Originally published in the Jan./Feb. 2006 issue of the Albatross, vol 50, no. 3  

The Santa Cruz Bird Club’s First Fifty Years 

Part 3: 1976 to 1985 

By David L. Suddjian 

     The Santa Cruz Bird Club (SCBC) completed its first “generational turnover” in its third decade: 1976-1985. Members come and go over the years, but those who remain active in the club for 10 to 20 (or more!) years come to define its character over the long run. By 1980 the Albatross (Alby) reported that just 11 of the club’s 80+ original members remained on the roster, but it seems that only a small handful of these were truly active in the club. Two events marked the end of the club’s first era. Otto Van Buren, the SCBC’s first president, died in April 1982 at the age of 92. The Alby reported that, “each week, when Doris Kelly [another charter member and past president] visited with Otto in the nursing home where he lived since the death of his wife, much of their conversation centered around the bird club’s activities.” Another milestone was the 1982 publication of Viola Washburn’s booklet on the club’s first 25 years, “Santa Cruz Bird Club (1956-1981).” Washburn’s booklet provides an invaluable charter member’s perspective on the club’s beginnings and early decades. Review of the county bird records shows that just one charter member – Florence Haas – continued to make contributions to the ornithological record in the club’s third decade.

     Several members in an active leadership role at the end of the club’s second decade continued strong into the third (and in some cases beyond). These included Bill Anderson, Nanci Adams, Dave Bockman, Winifred Greene, Bruce LaBar, Dorothy Lilly, Randy Morgan, Bob Ramer, Barbara Scharfenstein, and John and Ricky Warriner. Other key players joined them in the forefront in this third decade: Carolyn Frederiksen, Steve Getty (then but a youth), Eugene Makishima, and Debi Robinson (later Shearwater) in 1976; Irene Manicci and Don Starks in 1977; Steve Allison, David Ekdahl and Bob Hargis in 1978; Frances Bidstrup in 1979; and Louise (Bambie) Hopkins and Doug George in 1981. Of these I note that the first mention from this period of a member still serving as a club officer in the club’s 50^th year was of David Ekdahl. After joining in 1978, David took an office (programs chair) for the first time in 1980 and has remained an officer of the club ever since!

     The club’s field trips, and the camaraderie they engendered and friendships they built, remained at the heart of the organization’s existence. The third decade saw 256 advertised trips, up 31% from the club’s second decade. This boost seemed to result from the activities of a younger contingent of birders, and the concurrent development of interest in bird listing and searching for rarities. The 256 field trips in the third decade visited some 51 general localities (actually somewhat fewer than in either of the preceding decades), and trips to destinations outside Santa Cruz County increased to about 60% of the trips. Several favorite destinations came to be honored by visits each year. Continuing among these from earlier decades were trips to the Elkhorn Slough area (often two or three times per year), the Los Banos area refuges in winter, Fremont Peak in spring, Monterey Bay in summer and fall, and Año Nuevo State Reserve and Pescadero Marsh in the fall. New staple field trips included Panoche Valley in the winter (listed as “one of the best of the year”), Castle Rock, Tassajara Hot Springs and Loma Prieta in spring, and Point Reyes and the Carmel River mouth in the fall. Local destinations with enduring popularity included Rancho Del Oso, Pinto Lake, Natural Bridges, Neary Lagoon and various other lagoons and ponds in Santa Cruz, and Pajaro Dunes. New field events in this decade were “big days” and “bird-a-thons.”

      Bob Ramer ranked first among frequent trip leaders for the decade, with 23 trips, barely edging out Randy Morgan who led 22. Other top leaders were Carolyn Frederiksen, Bob Hargis and Barb Scharfenstein (each with 18), Bruce LaBar (16), Irene Manicci and Don Starks (15), Steve Getty (13), and Steve Allison and Debi Shearwater (10). Judging from the reports in the Alby, Barb Scharfenstein probably attended as many or more trips than anyone else, and (in addition to great leaders) it was the consistent presence of gold-as-gold folks like “the Scharf” that helped make the trips wonderful experiences for all. Field trip reports in the newsletter morphed from dull lists of species in the second decade to interesting narratives that even now relate the flavor and fun of the day’s birding.

