Richard Bentley, 1931–2018

Long-time Linnaean Society member Richard Bentley (1931–2018) passed away on November 26th, 2018. He was a Greenwich Village resident and devoted much of his retirement time to observing the birds that showed up in the gardens of St. Luke’s church. He recorded these sightings in the piece that follows.

Birds in Our Gardens

Early in my retirement I decided to explore the bird population in the gardens at St. Luke’s. I wasn’t expecting too much compared to my regular routine of birding the more well-known spots in the city such as Central and Prospect Parks, and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. It was a thrill to discover that our gardens were a small but important way station for migratory birds in spring and fall.

My daily visits with binoculars in hand helped me to make friends with Debbie Peterson, the St. Luke’s gardener at that time. She encouraged me not only as a garden volunteer, but also suggested that a log of the birds being spotted be maintained so that others might appreciate this aspect of the gardens. This turned out to be a most enjoyable project for me.

My first surprise came when I spotted a northern waterthrush, a small ground foraging warbler of swamps and wetlands. Another day while sitting under the shade of a crabapple tree, I looked up, and not three feet overhead was a yellow-billed cuckoo with its long scalloped-patterned tail. On this same day a house wren was running up and down the vines on the side of a building, and an ovenbird strolled in and out of the bushes, while a tiger swallowtail butterfly danced above. The listing in the garden log was off to an auspicious start!

My regular forays into the gardens have given me the opportunity to meet new and old birding friends, painters, photographers, and other nature lovers. I fondly recall meeting an associate of Debbie who was touring with a garden club. It impressed me when he recorded the first sighting of a hummingbird in the gardens. I was even more impressed in a long conversation to learn that he was an orchid expert as well as a well-known birder and an acquaintance of Roger Tory Peterson, the famous author of many field guides. 

It would be tedious to list all the birds that have been seen in the gardens, but a few encounters might capture the natural treasure we share on the block at St. Luke’s. Like the time two peregrine falcons were squabbling directly overhead; or when I was startled by a woodcock suddenly flushing up in front of me; or watching a hooded warbler in its contrasting yellow face and black hood flitting about the fence in the rectory garden; or the early morning view of three Baltimore orioles and an unusual orchard oriole feeding feverishly in one of the apple trees; or sitting on a bench listening to the peenting of nighthawks diving in the twilight sky of a summer evening while fireflies flickered all over the south lawn. Then there was the startling color of a scarlet tanager perched on a cluster of peonies. Finally, there was the thrill this last fall, when I saw my first Connecticut warbler in New York, skulking around the statue of Mary in the school yard. (Unfortunately, Patches, the thrift shop cat, must have spotted it first, because the bird had lost its tail.)

The list of birds could go on indefinitely. At last count there were 94 species recorded in the log since the fall of 1992. The list includes our resident mockingbirds who regularly serenade or scold us to defend their territory. The log goes on to include twenty-three warbler species—ten different sparrows—five species of thrush—four kinds of vireos—three woodpeckers—two kinglets—but a pear tree without a partridge!

This spectacle of nature does not stop with birds, but includes twenty-four species of butterflies; the hummingbird and Nessus sphinx moths; eight different dragonflies; and myriad other insects to pique the interest of the nature lover.

Last of all I cannot forget that it was my love of birds in particular and nature in general that led me into the community of St. Luke’s where I feel spiritually at home with a proprietary interest in the gardens.

by Richard Bentley 
March 23, 1999

James David Rising, 1942-2018

One sad note, for those who may have been fortunate to meet the man, or knew his books on “Sparrows of The United States and Canada” and its antecedent titles – James D. Rising, has left this earth, passing on March 13th – R.I.P. Jim Rising was born in 1942, in Kansas City, Missouri, and was later in life, and passed away in Toronto Ontario Canada. His intelligence and wit will be missed, & all sympathies to his family. — Thomas Fiore March 26, 2018 

