
shore at a height of 35-40 feet.

Black-throated Green Warbler - Pendrolca vlrens
Red Cedar
May 19
September 7, 22, 25
October 8

Tourney
September 17, 26

Floodings
September 28
October 2

On May 19 a single black-throated green warbler was seen
by the south trail with another along with three other species
by the north trail

10 feet high in terminal branches of a maple.

This species was much more common as a fall migrant.
On September 7 both adults and Immatures were seen chasing each
other In various localities in the lot.

On other days from five

to several dozen birds were seen from near ground level to the
canopy heights of 60-70 feet.
In Tourney five or more black-throated green warblers of
both sexes were seen feeding on large worms in the pines at the
southwest end of the lot.on September 17*. On September 26
both adults and Immatures were seen feeding In pines and weeds to

165
the south.
At the Floodings a single female was seen in the honeysuckle
on September 28.
northwest.

It remained for several

seconds and then flew

On October 2 a male was feeding in the lot.

Blackburnian Warbler - Pendrolca fusca
Red Cedar
May 19

Tourney
September 26

Floodings
No record

A pair of blackburnlan warblers was seen along the north
side

of the south trail

in the company of myrtle, black-throated

green warblers and indigo buntings.

They were feeding and singing

at a height of 40-50 feet.
A single immautre blackburnlan was observed feeding in the
pines at the west end of Tourney Woodlot on September 26.

Chestnut-sided Warbler - Pendrolca pensvlvanica
Red Cedar
May 15, 31

Tourney
May 31

Floodings
No record

Spring migrant chestnut-sided warblers were seen In
Red Cedar on two dates in May.

On both occasions they were

feeding in low branches of trees in the northeast end with a
single male on May 15 and two males on May 31*
Two chestnut-sided warblers were seen chasing each other
through the lower branches of trees 20 yards in from the south
border of Tourney Woodlot.

They were below 10 feet.

166
Bay-breasted Warbler - Pendrolca castanea
Red Cedar
May 31
October 6

Tourney
No recprd

Floodings
No record

Transient bay-breasted warblers were seen In Red Cedar
Woodlot.

On May 31 a single bird was observed along the north

side of the south trail at the eastern end of the lot.

On

October 8 one was seen feeding on poison Ivy berries while
several others were In the crowns of trees with black-throated
greens.

Blackpoll Warbler - Pendrolca striata
Red Cedar
May 15, 19
September 7

Tourney
No record

Floodings
No record

On May 15 and 19 a single blackpoll warblers were seen
at heights of 30 feet In silver maples along the western portion
of the north trail,

in both cases the birds were feeding along

the inner branches of the trees.

Two possible blackpoll warblers

were seen on September 7 feeding on the middle branches of large
trees along the east end of the south trail.

Pine Warbler - Pendrolca plnus
Red Cedar
September 7

Tourney
September 17

Floodings
No record

A possible pine warbler was seen In trees along the river
at Red Cedar Woodlot on September 7«

Another possible Individual

was seen on September 17 feeding in pines at the southwest end

167
of Tourney Woodlot.

Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) regard this

species as a rare or generally overlooked transient.

Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocaptlius
Red Cedar
May 25, 31

Tourney
September 26

Floodings
No record

Two ovenbirds were seen in Red Cedar Woodlot on May 25
in dense shrubby areas along the north side of the south trail.
On May 31 a single bird was heard calling in the same area.
On September 26 a fall migrant ovenbird was seen on
the floor of Tourney Woodlot along the south border.

Yellowthroat- Geothlypls trichas
Red Cedar
May 31

Tourney
September 26

Floodings
May 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 2, 6, 16,.25
August 1, 6
September 12
October 11

A single male yellowthroat was seen by the north side of
the pond at the east end in Red Cedar Woodlot on May 31*

On

September 26 a female was seen In the weeds south of the pines
at the southwest corner of Tourney Woodlot.
The yellowthroat was a summer resident at the Floodings;
however,

it was never seen In the mature sections of the woodlot,

always restricting its activities to shrubby areas around the
periphery.

It appeared that two pairs of yellowthroats nested, one

In the honeysuckle windbreak, the other along the shore of the

168
east pond Just north of the main part of the lot.

On the

west side, yellowthroats were seen from the southwestern point
along an arc to the western portion of the windbreak.

On the

east side, yellowthroats were seen only north of the main lot.
The birds were seen only In shrubs or the lower branches of
trees.
On September 12 a possible Immature individual was seen
In the windbreak
in the

with a male and female.

Yellow warblers nested

same area as yellowthroats and the two species were seen

together in the corn field on August 6.

On October 1 a male was

heard giving the full, song in the low shrubs along the west pond.

Wilson's Warbler - W 1 1sonia pus 111a
Red Cedar
August 23

Tourney
September 26

Floodings
No record

On August 23 a male Wilson's warbler was seen feeding and
darting around a boxelder north of the north trail at a height
of 8-11 feet.
Two Wilson's warblers were seen In the small spruces at the
northwest corner of the Tourney Woodlot on September 26.

Canada Warbler - W i 1son 1a canadens1s
Red Cedar
May 31

Tourney
May 18
September IS

FIood1ngs
No record

Several male Canada warblers were seen In young trees
along the edge of the south trail at Red Cedar on May 31.