     Pelagic trips remained a constant interest for the club. However, its hallmark annual “Albatross Expedition” in June began to falter after 1976, with the last reference to one coming in 1979. The fun from one of the last official “Albatross Expeditions” (June 1976) was captured by Santa Cruz Sentinel columnist (and SCBC member) Lea Wood: “Randy Morgan, one of the leaders of the trip, was pitching squid into the flock of eager gulls, shearwaters, and the increasing albatross, while his co-leader, Tony Bledsoe, beside himself with excitement, was counting: ‘Look! Fifteen – sixteen –seventeen – wow!’… The big brown birds kept flying in until in half an hour’s time the count finalled at 29.”

     The decline of the Albatross Expedition as a SCBC entity came about as the port-of-call shifted to Monterey and trips during other more diverse seasons took the lead. Members Debi Robinson (Shearwater) and Bob Ramer were instrumental in developing the legacy of pelagic birding trips on Monterey Bay to which we are now so accustomed. In fall 1978 field trip chair Bob Ramer wrote in the Alby, “My long term fantasy of regular birding trips on Monterey Bay has become a reality thanks to the efforts of Debi Robinson.” Seven fall and four winter trips were advertised in that issue (at $15 per trip). The evolution of the now famous name Debra Love Shearwater is interesting to track through the Alby. From her beginnings with the club she was Debi Robinson, then in spring 1979 Debi Love, then Debi Love Millichap in fall 1979, and finally Debi Love Shearwater in 1981. The name of the organization “Shearwater Journeys” appeared in the newsletter in spring 1983.

     The SCBC’s monthly meetings offered another venue for the membership to gather. Meetings continued to be held at Branciforte Junior High School, until moving to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History (then the Santa Cruz City Museum) at East Cliff Drive in September 1978, where the club continues to meet to this day. Meetings had the usual business portion with officer’s reports, various announcements, reports of interesting birds, presentation of a door prize, and finally a featured speaker and program. The Alby advertised 72 specific topics for programs at the SCBC’s general meetings. Dorothy Lilly took the lead as the most frequent speaker, giving programs at eight meetings over the third decade. Bill Anderson continued as a repeat presenter, giving six more programs to add to his contribution as the most frequent speaker of the club’s second decade. A program by Don Roberson in January 1982 was the first of many he would offer to the club over the following years. Many programs (32) shared a look at the birds of foreign lands or other parts of our country. An increasing number took up topics of local research and conservation. The club’s annual Christmas Dinner was replaced in 1979 by an “Annual Dinner” held in late winter in place of a general meeting; the Annual Dinner would continue into the club’s fifth decade.  

     The Christmas Bird Count grew in popularity in the club’s third decade. Under the direction of compilers Bockman, Morgan and LaBar, the Santa Cruz County CBC increased markedly in participation, quality of coverage, and success at finding a high number of species. LaBar – beginning as compiler in 1979 – would continue in that role for 10 years, the second longest run for this CBC. The Moss Landing CBC, begun by John and Ricky Warriner and Bob Ramer in 1976, was another highly successful local count supported heavily by participation by SCBC members.

     The club’s regularly scheduled trips, meetings, CBCs, winter dinners and summer picnics offered many opportunities for hospitality to welcome new birders and cement warm relationships among friends who shared a passion for birds and birding. Perusing the old issues of the Alby, the photos in the club’s history archive, and even the minutes of meetings, it is plain that club was a foundation for many friendships and source of many a joyful time. As the club matured and fostered a second generation, a need was identified for continued contact with its older members who were unable to participate in the club’s activities. In January 1977 it was announced that the membership chair would endeavor on a monthly basis to call shut-ins and elderly members to “chat about club activities and to perhaps provide a bright spot in the day.” At the other end of the age spectrum, the club was tending to the needs of a new generation, with special trips for its junior members and a regular series of programs for schools and other organizations. The Alby continued to welcome new and returning members by name, and to post notes about deaths and some other significant events the lives of its membership.