James David Rising, born August 10, 1942 in Kansas City, Missouri, died on March 13, 2018, in Toronto, Ontario. Obituary at Legacy.com

Eric Salzman, 1933-2017

It’s with great sadness, that I share with you the passing of Eric Salzman (September 8, 1933 – November 13, 2017), suddenly of a heart attack, Sunday evening at his home in Brooklyn. His wife, Lorna, was with him. Not only an internationally known composer, Eric was one of the most interesting and knowledgeable birders in the New York/Long Island area. His was involved with the Linnaean Society, Brooklyn Birding Club, South Fork Natural History Museum, Eastern Long Island Audubon Society and the American Birding Association. His ability to ID birds by sound was remarkable, and his near-daily blog from his summer home in East Quogue was informative and a joy to read. Expressions of sympathy can be sent to his wife, Lorna, his daughters, son-in-law, and his granddaughter at 29 Middagh Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. 

I will miss you, my dear friend, — Eileen Schwinn, East Quogue

I knew Eric was not well, but he was so enthusiastic and such a good leader.  He could watch a flock of Common Terns flying and pick out the one Roseate mixed in with the flock.  He was so  inspiring. We always looked forward to his trip to Eastern Long Island.  We always started on Dune Road, and every trip we had a surprise bird.  This past June he identified a very distant  Western Sandpiper.  He taught us how to identify a distant shorebird such as a Western Sandpiper.  Because of his musical talent and sharp hearing, he could identify many species by just listening.

We all feel so sad that he has passed  We all miss him so much.  We will always remember him and all he contributed.  Eric was such a fine and caring person. — Anne Lazarus

Wikipedia: Eric Salzman

Eric Salzman, Composer Who Championed Avant-Garde, Dies at 84. NY Times, Nov. 24, 2017

Sylvia Cohen, 2017

Sylvia Cohen, died September 1st, 2017, age 98. Sylvia, a long time Linnaean member, was an avid birder spending many hours in Central Park as well as traveling all over the U.S., Norway, Peru, Canada and Mexico (with her husband Moe, died 1999) always with binoculars and field guides in hand.  In her final year she managed to take almost daily walks in Central Park enjoying the North Meadow butterfly gardens and always keeping her eyes on the sky for bird sightings. 

Julio de la Torre, 1934-2017

The Linnaean Society of New York received a $100 gift in memory of Julio de la Torre from Emily Nissley of New Canaan, Connecticut. Julio was president of the Society from 1995 to 1997, and a life member. An obituary is at ncadvertiser.com/obituary-julio-de-la-torre-83-intellectual-and-naturalist. 

Julio de la Torre passed away on July 8, 2017 at age 83. Julio was born on February 14, 1934 in Havana, Cuba and grew up there. He moved to the U.S. in his early twenties, and later became an American citizen. He was a multilingual intellectual and a naturalist interested in birds of prey, especially owls. His book Owls: Their Life and Behavior remains well-regarded in the field. Stalking the owl on It’s Home Ground by Suzanne DeChillo, New York Times, March 9, 1986, is an article about Julio and Owls. Julio was interested in the study of habitat dynamics and worked towards the preservation of wetlands. He was a longtime member and officer of the New Canaan Audubon Society, and president and life member of The Linnaean Society of New York.

He was laid to rest at Lakeview Cemetery, New Canaan, CT. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Julio’s memory to The Linnaean Society of New York, Attn: Secretary, P.O. Box 4121 New York, NY 10163-4121. See Contribute to The Linnaean Society of New York.

Irving Cantor, 2017

Irving Cantor died on June 10, 2017, at the age of 97. He is survived by his wife Jean.

Irving was a Fellow of the Linnaean Society of New York and, according to the editor of the News-Letter, a member since 1940. He was the last of the Bronx County Boys.

Irving surprised me by signing up for our Rio Grande Valley Festival birding trip for the Linnaean Society in 2006. Later he went with us to Northern California and after that Laurie and I took him to Argentina for a couple of weeks of birding in 2010. Two weeks of hard travel was almost too much for Irving at that time, but he insisted on the second week so we could go to Argentine Patagonia, where we finally saw the Magellanic Woodpecker. As always, he flew first class.

