Dear Willie, Thank you for sharing the news of Bill's recent illness and sadly of his passing. To echo your fond remembrances I can add that Bill Watson was also a prolific contributor to the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC). Every year we received a stack of carefully written reports from 'WW' describing the reviewable rarities that he had either found himself or had chased. The vast majority of his submissions were of course accepted after Committee review but never once did he grumble to us about the few that weren't. To take just one recent example, his report on the 2014 Jefferson County ptarmigan, which is currently in review, was exemplary in its observation and detail, even down to the 'milky grayish white' toenails. His pleasure in seeing and studying this spectacular rarity is rendered vividly in his description and his thoughtful justification for its identification as a Willow rather than Rock Ptarmigan.
Bill will be remembered as a wonderful role model to us all as birders. He was a diligent and enthusiastic observer, clearly a good field companion to many, and a significant contributor to the permanent ornithological record for western and central New York State. We at NYSARC will most definitely miss hearing from him. Angus Wilson Chair, New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA) -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
