Date: 4/6/26 6:31 am From: Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Don Simons
Hawk watch with Don Simons on Mt Magazine September 29, 2017
[cid:b01ac8c5-9caf-4454-b77d-73c079fe2697]
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From: The Birds of Arkansas Discussion List <ARBIRD-L...> on behalf of Keith Hawkins <kdrjnest...>
Sent: Monday, April 6, 2026 7:38 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...> <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Don Simons
A lost treasure for sure! I am thoroughly enjoying all the reflections and memories of Don shared by our group. I feel compelled to add to the accolades. Like others, I too am grateful for the rare birds I would have never seen in Arkansas without his alerts—the Rosy Finch, the Townsend Solitaire, the Rufous-crowned Sparrow, in addition to a long list of raptors.
As most of you know Don hosted a Hawk-Watch, at Mount Magazine State Park, during fall raptor migration. I had the distinct pleasure of exposure to his knowledge, of all things in nature, for a number of years during these events. It often required a bit of probing but if a question arose all I had to do was ask—he would not often offer from his deep well of knowledge. One event in particular comes to mind. There was a noisy Bee, or so I thought, fliting in and out, as we stood watch at the overlook. I asked “Don, what kind of Bee is that? It sure is noisy”. His reply was, it is not a Bee, it is a fly and gave me the scientific name (forgotten).
His knowledge of raptors was also amazing to me. We would spot a distant raptor and he would offer his opinion on what species we were seeing. He would run through a litany of facts and behaviors a particular species exhibited. If the bird approached close enough to pick up defining plumage details he was always correct. What a joy, what fun! I rarely saw him exhibit excitement but when a large group of birds were “kettleing” into a “Hawknado” he would get excited. The last couple of years, with him absent, have not been as much fun.
