ENHS Nature Trails Dec 98 Article 1

This month's speaker: Dan Gleason

Nature Trails conducted a brief interview with our speaker:

WERE YOU INTERESTED IN NATURE AS A CHILD? As long as I can remember, I was always fascinated with nature and being outdoors. I always watched movies about nature such as the early Disney movies ("Vanishing Prairie", etc.) and what few shows about nature were on TV at the time (nothing like what there is now).

PARENTAL INFLUENCES? My parents encouraged my interests. As a boy, I often went fishing with my Dad. Sometimes those trips became more hiking or driving back roads to explore new areas of the woods. Like many boys, I often brought animals (snakes, frogs, grasshoppers, etc.) home. I know that my mother didn't appreciate many of these but she was careful not to discourage any interest that I had.

EARLY TEACHER INFLUENCES? No teachers come to mind as being particularly influential in my natural history interests during my years in public schools. In fact, one teacher (early in high school) tried her best to turn me away from some of my interests. One day, I was telling other students about breeding tropical fish and how to care for them. Afterward, this teacher told me that discussions about sex, even sex in fish, are inappropriate topics for mixed company and in the future, I should find other things to talk about except animals. She said that unless I wanted to be a veterinarian, there were more important things in life than walking in the woods looking at animals. I knew better and simply paid no attention to her.

ANY NATURE HOBBIES? Hiking and photography. While not a part of our local natural world, I also raised tropical fish while I was in junior high and high school.

MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES; MEMORABLE TRAVELS? Most of my travel has been in the Pacific Northwest and so most of my experiences are also from here. I can't think of any experiences that were "Landmark" in the sense that they changed my interests or directions. There are many very memorable experiences that helped to reinforce my interest in nature.
Just a few years ago, I was with students from my Field Ornithology class on a weekend trip to Davis Lake. On this particular year, the lake was very low and we were walking along the mud flats beyond the campground. Perched on a log ahead of us, was an adult, male Northern Harrier. It was not watching us but was very carefully examining the sky. Suddenly we saw why. From over our heads, streaked an immature Peregrine Falcon making a straight dive for the harrier. It dove at and harassed the harrier several times before the harrier decided to leave. As the harrier was leaving, one of the Osprey (common at Davis Lake) circled low overhead, hovered, then plunged into the stream alongside of us. It was a successful dive and came up with a rather large fish. This event was also witnessed by an adult Bald Eagle (a pair nests in the ponderosa pines along the shore) who made a beeline for the Osprey. The eagle dropped down from above the Osprey and made several attacks upon it. Eventually, the eagle got its reward - the Osprey finally dropped its fish. Immediately, the eagle broke off the attack and swooped down to catch the fish in midair. The second eagle of the pair was now nearby as well and joined with the first. As she approached, she rolled over on her back and interlocked her talons with her mate. They tumbled for a moment in the air, separated, exchanged the fish, and then flew off together in the direction of their nest. This certainly stands out as one of the better raptor days in my experience but there are other experiences just as memorable and powerful.

WHO INFLUENCED YOU TO PURSUE STUDIES IN BIOLOGY? My father had no training in science but was always interested in nature and being outdoors. That interest transferred to me and grew. I knew as early as junior high school that biology was my greatest interest and that I didn't want to go to college unless it was to study biology. The two activities that brought me the most joy were being outdoors or listening to music (I had, and still have, a large classical music collection).

HOW DID YOU GET INTO ORNITHOLOGY? Birds are a part of our natural world and as such, were always interesting to me. However, I didn't know a lot about birds. As an undergraduate at the UO in the late 1960s, I had the opportunity to TA for General Biology. Herb Wisner was someone that I worked closely with. His strong interest in birds helped spark a desire to know much more. After just a few trips with him, I was hooked. I wanted to know more. Which birds was I seeing and how did they live? That desire to learn more about birds has never diminished.

WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR TRAINING? My undergraduate work in Biology was at the University of Oregon but most of my continued training in Ornithology has been self-taught through observation in the field and through study of the literature, both technical and popular.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO OUR TOWN? Unlike most of my friends, I was born in Eugene. But what better place to live? The coast, forests, mountains, and desert are all easily available to me. (And, of course, they all have wonderful birds.)

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT? Birds are a fascinating group of animals and birding is one of the most popular and fastest growing of all recreational activities. There are numerous field guides to help you identify birds. Sage Grouse may be easy to recognize and many nature films show the spectacular dance put on by the males during breeding, but do you know how the female actually selects her mate? Do you know why some Purple Martins sing a special song before dawn? Why are some house Finch males orange when most are red and does it make a difference to them? Are Turkey Vultures really just short-legged storks? These and many more "fun facts" will be discussed and illustrated with numerous slides of birds, mostly from North America.

[ Back ]

Page last modified: 10 December 1998
Location: http://biology.uoregon.edu/enhs/archive/dec98/dec981.html
E-mail the WebSpinner: aloysius@gladstone.uoregon.edu