The Ivory-bill has frequently been described as a dweller in dark and gloomy swamps, has been associated with muck and murk, has been called a melancholy bird, but it is not that at all—the Ivory-bill is a dweller of the tree tops and sunshine; it lives in the sun...in surroundings as bright as its own plumage."

- James T. Tanner, 1939

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Tennessee Ornithological Society




Jim Tanner joined the Tennessee Ornithological Society (TOS) in the late 1940s while teaching in Johnson City at Tennessee State Teachers College, known today as East Tennessee State University.

After accepting a job at the University of Tennessee, he transferred his membership to the Knoxville Chapter of TOS. The above group photo was taken in 1952 at the annual Spring Field Day at the home of H.P. and Alice Ijams. Their original home site is now part of Ijams Nature Center.

Jim Tanner is sitting in the center, wearing a kwiki shirt. H.P. is wearing a brown sweater, standing to the left of Tanner and Alice Ijams is wearing the black dress to the right of Tanner. Noted Tennessee ornithologist Albert Ganier is sitting in front of Tanner to the left

Joe Howell, who spent time with the 1935 Cornell Expedition while they were in Florida, also taught at UT. Howell is the tall man standing on the far right.

No comments:

Post a Comment