169
On Hay 18 a singing male was seen feeding eight feet
up in trees along the ridge east of the pond at Tourney Woodlot.
Six or more individuals of both sexes were observed feeding in
the pines at the southwest corner of the lot on September 15•

American Redstart - Setophaga ruticl1 la
Red Cedar
May 15. 31
September 7» 22

Tourney
May 18, 29

Floodings
No record

Spring migrant American redstarts were seen In Red Cedar
Woodlot with two males at heights of three and 20 feet along the
south trail on May 15 and a female east of the pond on May 31*
Fall migrants were more abundant with a single male at the east
end of the pond and many females at the west end on September 7.
The females were working a dead oak which had fallen into the
pond.

In addition to at least 20 redstarts there were chickadees,

white-breasted nuthatches, goldfinches and black-throated green
warblers feeding around the leaves of the dead tree.
Redstarts were spring transients at Tourney Woodlot.

On

May 18 a male was working 15-20 feet high in the maples at the
northeast end of the lot.
20 feet up.

A second was seen near the pond about

A female was observed feeding 20 feet up in partially

leafed afches by the southwest end on May 29.

PL0CEIDAE
House Sparrow - Passer domestleus

There was also a male.

170
Red Cedar
January 2, 7, 21
February 18, 27
March 7
May 25
November 16, 23

Tourney
January 9
February 13, 20
April 10, 19, 28
May 18
July 7
November 9* 1^

Floodings
No record

The house or English sparrow was restricted to the southern
edge of Red Cedar Woodlot, especially near the feeding station
at the western end of University Village.

On February 27,

March 27 and May 5 house sparrows were seen along the south
trail with only one or two Individuals on each date.

Winter

observations revealed up to 30 individuals clustered near the
feeder and never more than ten yards into the lot.
At Tourney Woodlot house sparrows were seen on the opposite
side of Hagadorn Road, In the hay area at the southwest end, and
the conifers near the machinery.
less than at Red Cedar.

The number of Individuals was

The number seen per day was usually

only one or two; however, on April 28 approximately ten were
observed In the weeds and hay at the southwest end.
House sparrows were absent from the Floodings, and their
appearance at the other lots was probably Influenced by the
cultivated fields, barns, and houses near the other two lots.

ICTERIDAE
Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
April 2

Floodings
March 28

171
Meadowlarks were not seen fn the Interiors of the
woodlots; however, they occurred in fields bordering both
Tourney Woodlot and the Floodings.

On April 2 a single bird

was seen in the fields south of the central portion of Tourney
Woodlot.

Another single bird was observed on March 28 approximately

100 yards northwest of the lot at the Floodings in an open field.

Red-winged Blackbird - Ageiaius phoeniceus
Red Cedar
March 1^*7 18, 26
April 14, 23, 26
May 1, 15, 25, 31
June 1, 7, 11, 23
July 7
August 4
September 7, 22, 25
October 8, 13, 20

Tourney
March 16
April 2, 10, 19, 21, 28
May 8, 18, 24, 25, 29
June 6
July 7
September 26
October 1, 10, 15, 23

Floodings
March 11, 17, 22, 27, 21
April 7, 12
May 3, 5, 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 2, 9, 16, 25
August 1 , 6
September 3, 12, 19, 28
October 2, 11, 16, 24
November 10

Red-winged blackbirds were common summer residents in
Red Cedar Woodlot.

Singing males were present In the central and

western portions of the woodlot, particularly at the edge of open
areas.

They would perch from 4 to over 30 feet in the trees and

would give the "kon-ker-eee" call.

The females confined their

activities to shrubs and'the lower portions of trees.

Although

the numbers fluctuated frctn visit to visit, there were usually
at least a dozen redwings' scattered^through:the. study: area.
Territories seemed stable In that males were usually present at
the same locations on nearly every visit.
On May 25 a nest was located on the south bank of the pond

172
four feet high In a shrubby tree under the power line.

The

nest was constructed of grasses and one piece of polyethylene.
Four light cream-colored eggs with dark marking on the larger
end were present.

Four young were hatched by May 31 and these

were fledged by June 11.

Two males and a female were always

present in the trees nearby and called when I came near the nest.
Feeding redwings were seen in grassy and weedy areas.
After being common during March through June, there was a
decrease in population during July and August.
were present during these months.

Only one or two

September and October showed an

Increase to 6 to 10 redwings, but never as many as in the spring.
In Tourney redwings were confined to the southeast, portion.
Two males and two females were present from March through
May, and at least one pair nested along the hedge at the east
end.

On May 18 a nest made of grasses was found 2 1/2 feet off

the ground In a bush.
cowbird eggs.

It contained three redwing eggs and two

On May 23 there were two eggs of each species.

On May 25. one redwing and two cowbird:eggs were present, and on
May 29 there were two newly hatched young.
destroyed on June 6.

The nest was found

During May the males were usually in the

larger trees calling.
A similar reduction In numbers

in July and August as

observed in Red Cedar occurred In Tourney.

Those birds present

in September and October appeared to be transients moving through

173
the area of the woodlot.
As might be expected with the cattail marshes surrounding
the woodlot, the redwing was the most common species at the
Floodings.

It was also noted, that there was no decrease In

numbers during July and August.
March 22.

Only males were present until

The males established territories in the northwestern

and western cattails and along the northeast shore.

They were

less common on the southern edges where cattails were lacking.
Territorial squabbles were common.

