[Tweeters] Gregg Thompson

[Dennis Paulson]

Hello tweeters,

I am so sorry to share the news that Gregg Thompson has passed away. I first knew Gregg when he worked as the bird curator at Woodland Park Zoo in 1974 and took a bird class from me. We have been friends ever since, not seeing each other all the time but meeting in the field serendipitously and surprisingly often and always communicating by email about the messages full of beautiful photos that he sent to many, many people, sometimes every day.

Gregg was a photographer first and always, taking far better photos than most of us do and loving to share camera information as well as bird information. He was our consultant for years when we considered buying new cameras or lenses. He got us started on the Canon 7D and subsequently Olympus and OM systems, all the best advice. He photographed birds for years but then expanded into photographing many other things in nature, always concentrating on getting the best photos he could. I like to think that I got him started with dragonflies.

He used to roam all over the state, but when his back began to give him trouble he narrowed his focus down to this immediate area. He loved the Samish and Skagit Flats, where there were photo ops galore, including chances to photograph raptors. Just this winter he perfected a technique of photographing kestrels in flight.

Gregg had a wry sense of humor, and Netta and I always enjoyed talking to him about birds, photography, and the world. We will miss him very much.

Dennis Paulson
Seattle