     Conservation issues continued to interest the membership, although at the beginning of the decade there was a differing of opinion as to how much information should be presented at the general meetings, with long presentations apparently irking and turning off a number of members. Some resolution was reached, and over the years the SCBC concerned itself with a number of local issues, such as development projects, habitat acquisition, hunting and the gill net fishery. The club contributed to studies of bird use of wetlands at Moss Landing and the Watsonville Sloughs. Native Animal Rescue became a special focus for the club in the 1980s, with annual bird-a-thons directed by Bob Hargis to raise funds to support its operation.

     The Snowy Plover provided a long term research topic that would absorb the attention of a number of club members. Local studies (made in conjunction with the Point Reyes Bird Observatory [now PRBO Conservation Science]) focused on breeding and wintering ecology, and tracking individual plovers marked by combinations of colored leg bands. Local research was conducted by members John and Ricky Warriner, Bob Ramer, Frances Bidstrup, Carolyn Frederiksen, and Doug George. A number of club members spent countless hours visiting local beaches to count plovers, search for banded birds, and monitor nests and human disturbance.

     The Albatross remained a constant in the life of the club, providing consistent and interesting presentations of the club’s activities. The Alby was generated on a computer for the first time in the fall of 1982, with editor Pamela Stanton-Wyman working on her Apple. Bird observations continued to be one of its most interesting features, summarized throughout the decade in a straightforward listing titled “Unusual Observations” by record’s compiler Randy Morgan, with occasional editorial comment. Compared to earlier decades, the listings came to be dominated by discoveries of rare birds and vagrants. Beginning in 1980 the Alby was enhanced by attractive sketches of birds –many small vignettes, but others more elaborate – drawn by Rufus Minor. A new and delightful element developed in 1984 when feature articles began to appear. Among the first of these was a column by avid “twitcher” and “chaser” Bruce Labar. Titled “Bird Drop-Ins,” LaBar’s articles focused on rarities found elsewhere in California, spiced by his recounting of attempts to go and enjoy them. There were success stories, and tales of woe when LaBar and fellow chasers “dipped out” on their sought after prize.

     One of the best of the new features in the Alby was a series of profiles of key club members written by editor Milly Rose beginning in winter 1985. In the last several issues of the club’s third decade these lively two page accounts highlighted club main stays Debra Shearwater, Bruce LaBar, Barbara Scharfenstein, Irene Manicci, and Carolyn Frederiksen. Look for these soon on the SCBC web page.

     Rose’s profile on Carolyn Frederiksen, printed in the November – December 1985 issue of the Albatross, is especially poignant. Frederiksen died tragically in an automobile accident on October 26, 1985, right at the time the Albatross issue would have arrived to the membership. Carolyn, 41years old, wife and mother of two daughters, was much beloved by SCBC members, and in many ways was representative of what is best in the club and its members. Rose quoted Don Starks, “Carolyn combines what I think is the best of the birding world. She puts in as well as she takes out. She is a very good birder and gives a lot of time to volunteer research.” Sadly, she was on the local birding scene less than 10 years before her death, but she entered with style (her first Alby mention is for a Yellow-billed Cuckoo sighting), contributed greatly to the county bird records (including discovery of Black-backed [now White] and Eastern Yellow wagtails!), was a frequent field trip leader, and was active in local bird research. Her impact is still evident in the way members who knew her lovingly recall her. Rose reported: “‘Birding is my main hobby,’ Carolyn says. Husband Ole and teenage daughters Haydee and Justine keep a candle in the window when she’s away.’”

     In 1984 president Irene Manicci noted that, “Sharing is the theme of our Club.” And so it remains today. Through the sharing of our passion, knowledge, friendship and time, we continue the legacy begun by our charter members, and kept alive by those of the club’s middle decade, such as Frederiksen, Manicci, Shearwater, Morgan, Ramer, Hargis and hundreds of other members.

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