[Bristol-Birds] Re: Sharp young birder (Charlie Parker)

Larry McDaniel and Bristol Birders:

While attending the KOS Fall Meeting in Kentucky several of us had dinner
with James Brooks and learned that he has been Charlie Parker's mentor.

Brook's related the same thoughts about Charlie, telling us he was the Boy
Scout merit badge counselor who helped this young birder get his birding
merit badge and Brooks passed him on the badge.

James said he had birded a number of localities with Charlie during that
process and some over a wide and far reaching area.

Charlier and his mother, Ellen, have called and talked about becoming active
in the Bristol Bird Club.  They attended one meeting and we hope someday
they will come around again.

Our young naturalist Chris O'Bryan has good things to report about Charlie.
Chris and Charlie have birded together several times, including Austin
Spring and Winged Deer Park.  They stay in touch by e-mail and phone,
according to Chris.

We always give a lot of lip service about getting youth involved in birding
but the best way to do that is to not take them on dainty little field trips
but to invite them afield with the rest of the adult birders,  treat them
like adult birders and let them stand shoulder-to-shoulder and learn from
the best we have to offer.  Let them stand the test of making bird
identifications with good birders look on.  Let them learn to have good
discipline afield by not making birding too easy but making it extremely
fun.  Let them learn to face the music with a few tough learning experiences
and become talented and rugged birders afield.

There is no better example of that then 13-year-old Sammy Cross of
Blountville.  Sammy has spent so much time afield and standing with us
birding that no one even thinks about him being there.  No one even things
about him being young.  Sammy has been thousands of miles looking for birds
and chasing his lifers with us.  He stands out in the driving wind and
freezing temperatures at nightfall when most birders have long left Musick's
Campground.  He has spent long winter days and miles on miles trapping and
banding winter hawks and Ring-billed Gulls.

And can't we say the same for J.T. McNeil who is showing up regularly at the
best birding locations with his dad to bird long and hard ?

As birders, if we want to put our money where our mouth is and encourage
young birders, then we have to go that extra mile to make them a full
contributing member of the birding community as soon as they want to carry a
pair of binoculars and look in a field guide.  We have to slide over and
make a seat for them in our cars and make room for them to slide a chair in
and eat at our tables elbow-to-elbow.  It is not easy for our busy
schedules.  We have to go many extra miles to get them transportation and
spend a ton of money out of our own pockets to help make it happen.

Thanks, Larry, for a good pitch for Charlie.  He is someone our birders need
to better know.  Your introduction speaks volumes.  He has been subscribed
to Bristol Birds and TN-Birds for some time now.  We don't know much about
Charlie because he does not post his birding results on Bristol Birds Net.
He has posted four messages to TN-Birds during the past five months but some
of our birders don't read that.  Charlie is another bright young birder
coming more on the scene.  And, as Larry said, we may be seeing a lot more
of this talented young birder.  Maybe some of our adult birders can continue
to help Charlie and I want to say thanks to James Brooks for all he has done
for Charlie.  Thanks to Larry for his excellent post from Winged Deer Park.

Let's go briding...

Wallace Coffey
Bristol


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