[texbirds] in memory of Doris Wyman - friend and birding mentor
- From: Petra Hockey <phockey@xxxxxxxx>
- To: TexBirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2015 12:27:08 -0600
Texbirders,
When I first arrived in Port O'Connor, Calhoun County, in late 1991 I had been
a birder for about 2 years although that wasn't something I consciously thought
about or even knew at that time. In a way, I became a "birder" on that fateful
day in February 1992 when, motivated by a newspaper announcement in the
Victoria Advocate, I called a phone number to enquire about the meetings and
field trips of the Golden Crescent Nature Club in Victoria. It was Doris Wyman
who answered the phone and enthusiastically encouraged me to join her a couple
of days later to what became my first contact with other birders. I remember
it clearly - a group of people, most older than me, all in earth colored
clothing, binoculars around their necks, field guides in their packs, tripods
and spotting scopes on their shoulders (I had never seen one before), intense
but sociable and welcoming to a true newbie. Their quest that day was to see
the first winter record for the area of a Gray Flycatcher at Derek Muschalek's
ranch in Yorktown and to get good looks of Sprague's Pipits in a wet grassy
field. I was surprised by the excitement over such a drab little bird high up
in a tree and slightly amused by the funny line of people soaking their shoes
and pants in the wet grass just to get some sparrow-looking little tan birds to
flush up and doing little twitter calls.
It was intimidating and exhilarating at once. I didn't know it then but can
clearly see it now that this was when my birding "career" started on an
exponential path forward and upward. A few days later Doris invited me to the
club meeting. The next week I was joining her with other volunteers at a bird
survey on the Aransas NWR checking Loggerhead Shrikes for leg bands. Over the
following months and years she showed me every secret birding spot of hers in
Calhoun Co. and beyond including many private ranches that she had access to.
She encouraged me to participate in Christmas Bird Counts and conduct the first
Calhoun Co. North American Migration Count. I tried to not disappoint her and
dedicated myself to studying everything I could and she told me often how proud
she was of her "star student". She always had some challenges for me. The one I
most fondly remember is the first time I was able to find and identify 100
birds in Calhoun Co. in one day. She pushed me on to add more birds to my yard
list, year list, life list and that thick volume of "Clements, Birds of the
World - A Checklist" has her dedication for me inside. I also remember well the
first time I challenged an identification of hers - it was a Brown-crested and
not a Great Crested Flycatcher - and she seemed thrilled to be proven wrong.
Her contributions to birding, education and conservation were by no means
limited to these personal experiences of mine. As a long time and well loved
Chemistry teacher at Calhoun High School she made natural sciences interesting
for hundreds of students. She mentored several children individually, took them
on nature and birding outings; she presented bird programs at various ladies
and other clubs, organized birding trips locally and farther afield and
compiled the first checklist of Birds of Calhoun County. Thanks to her
generosity the Port Lavaca Library is well stocked with field guides from many
countries including a subscription to the very expensive Birds of North
America. Her rancher friends and acquaintances were gently lectured in what
management practices were good for birds. She pushed relentlessly and
contributed a generous amount of seed money to have one of her favorite Calhoun
Co. birding spots "Magic Ridge" (called Magic Road by her) be protected and
become a bird sanctuary in perpetuity through the purchase by the Texas
Ornithological Society of which she was a long time member.
I am sure many birders have fond memories of Doris Wyman and some might even
have some stories to share. I consider her the Grande Dame of Calhoun County
birding and am forever grateful to her for having exposed me to many of the
things that became and still are very important in my life.
Rest in peace, Doris.
Petra Hockey
Port O'Connor, Calhoun Co.
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