After females were first seen

on March 27, there were usually from 25 to 70 redwings present.
Calling males and a few females were observed In the oaks at
the west edge arid In the canopy of the largest trees In the
woodlot.

Although no nests were found, young were seen from

June 4 until October.
In late June, July and August large numbers were observed
In the fields, corn and hedges.

In addition there were still

many In the cattails with a blrcfevery four or five feet in some
sections.

Females were observed feeding grubs and caterpillars

to their young.

Also males and females were seen feeding along the

logs in the water, much in the fashion of grackles.
The wooded areas south of the woodlot were used for
perching by males.

On one occasion, October 16, a male redwing

was observed to drive off a flicker that was attempting to land
In the tree where three redwings were perched.

17**
In September and October 'the number of redwings fluctuated
from 35 to over 100.

There was more movement than earlier In

the year, with flocks of 25 or more birds moving about.

Baltimore Oriole - Icterus qalbula
Tourney
May 18
July 7, 19

Red Cedar
May 15, 19, 25, 31
June 1, 7, 11, 23
August k t 23

F 1ood inqs
May 5, 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 9

Baltimore orioles constructed one nest in Bed Cedar
35“**0 feet up In the terminal branches of a silver maple south
of the south trail opposite the woodpile.

A possible second nest

was constructed In the vicinity of the east end of the north trail.
On May 15 the first two orioles were seen along the north trail
In the trees adjacent to the nest.

On May 19 a female and two

males were seen, with a lone male at the northeast section of
the lot, and a pair by the nest.

The males were calling.

The

three orioles were seen In the same areas on May 25,31 and June 1.
On June 7 the two males and the female were seen together.

The

brighter colored male chased the duller one away from the branch
on which the female was perched.

The only young observed in Red

Cedar was a single bird perched with an adult female in a tree
in the northeast end.

Several birds were seen on August 23

chasing a pewee along the north trail.
In Tourney Woodlot the Baltimore oriole was less common than
In the other two woodlots.

A single individual was seen in the

175
eastern end of the lot on each occasion.

On May 18, a male

was heard singing on the west ridge by the pond, while a male
on July 7 and a female on July 19 were seen on the eastern
ridge by the pines.
On May 5 a pair of orioles was seen in trees along the
southern shore where the larger oaks of the Floodings grade
westward into younger trees.

On the other two dates in May the

pair was seen working along the eastern shore where they
constructed a nest 35 feet high In a tree overhanging the water.
The birds were calling and feeding.

On June 4 the pair was

still on the east side, and In addition at least three other
individuals were seen in the northeast corner.

A single male

was seen in the western aspens on July 17.

July 9 a female

On

with at least two young was perched in trees along the eastern
shore along with a male.

Common Grackl.e - Out seal us qul scula
Red Cedar
March 147 18, 26
April 5, 14, 26
May 1, 8, 15, 19, 25, 31
June 1, 7, 11, 23
July 4, 7, 26, 29
August 4, 12, 23
September 7, 22, 25

Tourney
March 21
April 2, 19, 21
May 18, 29, 31
June 6
July 19
August 7
September 15, 17

Floodings
March 11, 17, 27, 28
April 7, 12
May 3, 5, 21, 22
June 4, 17
July 2, 16, 25
August 1
September 12, 28
October 11

It is not surprising that the common grackle was an abundant
summer resident in Red Cedar Wood lot as originally It was more or
less confined to wet areas, although now spreading to open

176

agricultural areas (Rough, 19^9).

Up to 20 grackles were

present during the summer, although usually only 10-12 were
recorded per visit.

They were seen on the ground and In all

heights of the trees In nearly all sections of'the woodlot.

One

nest was found along the south strip of woods eight feet up in the
top of a sapling on Hay 29.
rootlets and small

The nest was constructed of

twigs and contained three highly speckled blue

eggs.
The largest number of grackles was seen on June 23 and July 4.
On July

20 were present in a group

perching In the many

sapling maples in the woods just south of Kalamazoo Street, along
a: flood channel.

They were raucous, as was;typical of the

grackles throughout the year, and were perched between four and
12 feet.
Feeding activity took place primarily on the ground.

Birds

were seen drinking at the edge of the pond and by the river
edge.

Fewer grackles were present In September and Octoberthan

in July and August.
As was the case in many .species preferring open, areas or
open woods, grackles were seen primarily In either the eastern or
western portions of Tourney Woodlot.

At the eastern end, most

were in the wet area at the southeast corner, while at the
western end most were seen in the conifers in the northwest.
Generally no more than six to 10 birds were present per visit.

177
No nests were found; however, a single young bird was
observed at the northwest end on July 19*

Feeding on the ground

was observed.
The most notable observation occurred on September 15
when from 125-175 grackles were seen moving east through the
canopy of the main portion of the woodlot at the west end.
Concentrating their attention on the newly ripe crop of beech
nuts, adults of both sexes and young were voraciously devouring
them.

Broken hulls and partially eaten nuts fell

that they sounded like rain on the forest floor.

in such profusion
The birds were

very active and vocal, moving quickly from branch to branch.

On

September 17» about half as many grackles with some starling
were seen at the western end; however, they were not feeding.
Grackles confined much of their activities to the shores
line and offshore areas at the Floodings, although seen in the
fields and the conifers to the north.

