EARTH TALK!
The quotations
of over 200 American naturalists and scientists with brief biographies.

Ohio Rare Bird Alert

Edward S. Thomas
Environmental Center

About the author . . .
Tom Thomson
including
"Searching for the U.S.S. LSM 245."

The Bird Watcher
An American novel

  Satan and Jehovah Dukin' it Out?

 

The Faces of God and the Devil?

I took the two unretouched pictures shown here the afternoon of the terrible Xenia tornado. Since severe storm systems that spawn tornadoes usually travel from SW to NE, these clouds were undoubtedly involved in that tragic storm. I just pointed the camera at the ugly swirling clouds and took two shots.

It was only in recent years while refiling a bunch of photographs that I discovered these startling likenesses of God and the Devil/ Satan is at the left and you can easily see the classic goat-like features and evil eyes.

God is at the right, and you can see his stolid perplexed face and worried eyes framed by a beard.

I couldn't help but think that maybe these two guys were up there duking it out. Mythical beings or religious icons, whatever. What do you think?

Tom Thomson

 

 

 

Welcome to Paradise
Messages from the Clear Creek Valley

(Please scroll down the page)
by Tom Thomson

Foreword

Welcome to Paradise is a manuscript I have been writing for how long? It's hard to say because some components were written years ago, while many other parts are more recent, a lot of them in the past year- sometimes in a hurry while the ideas were still fresh in my mind.

As I mention in the introduction that follows, it is my desire to acquaint you with a number of outstanding Ohio naturalists whom it was my good fortune to have known. Other essays deal with men and women I have encountered in my reading, figures who gained national (and international) renown. This collection does not in any way pretend to be a complete compendium of the state's many notable naturalists.

To sum up, this book is about American naturalists, with an extra nod to some of those who knew the Ohio country; it is also about the environment, and some of the birds and animals therein.

Go in peace and don't dally too long in front of your computer. Keep a watchful eye on the integrity of the environment but, most of all, enjoy in good health the wonderful birdlife of this great continent. I hope that someday you see a Five-striped Sparrow chasing a Kirtland's Warbler chasing a Bananaquit.

This manuscript is copyrighted (© Tom Thomson) and you may not republish any part of it without permission from the author.

New! Circles of circumstance
Why crows are becoming city dwellers
(See last entry of contents)

Contents

Introduction
The whys and wherefores.
A Good Man, Ed Thomas was
He was Curator of Natural History at the Ohio State Museum
when it was located at 15th and High.
Lawrence E. Hicks
At one time, he was probably Ohio's leading ornithologist.
The Song Sparrow Lady
She was way ahead of her time, but she didn't
have anyone else to talk to.
The Parabola Man
He recorded the songs of birds.
Loren Eiseley
If you would like to add a new dimension to your life,
read some of the books this great anthropologist wrote.
A Vulture for Abbey
This "desert rat" was a real character.
The Fish Man
Read the funny way a new bird was added to the Ohio list.
A Flower for Floyd
He was a gentle soul and everybody's friend.
The Hill Walker
He walked all the way around Fairfield County.
The Tank Commander's Titmouse
An example of the civilizing influences of birding.
Audrey
He was driving on Interstate highways at 15 to 20 mph.
The Owl Man
Some nocturnal adventures to lull you to sleep.
Louis J. Halle
A great writer you should become familiar with.
The Skydancer
He was the father of modern ecology.
The Tightrope Walker
. . . And here's Annie!
Sing me a Song
Everything you always wanted to know about birdsong.
An Eternal Becoming
Some of the nice things about birding.
Hearts and Minds
I'll never walk alone.
Dr. Kirtland's Warbler
All about a very rare bird.
Nathan Leopold's Warbler
All about the same species from a different perspective.
Chasing Loons
A thought or two about Henry David Thoreau.
A Wayward Loon
A loony story.
The Tornado
A tale beyond the bounds of belief.
Images of the Past
All about Whip-poor-wills.
Being a Hooded Warbler
What it means to be a bird.
Halley's Comet
Is that all there is?
In Memoriam: Roger Tory Peterson
"Because birds fly, they represent freedom," he said..
A Success Story
This is the good news.
The Alchemist
I wish that I could have talked to the people from Heaven's Gate.
Siskins in Love
Is this anthropomorphism?
Moonstruck
When I was a young lad . . .
Project Chariot(Part I)
The beginning of a bad idea.
Project Chariot (Part II)
And the idea grows . . .
Project Chariot(Part III)
Things begin falling apart . . .
Project Chariot (Part IV)
An adventure for Ed Thomas.
Amchitka
Dirty tricks.
The Indomitable Louis Bromfield
He lived life on a grand scale.
John Ruthven: Wildlife Artist
Read about Ohio's premier wildlife artist.
A Man of Wit and Exuberance
. . . And I might add, a true gentleman.
The Book Man
And how he influenced my life.
Discovering a Wonderland
What a difference a day makes.
The Glitzy, Dazzling Hummingbirds
They are miracles with wings.
Dancing with Hummingbirds
The Wild Side of Sex
The Death of Birds (Part I)
Fecundity is the name of the game
A Devastating Toll Part II
The Death of Two Birds
Welcome to Paradise
It's a tough world out there for small birds.
Dreaming of a Nuthatch
The Serendipity of Dreams
Old Brick and Cobblestone Streets
Some very old dreams might be buried in the brain
Jumping Jacks
Wherein two rabbits have a go at each other
A Veery for the Future
What we can do to save the world
Anthropozooism
You'll never guess what this is all about!
Circles of Circumstance
Why are crows moving to the city?

 

7

---Birds on line---

So long, Ernie!

My friend and birding buddy Ernie Limes died Tuesday, April 2, 2002, about 6:30 pm. Ernie led a full life. He and his wife Bonnie had a lovely home and raised a fine family. A plumber by trade, Ernie balanced his passion for golf with birding, and most will agree, birding won out. He traveled all over the world searching for rare and elusive species and made friends wherever he went. As the old saying goes, he never met a stranger. Ernie was full of stories. funny jokes, and his own take on this earthly sojourn. He was truly "a piece of work." Ernie, we will miss your wry smile and the way you could spot a hawk a mile away. So long, good friend!


Red Fox, photo by Eddie Farmer

 

 

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