[TN-Bird] Re: Alexander Skutch - 1904 - 2004
- From: John Devereux Joslin <jdjoslin@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 21:20:49 -0400
What a loss of a great man! Those who have read his naturalist books will know
what
Jeff is talking about. Extremely observant and patient, incredibly interesting,
unbelievably knowledgeable. As Jeff notes, reading Skutch brings one to truly
realize the value of just sitting quietly and watching.
Those who use many of the guide books to Costa Rica, Panama, and South
America
also will probably recognize the name, but may not realize the pioneering work
of the
man or the depth of his contributions to the field.
Jeff, Thanks for letting us know of this loss.
Truly, the Three-wattled Bellbird tolls for him--perhaps not realizing that
his
passing is a probably also a loss for their dwindling species as well.
Dev Joslin
Oak Ridge, TN
OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx wrote:
> May 13, 2004
> ..............................................................................
> ....................................................
> Dr. Alexander Skutch passed away yesterday at his home in Finca Los Cusingos
> here in Costa Rica, a week short of his 100th birthday. Memorial services
> will be held tomorrow morning in San Isidro de El General followed by a burial
> service at Los Cusingos.
> ..............................................................................
> ....................................................
>
> When I read this on another list serve, my eyes turned to one of my bookcases
> and I counted 9 books by Skutch. I don't know how many times I have gone to
> these books for information or the times I have scanned through them just to
> get the feel of his writing and rekindle or reemphasize the need to just sit
> and
> watch. Now, whenever I retrieve a book from that shelf, I will feel sad to
> think that this fountain, to which I have turned time and again to quenched my
> thirst, has issued its last.
>
> I will always count myself blessed though, for years ago, out of the blue,
> Ben and Lula Coffey gave me a copy of "Bird Student, An autobiography by
> George
> Miksch Sutton." Ben knew that I liked to sit for long periods and observe so
> he introduced me to this quiet and clear eyed distiller of bird behavior. For
> years now, Woodpeckers and Tanagers, are just a few species that flew from the
> pages of his many species accounts and filled me with awe and wonder.
>
> Somewhere, in a far corner of a Costa Rican forest, a Bellbird tolls.
>
> Good Birding!!!
>
> Jeff R. Wilson
> OL'COOT / TLBA
> Bartlett, TN
>
> PS, In the autobiography, his birth year is given as 1898 but a recent
> article in Living Bird said he would be 100 in May. Whatever, but what a long
> and
> productive life, he worked on to the last.
>
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TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
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