After observing grackles

flying company with redwings on March II and 17* the first
residents were seen in the dead trees off the south shore on
March 27.
summer.

From eight to 20 were seen on most visits during the
These were generally scattered over the area In groups

of from two to six.

Young were seen along the west shore on June 4

In company with several adults carrying food.

Immediately after

the late June rains, there was a decrease In numbers seen on
July 2; however, the normal number was present on July 16.

On

178
that day a large group of 50 or more was seen on the west
shore of the west pond.
Grackles were often seen with redwings and starlings.
They fed in the corn fields and in grassy areas.

Frequently

they were observed walking along the shore or on logs from which
they gleaned food from the water.

The number of grackles

decreased in September and October.

Brown-headed Cowblrd - Molothrus ater
Red Cedar
April 5, 14. 26
May 1, 8, 15, 19, 25
June 23
July 4, 26

Tourney
April 10, 19, 21, 28
May 18,
29, 31
June 6,
18, 21
July 7

Floodings
April 7
May 5, 22
July 2

Brown-headed cowbirds were common summer residents of
Red Cedar during 1968.

From April

through July, up to 14

individuals were seen with from two or three males to every female.
They generally were perched In dead trees adjacent to open areas.
They appeared to feed in the grassy areas.
The only documented case of cowbird parasitism occurred In
Tourney. Woodlot.(see Red-winged Blackbird).

As was the case in

Red Cedar, the cowbirds were associated with open areas of the
woodlot.

In most cases, cowbirds were observed perchipg in trees

at the edge of the woodlot.

On July 7 a male was observed feeding

around the feet of sheep In the field next to the north border
of the woodlot.
Cowbirds were less frequently seen at the Floodings.

Eight

179
were seen flying through on April 7.

Other sightings involved

one or two individuals in the plowed field (May 22), in the
conifer windbreak (May 5), the sassafras trees at the northwest
end (July 2), and feeding along the south shore (May 5)*

THRAUPI DAE
Scarlet Tanager - Pi ranga oltvacea
Red Cedar
May 19, 25

Tourney
September 15, 26

Floodings
June ^

On May 19 a presumed pair of scarlet tanagers was observed
30 feet high in maples north of the south trail.
occasionally chased the female.
seen on May 25.

The male

One and possibly two males were

The male was 30 feet high in an ash tree and

was giving two calls, one robin-like and the other a shorter
"chlp-ching".

It was flying out of the trees and back again.

A possible second bird was heard calling In dense underbrush near
the woodpile on the south trail.
A female was present along the ridge west of the pond
at Tourney on September 15*

Several were working low in maples

at the western end of the woodlot on September 26.
The only scarlet tanager at the Floodings was a male seen
high in the canopy of the main woodlot.

FRINGILL IDAE
Cardinal - RIchmondena cardinal is

It was calling and feeding.

180
Toumev
January 9, 21
March 10, 16, 21
April 2, 10, 19, 21, 29
May 18, 25, 29, 31
June 6, 18
July 7, 15, 19, 30
September 6, 17, 26
October 1, 15
November 9, 22

Red Cedar
January 7, 21
February 8, 27
March 7* 15, 18, 26
April 5, 14, 23, 26, 30
May 1, 8, 15, 19, 25
June 1, 7, 11, 23
July 4, 26
August 4
September 7, 13, 22, 25
October 20
November 23

Floodings
January 11
March 5, 11, 17, 22
April 7, 12
May 3, 5, 21 ,22
June 4, 17
July 2, 16, 25
August 1, 6
September 28
November 10, 20, 25,

The vocal and conspicuous cardinal was one of the most
frequently observed species in Red Cedar.

From two to three

pairs of cardinals wintered in Red Cedar and were seen in light
woods and open areas.

Several songs and clicks were frequently heard.

They fed in weeds and in tangled thickets.

In March there was

a gradual dispersal of these pairs plus a fourth to the north and
south trails.

These pairs were located by the woodpile, by the

pond at the west end of the south trail, along the west section of
the north trail.,, and In the open space by the river at the
northeast end.

Territorial

squabbles were occasionally observed,

especially between the two pairs on the west end.

No nests or

young were found, although they certainly were present.
The cardinals were observed in a variety of types of
vegetation and In all heights from the ground to 40 feet.
Feeding was seen in weeds and on August 4 a female was observed
consuming a large caterpillar by the pond.

In the fall, fewer

cardinals were observed, and most were seen along the south side
with two or three pairs involved.

161
As was the case with edge species, the cardinal was
present only in the lighter woods and open spaces In the east
and west ends of Tourney Woodlot.

Pairs In the northeast section

and In the western end were present In July.
mostly in the conifers.
In the western end.
May 18.

They were observed

Occasionally a second pair was present

One nest was found in the eastern end on

It was 3 1/2 feet off the ground and contained five

cream-blue heavily speckled eggs.

The nest was constructed

of pine needles with some sticks on the outside and one small
piece of grape bark.

The female dropped from the nest at my

approach and began clicking.
other occasions.
non-hatched eggs.

This behavior was repeated on three

On May 25 there were two small young and two
The nest was destroyed by the rains and on

May 29 there was one dead young with the two non-hatched eggs.
No nests were found In the west end, but one young was
seen on July 15 being fed by Its parents.
the west fence and became excited
parents giving many “zit-It" notes.

