Bob’s service is set for 9:30 Monday, Nov 13 at the Lakewood Chapel. Sent from my iPhone
> On Oct 31, 2023, at 1:55 PM, Jim Williams <woodduc...@gmail.com> wrote: > > 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. ---- 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.