Sometime after that, Irving asked me to join him on the Audit Committee of the New York State Ornithological Association. Irving had chaired the committee for many years, and I think he saw he was coming to the end of it.

When Irving and Jean moved from East 32nd Street to North End Avenue—I think it was around 2010—Irving gave up Central Park birding, which he had begun to find unrewarding anyway, and he made it his business to know all about the birds in Nelson A. Rockefeller Park—he knew how many Robins, and how many Double-crested Cormorants, were present virtually every day for several years. We would have lunch every month or so and in spring and fall I would take my binoculars along and we would spend an hour and a half in that little park.

A side of Irving not well known in the birding community was his interest in financial matters. He was a registered stockbroker, as well as an accountant, and we talked at length about investments. Another side, better known to everyone who knew him—he did not like food.

I never knew exactly how many birds Irving had seen. I don’t think he knew either. He wasn’t that kind of birder (I am that kind of birder). He kept meticulous records; he liked to see birds and keep track. In an article in the Linnaean News-Letter in 2015, Irving wrote about Central Park birding,

“It was four years before I saw my first American Crow in the Park and almost six years before the first Red-tailed Hawk. The Park also bore witness to population shifts in our common water birds over those eight decades [1935-2015]. Some examples: Buffleheads unknown; Ruddy Ducks and Northern Shovelers – very rare; Great and Snowy Egrets – unknown; Double-crested Cormorants – accidental; Great Black-backed and Ring-billed Gulls – rare; and Laughing Gulls were common transients.”

We will miss his careful reporting. We will miss Irving’s good sense, generosity, and frequent indignation. We will miss our friend. — John Cairns, Former President, Linnaean Society of New York

Chandler Robbins, 1918-2017

Chandler Robbins, an Eisenmann Medalist (July 17, 1918 – March 20, 2017) of Laurel, Maryland. 

Ornithologist and birding legend Chandler S. Robbins died at the age of 98. Birders are probably most familiar with Chandler Robbins as the author (with Bertel Bruun and Herbert Zim) of the groundbreaking “Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification”, illustrated by Arthur Singer, published in 1966 – often called by birders, the “Singer Guide” or the “Golden Guide”. Chan joined the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a biologist in 1945 and retired in 2005 from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel Maryland, after sixty years with the Service. He organized and for decades ran the annual North American Breeding Bird Survey. He was also an active bird bander and in 1956 banded a Laysan Albatross on Midway Island in the Pacific that has come to be nicknamed “Wisdom”. The albatross is now the oldest banded wild bird in the world and in 2017 was still nesting on Midway. Since the bird was an adult when it was banded, it is at least 66 years old. Chan was awarded the Eisenmann Medal by the Linnaean Society of New York in 1987 for “excellence in ornithology and encouragement of the amateur”. Since Chan was based in Maryland for most of his career, many New York birders may not have known him personally, but all have been influenced by his life and work, whether they knew him or not. Those who had the fortune to meet him know what a great person he was. A true legend. — Joseph DiCostanzo  

Chandler Robbins, friend to birds and birdwatchers, dies at 98, Washington Post 3/23/2017
Chandler Robbins, Wikipedia

Sarah Elliott, 2016

It is with sadness that I let you know that our friend Sarah Elliott passed away on October 12th. Sarah was a longtime member of the Linnaean Society of New York. She led nature walks in Central Park and elsewhere, and maintained the bird sighting book in the Boathouse. She regularly issued an informative series of Nature Notes. In addition to her passion for birds and botany, Sarah was keenly interested in literature and jazz. For the last year Sarah was cared for by her niece Dukeanna.  — Andrew Rubenfeld, President

A sample of Sarah Elliott’s Nature Notes from 1995, 1999 and 2004 (PDF)