It was perched along

upon the approach of the
In the later months

cardinals were seen only along the west end In spruces in the
northwest and the pines and weeds on the southwest.
Cardinals were seen along the south, west, north, and
northwest sections of the woodlot at the Floodings; however, no
birds were seen In the main lot or along the east side.

A

single pair was present during most visits with two pairs seen

182
on March $.

The resident pair moved around much of the woodlot

and did not appear to prefer any one section.

The male was

often seen In dead trees off the south!.shore.

As in the

other woodlot, the pair was seen at varying heights.
More were present In November when much of the hedges and
other plants were in fruit.

On November )0 four males and two

females were seen feeding on highbush cranberry, multiflora
rose and red-osier dogwood.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus 1udovlcianus
Red Cedar
May 15, 19, 25, 31
June 7, 11, 23
August 12, 23
September 7, 13

Tourney
May 8, 18, 31

Floodings
August 1
September 12

Although rose-breasted grosbeaks were seen frequently in
Red Cedar Woodlot during the summer months, no young were observed.
On May 15 a female was collecting sticks along the south trail,
while at least two males were perched in trees nearby.
females were seen on May 19 and 25 in the same area.

Males and
Individuals

were recorded by the power lines along the south trail on May 31*
June 7 and 11.

In most cases the birds were In branches near

open areas, rather than In the more densely wooded areas. Only
females were seen during August and September.

On September 7

a female was feeding on elderberries along the south trail with
such vigor that her bill was red from their juice.
females were seen in trees at heights of 'S-SO feet.

Other

183
Rose-breasted grosbeaks were seen only in May Tn Tourney
Woodlot.

On May 8 a male was seen 50-60 feet high in beeches

and basswoods feeding on the new growths.

On May 15 a male was

heard giving an abbreviated song in the west end at a height
of 15 feet.

A pair was observed on May 31 in low bushes along the

West fence with the female collecting sticks (nesting material?)
along the ground.
On August 1 a male rose-breasted grosbeak flew from the
southwest point of the Floodings Into a tree offshore.
grosbeak landed on the vacated branches.

The

Two more birds were

seen In the northwest end of the lot on September 12.

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cvanea
Red Cedar
May 8, 15. 19, 25,
June 1, 7, 11, 23
July k, 26, 29
August k, 12

Toumev
May 18,
June 6,
July 7,

31

29
18
19

Floodlnqs
May 21
August 1

The Indigo bunting was a summer resident in Red Cedar
Woodlot.during 1968.

Three and occasionally four singing males

were present during each visit.

They were located at the east and

west ends of the south trail, at the west end of the north trail
and by the power line on the north side.

Each was usually

perched at the end of an exposed branch from 10-30 feet high.
Females were seen on May 31 and July 29 with a young bird (or
a female) on August 12.
foliage.

The females kept out of sight In the

On July 29 the female was giving a "peek-peek" call.

\B k
The only feeding activity observed was a male feeding on buds
on May 8.
A single male and possibly a female was a summer resident
in the eastern open areas of Tourney Woodlot.

This male usually

called from an exposed perch tn the small locust trees at the
northeast corner, although it was also seen in the tamaracks at
the southeast end.

On June 6,

it was observed feeding in a

flowering locust tree.
Male Indigo buntings were seen on two occasions at the
Floodings.

A single feeding male was seen on May 21 on the east

shore at a height of 30 feet.

On August I a male was seen

perching on a mullen stalk in the old corn field to the northwest
of the woodlot.

Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus
Red Cedar
October 13* 20

Tourney
No record

Floodings
No record

Two female purple finches were seen in Red Cedar Woodlot
on both October 13 and 20.

On October 13 the two birds were seen

working In the sapling cottonwoods along the western border of
the lot near the fence.

Two females flew from the south side

of the pond to the north side and landed In young trees along the
north trail on October 20.

185
American Goldfinch - Splnus trlstls
Red Cedar
January 7, 1A, 21
March 18, 26
April 5. 26
May 1, 15, 19, 31
June 1, 7, 11, 23
July A, 7, 26, 29
August A, 23
September 7, 22, 25
October 8, 13, 20
November 9, 16
December 1

Floodlngs
January 18
May 3, 22
June 17
July 2, 9, 16, 25
August 1, 6
September 28
October 16
November 10, 25

Tourney
April 19, 28
May 18, 29
June 18, 21
July 7, 19, 30
Augus.t 7
September 15, 26
October 10, 23
November 6

The goldfinch was a common resident of Red Cedar Woodlot
In all months except February when It was absent.

It was

generally associated with the grassy and weedy areas along the
north and south trails.

The number of birds per visit ranged

from two to 12 during January and In'March/'usual ly‘from-six to 12.
During this time, goldenrod, other weeds, and small shrubs were
utilized for food.
From April
visit.

through June fewer goldfinches were recorded per

They remained In the same areas where they were seen In

the winter.

On May 1, several were seen feeding In vines on

trees at the west end of the north trail.

Increasing numbers were

again noted in the summer months with from six to 12 per visit.
On September 7 a young bird was observed being fed by adults In
trees along the south trail.

Immature birds were also Identified

on September 22.
Similar numbers were recorded In the late summer with a
slight decrease In December.

Vocalizations continued as they had

186
throughout the year, announcing the presence of perching as well
as flying individuals.

