One of Minnesota’s historic birders died this past weekend. Robert B. Janssen — Bob to his many friends -- was 91 years old, and had been in hospice care for several months. He began birding as a child (5 years old, his eye caught by a meadowlark), and never stopped until he entered hospice.
Bob was a gentleman first of all, and then a lister the likes of which we are unlikely to see again. He had recorded at least 225 species of birds in each of Minnesota’s 87 counties. He told me once that his birding travels had taken him to every place name listed on a state atlas. He was an important member of the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union for many years. He was author of several books, the first “Minnesota Birds: Where, When, and How Many,” coauthored with Janet C. Green of Duluth in 1975. In 1981 came his second book, “Birds in Minnesota,” a guide to distribution of birds here. “Birds of Minnesota State Parks” followed in 2015, published by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. His most recent book, his last, is an exhaustive account of our birdlife, “Birds in Minnesota,” revising and expanding his previous work. He was assisted by Dave Cahlander, a friend. The book offers the who, where, and when for Minnesota birds, 580 pages of detail and maps, published by University of Minnesota Press. Bob gave birding talks to countless groups, led trips, taught classes. He was an ambassador for Minnesota birding, its most enthusiastic enthusiast. For years he assembled a weekly report of sightings he considered noteworthy, and on Thursdays recorded a voice message on his answering machine listing details. He took information that birders had left on the machine, and allowed the listers and chasers among us to make plans for the weekend. For years, Bob was our email and our ebird. One more word about his lists: He kept dozens. His major projects were lists by county: no fewer than 225 species in each county for a total of 21,351 check marks; 150 species minimum seen in each of our 87 counties; 318 species seen in the four counties cornering the state. Many of us will say this: He was my friend and I will miss him. Jim Williams Orono ---- General information and guidelines for posting: https://moumn.org/listservice.html Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
