This past year saw the loss of two longtime supporters and participants of RCAS, Verna Harvey and Betty Barbarise.
When I first became a team member on the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), it was with Verna Harvey. We shared some exciting finds over the years and now I am the team captain of that territory. Verna, always a birder, finally could no longer get into the field, but continued to enjoy watching her feeders. Each time I met her she would ask if I had heard a Winter Wren, a favorite of hers. How I wished I could have found a reliable spot for her to listen to this diminuative songster, but that was not to be!
Betty Barbarise, along with her husband Joe, were two of my first birding pals way back when I was a neophyte. It was with them that I made my first out-of-state birding trip to New Jersey. I had a whole new world of species opened to my wondering eyes. Betty was a veteran birder with a great sense of humor and we shared many exciting moments in the field. Joe was also a good birder and a willing driver. We participated in numerous CBCs as a team. As age took its toll, Bety was happy to watch her feeders and see the variety of species that frequented her yard. I spent many afternoons taking my photos to show her. We would spend the afternoon sharing stories about the many funny things that had occurred during our expeditions into the field.
How fortunate for me to have had these special folks in my life as mentors and friends. They are missed, but fond memories remain.