Activity continued to be concentrated

in the open areas.
In Tourney Woodlot the first goldfinches were seen in
Apri1 .wtth a.palr in the wet weedy area in the southeast portion
on April 9 and several

individuals of both sexes In the spruces

at the northwest end.

Through the rest of the year, goldfinches

were confined to the open eastern areas and
near the hay piles in the western end.

in the spruces and

The number of individuals

In each area remained relatively constant throughout the summer
with a pair In the east end and two pairs in the west end.
Although three goldfinches were seen flying near the north
edge of the woodlot at the Floodings on January 18, goldfinches
did not take up residence in the

area until. April.

in Red Cedar and Tourney, this species

As was the case

confined its activities to

open areas, especially the fields to the northwest with their
hedges.

Only one or two pairs were seen throughout- the year,

until November when six or eight

were seen in the multiflora

rose, and on November 25 when 18

were seen in the fields and

hedges.

When the tassels formed on the corn In August, goldfinches

were often seen feeding In the corn.

Rufous-sided Towhee - PIplio ervthropthaimus

187
Red Cedar
April 5
May 8, 15, 19, 25
October 13, 20

Floodings
June 4
July 2, 25

Tourney
April 10, 19
May 18
June 6, 18
September 17, 26

Although both male and female towhees were recorded In
Red Cedar Woodlot during 19^8, no young were seen.

On April 5

a male was seen by the woodpile in the south trail.

He was on

an exposed branch and was chasing

other species

vicinity.

the same bird, was seen 35

Later a male, possibly

away from

its

feet high in a tree along the north trail giving the single
"drink" note.

In May single towhees were observed and heard

east of the pond, along the river, and in the southwest woods,
as well as near the woodpile.

No

other towhees

October 13 when two males were observed chasing

were seen

until

each other through

trees just west of the power line by the south trail at heights
of eight to ten feet.

A female giving a "drInk-drink" call was

seen on October 20 by the river.
In Tourney Woodlot, at least one brood of rufous-sided
towhees was fledged In 1968.

Towhees were first recorded on

April 10 when two males were seen In small trees along the south
edge adjacent to the blackberries.
the pond.

Another individual was by

They were giving the full "drink your tea" call, the

first time it was heard in 1968 .

On April 19, May 18, and June 6

towhees were seen only at the east end In the conifers.

However,

the first young were seen at the northwestern end of the main

1
I

t

188
portion of the lot near the machinery on June 18.

A female

was feeding at least one young with grey back and red-striped
white breast.

The fledgling was in a small maple 2 1/2 feet

off the ground and was being fed grubs and caterpillars (1M)
which the female gathered in the grass.

After each feeding,

the female wiped her bill on a branch before continuing to
gather food.

The female was calling.

Three young were seen on

September 17 end 26 in the pines and other trees at the
southwestern end of the woodlot.

On the latter date an adult

male was in company with the young which now had spotted breasts.
Towhees were observed at the Floodings on three dates in
1968.

On June U a male was perching in the oaks bordering the

little pond at the northwest end.
southwest end on July 2.

A calling bird was heard at the

Two young were seen with an adult

male fn the dense part of the honeysuckle windbreak at its
eastern end.

Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensIs
Red Cedar
April 26

Tourney
September 17

Floodings
August 1
September 3

A single savannah sparrow was seen perched in a young
sapling elm along the western fence at Red Cedar Woodlot on
April 26.

It was perched at a height of four feet.

On September >.7 a single savannah sparrow was observed

189
feeding in the weeds south of the southwest corner of Tourney
Woodlot.
Savannah sparrows were observed on two occasions northwest
of the lot at the Floodings.

On August 1 a single bird was

seen In the grass, while on September 3 a lone savannah sparrow
was perched in an apple tree at the western end of the honeysuckle
windbreak in company with two field and two song sparrows.

Vesper Sparrow - Poocetes gram!neus
Red Cedar
September 7

Tourney
April 2, 10

Flood ings
August I

On September 7 a single vesper sparrow was seen in Red
Cedar Woodlot in the burned log pile.

The bird was standing on

the logs and feeding on the plants nearby by reaching from the
logs to eat the seeds.
On April 2 and 10 single vesper sparrows were seen perched
In a sapling elm on the furthest northwest corner of Tourney
Woodlot.

In both cases It was singing from a four feet high

perch.
The only vesper sparrow seen at the Floodings was perched
In an apple tree at the western end of the honeysuckle windbreak
on August 1.

Slate-colored Junco - Junco hyemalls

190
Floodings
March 5, 17, 28
October 11
November 10, 25, 30

Tourney
January 4, 9, 16, 21
February 2, 13, 20
April 2, 10, 21
October 1, 15
November 6, 14, 27
December 7, 11

Red Cedar
January 2, 7
February 8
March 7* 18, 26
April 5
October 8, 13, 20
November 16, 23

The slate-colored junco was a winter resident in Red Cedar.
The population from January

into April appeared to be

although eight were seen on

March 26. They were

six birds,

seen only

along the south edge of the woodlot near the feeder in January
and February, but were present along the south trail later In
the year.
During October and November seven or eight birds were
present in Red Cedar.

They were seen on the north trail,

addition to the areas utilized earlier in the year.
were slate-colored juncos seen higher than eight
and

they were often on the

in

In no case

feet in trees,

ground or In weeds.

