Six years ago this past Monday, I was headed for an Historic District meeting. It was spring, a bit after six-thirty, the light was golden, the land luminous. The sun
Kim Gaffett
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“December 26, 1920 – 7 a.m. Temp. 14. Loon 3, H. Gull 20, H. Lark 12, Starling 12, Meadowlark 5, Song 4. A little vapor. Elizabeth Dickens Bird Journals
On Dec. 26, 1920 Elizabeth Dickens had been keeping her daily bird journal for just nine years; and had not yet started leading the Christmas count, that would not come until 1924.
I imagine that her 1920, Dec. 26 observation (above), was accomplished with little time outdoors, was confined to her Dickens Farm oasis, and was mostly a solitary endeavor.
Elizabeth Dickens’ journals span the years 1912 to 1963. Over those years, her observations increased: in the number of species seen, in the number of locations around the island and beyond explored, and, in the number of participants reporting observations. Neighbors, school students, participants in the Christmas counts (always held on Dec. 26), and visiting ornithologists and birders from afar, all became part of Miss Dickens’ bird life.