[Tweeters] Ed Swan memorial

[karlneice at icloud.com]

I know it’s a longshot, but can anybody give me a ride to Ed Swan’s memorial on Vashon this Saturday at 2 pm? I am in Greenwood along 77th NW.

Here is my memorial: I liked Ed Swan the moment I met him. He welcomed us aboard the ferry at Fauntleroy and started pointing out birds right away in a very knowledgeable but friendly fashion. I was a beginner, but he pointed out a Pigeon Guillemot to me as if it was rare and interesting. I just soaked up his interest as he described using the shape of the head, the white wing patches of the male and comically red webbed feet to identify them. I realized Ed was painting the picture of how every detail can tell a story not only about identifying the bird but using the time of year, the feathers, the activity and the habitat to understand that bird. It was a lot to soak up at first, but I was definitely soaking up Ed’s knowledge and companionship by the end of the day, and over the next 5 years (I hadn’t been able to see him since the pandemic). I took five Seattle Audubon field trips with him as leader, including one he stepped up to lead when another leader fell sick. When I retired, I checked his book out of the library and decided to book a Vashon bird tour with him, and I bought the updated version of his book, “The Birds of Vashon Island,” which is rich in general bird knowledge, historical sightings, and Vashon’s natural history and development. I am so glad I was able to cross paths with Ed Swan. He and Connie Sidles (who published his book) mentored me so that now whenever I go outside, I am automatically listening for birds! Now I will also be thinking of Ed, too.