Except for juncos seen In the fields just east of Hagadorn
Road on January 4 and 9, this species was seen only at the
southwest end of Tourney Woodlot.
spent January through April

It appeared that 10 individuals

in Tourney.

They were seen feeding

In the weeds, on the ground, and perching in the pines.
Later in October, November and December there was a greater
fluctuation in numbers with from four to 15 seen per visit.
were only In the southwest corner where they fed on weeds and
hay In company with several species of sparrows.

Refuge was

They

191
sought in the pines

Tree Sparrow - S p t z e U a arborea
Tourney
January 9
December 7

Red Cedar
No record

Floodings
February 6, 22
November 10

A large group of 1*0 or more tree sparrows was seen feeding
in the fields just east of Tourney Woodlot on January 9>

A tree

sparrow was again seen in Tourney Woodlot on December 7 when one
bird was In the conifers at the southwest end of the lot.
Eight tree sparrows were seen in the shrubs north of the
woodlot at the Floodings on February 6.
observed

A single bird was

at the southern tip of the lot In shrubs on February 22.

This spectes was not seen again until November 10 when two
individuals were in the corn to the northwest of the main
portion of the lot.
Zimmerman and VanTyne (1959) describe this species as
a common transient and a winter visitant, common In the southern
half of the Lower Peninsula.

Although I did not see any tree

sparrows at Red Cedar Woodlot, this species has been recorded
there on Christmas bird counts (Wallace, 1969)*

Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina
Red Cedar
September 25

Tourney
May lo

Floodings
June 17

Chipping sparrows were seen on one date In each woodlot.
On September 28 a pair was seen In the grass along the north trail

192
of Red Cedar Woodlot.

At my

boxelder and then to the top

approach the birds flew to a
of a sycamore, a height of 60.feet.

A pair of chipping sparrows was seen in the spruces at
the northwest end of Tourney Woodlot on May 18.

The June 17

sighting at the Floodings involved two birds perched in the pines
at the northern end of the woodlot.

Field Sparrow - Splzella pus Ilia
Red Cedar
April 5. 26
May 25

Tourney
April 19
May 8, 18, 29
July 7. 30
October 1

The field sparrow was

Flood!ngs
June 17
July 2, 16, 25
August 1
September 3, 19
October 2

confined to grassy areas, as well

the shrubs, when seen at Red Cedar Woodlot.

as

On April 5 and 26

a single individual was singing in the grassy area along the
power line adjacent to the south trail.

On May 25 a single

individual was singing 10 feet high in a young ash tree In the
middle of the same grassy area.
During the spring and the summer, field sparrows were
observed in the field and conifers at the eastern end of Tourney
Woodlot; however, on October 1 a number of field sparrows were
seen with song sparrows, slate-colored juncos, and whIte-throated
sparrows comprising a group of about 50*75 birds in the conifer
plantings, shrubs, and weeds at the southwest end of the lot.
Only two Individuals were seen at the east end during April and
May.

They were either In the grass or perching on the wood

193
pile or small oaks nearby.

On July 7 and 30, five or s!x

field sparrows were seen In the conifers at the eastern end
particularly the spruces.

While moving through the trees, the

birds were giving a series of "clicking" notes.

One Individual

on July 30 held what appeared to be nesting material
beak.

in its

Bent (1968) notes the field sparrow's habit of frequenting

conifers when they are near the nest site and August nesting
particularly if earlier nests are destroyed.
Field sparrows were seen in the field to the northwest of
the main portion of the lot.
on July 16 and August 1.

They were seen in the corn stalks

A pair was seen with a savannah and

two field sparrows in an apple tree at the west end of the
honeysuckle hedge on September 3.

Field sparrows were seen in

the hedge on July 16, September 19. and October 2.

Only one

or two individuals were Involved In each record except on
September 19 when between six and eight individuals were seen.

White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichla leucophys
Red Cedar
May 1

Tourney
October 10, 15, 23

Floodings
May 5

The white-crowned sparrow is recorded as an uncommon
i

to fairly common transient in Michigan with only one summer
sight record (Zimmerman and Van Tyne, 1959)*

This species

was recorded as a spring and fall transient during 1968.
A number of white-crowns were heard calling In the woods

)9*»
north of the eastern end of the south trait In Red Cedar Woodlot
on May 1.

They were working on the ground in company with

white-throated sparrows.
All the October records for Tourney Woodlot were from
the southwest corner of the woodlot.

On October 10 an immature

bird was seen feeding In the weeds to the south of the conifers.
On October 15 two immature white-crowns were seen In the same
weeds, white on October 23 an adult was seen in the pines with
two fox sparrows and two golden-crowned kinglets.
On May 5 a single white-crowned sparrow was seen feeding
in the road in the northwest field at the Floodings.

White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrlchia alblcollis
Red Cedar
April I**,
26, 30
May 1
September
22, 25
October 8 , 13. 20

Tourney
April 28
September 17* 26
October 12

Floodings
September 28
October II

The white-throated sparrow was a common spring and fall
migrant at Red Cedar Woodlot.

Most were seen along the south

trail or In the woods east of the pond.

Although only one

adult and one immature individual was seen in the brush by the
burned wood on April l4,all other April and May sightings
involved at least ten individuals, with 15 on April 26, 10 on
April 30, and 12 on May 1.
and shrubs or on the ground.

All birds were seen low in trees
On April 30, the white-throats

were congregated around a wet area east of the pond, where

195
they were grubbing In the moist earth.
The fall records Involved at least as many Individuals
as the spring with a maximum of 20 or more seen on October 8 .
The fall birds were seen higher In the shrubs and trees than the
spring Individuals.

On September 22, several were seen feeding

on poison Ivy berries from 10-15 feet high on trees along the
southern border of the lot.
calls.

They were giving low "peek-peek"

White-throats were seen feeding by the woodpile In

company with three song sparrows, and also on the ground with
slate-colored juncos and song sparrows.

A full song was heard

on October 13.
The whlte-throated sparrow was seen as a spring migrant
on April 28 In Tourney Woodlot when between six and a dozen birds
were seen at various locations In the western half of the lot.
All were feeding on the forest floor.

Fall birds were seen

primarily at the southwestern end with both Immature and adult
birds observed.

On September 17 en immature bird was seen being

chased by, and then chasing, a male cardinal
along the southern border.

in the pine trees

TV/o adults and an Immature were seen

along the north edge of the pond on September 26.

On October 1

white-throated sparrows made up part of a group of 50-75
sparrows In the trees and bushes southwest of the woodlot, along
with song and field sparrows.
west end on October 12.

A full song was heard at the

196
Fall migrants at the Floodings were seen In the low
bushes at the southeast corner,

In the multi flora rose hedges

and In the fields at the northwest end.

Only a few were seen

at the southeast end on September 28; however, a larger group
of possibly 12-15 were seen In 'the hedge and adjacent fields.

Fox Sparrow - Passerella 11laca
Red Cedar
April* 5

Tourney
October 23
November 22

Floodings
No record

On April 5 a single fox sparrow was seen in low bushes
near the eastern culvert on the south trail of Red Cedar Woodlot.
Fall migrant fox sparrows were seen at Tourney Woodlot on
two occasions.

Two individuals were seen on October 23,

with two golden-crowned kinglets
southwestern end.

in company

in the conifers at the

On November 22 a single fox sparrow was

seen with one song sparrow in the same locality.

Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza qeorgiana
Red Cedar
No record

Tourney
No record

,

Floodings
September

12

On September 12 a single Immature swamp sparrow was observed
perching in trees in the honeysuckle hedge at the Floodings.

It

has been recorded as a summer resident In previous years (Wallace,
1969).
Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) describe the swamp sparrow
as a common transient and summer resident.

It Is seldom seen due

197
to its preference for swamps and marshes as nesting sites;
however, during migration It may appear almost anywhere, though
seldom seen due to its retiring habits (Bent,

1968).

Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodla
Tourney
January 16
February 2, 16
March 10, 21
April 2, 10, 19, 21
May 18, 25, 29, 31
June 6 , 18, 21
July 15
August 2, 7
September 17, 26
October 1, 15, 23
November 22
December 7

Red Cedar
January 7, 21
February 27
March 7» 1^, 18, 26
April 5, 26, 30
May 1, 15, 19, 25
June 1, 7, 11, 23
July k, 7, 26, 29
August 4, 23
September 7, 22, 25
October 8 , 13, 20
November 23

Floodings
March II
April 7, 12
May 3, 5,' 22
July 16, 25
August 1, 6
September 3» 19
November 10

The song sparrow was seen in Red Cedar Woodlot in each
month except December.

They were generally

In the weedy and

brushy areas during the first three months with from two to four
seen per day.

However, on March 26, 10 were seen scattered

through the woodlot in grassy and lightly wooded areas.
Through April, May, and June there were at least four
territorial males with one at each end of the south trail, one
west of the pond, and one in grassy areas next to the river .
under the power lines.
of the territories.

There were occasionally pairs at each

The birds would perch in tall weeds or on

exposed limbs of trees.
There was an increase in song sparrows in July and a
slight decrease in August.

Between six and ten remained In the lot

198
until

Into October and were heard calling during those months.
Song sparrows often were observed feeding in open areas

along both trails, especially the south.
ground, on downed logs, and In weeds.

They fed on the

In later months, they were

seen in company with slate-colored juncos, white-throated and
white-crowned sparrows.
At Tourney Woodlot, song
areasin the east and west ends.

sparrows were present in the open
Pairs

were present near the pond

and along the hill south of the spruces and cedars.

These were

present In March, April, arid May but were not seen after that time.
In the western end song sparrows were present in all twelve
months.One pair was in
present

the northwest end while another was

In the southwest end.

One nest was found In the grass

near the southwest end on May 18 which contained five speckled
eggs.

By May 25 five young with pin feathers were present.

May 29 the nest was found flooded with two dead young still

On
in It.

Through the summer song

sparrows were seen by the spruces

and pines along the west side,

often feeding in weeds and on the

ground.
perched

Later most were seen at the southwest end where

they

in thepines and the weeds in company with Juncos and

several other species.of sparrows.

The largest number was seen on

October 1 when from 50-75 song, white-throated, and field sparrows
were seen In the pines and maples at that portion of the woodlot.
At the Floodings song sparrows were seen at the northern

199
edges of the woodlot and the fields to the northwest.

Singing

males were seen In March through May In trees and shrubs close
to the woodlot.

Only one or two were seen on any one visit.

Later more were seen In the fields to the northwest In the
trees, corn and windrows.

These were occasionally observed

feeding In the road and In the honeysuckle.