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Date: 10/20/26 3:12 pm From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Subject: Re: Jim Dunn
Here are a few good memories of Jim Dunn. I really enjoy seeing someone start birding later in life and just go to it. I describe it as "diving into the deep end from 50 feet up". One of my core beliefs is that we search throughout our days for divinity and to see someone find it unexpectedly is very gratifying. Us birders know what I am talking about, even if you don't use that language. Before eBird, both Jim and I kept good records of our birding observations and when eBird started, we both entered our past observations. Much of my birding concentrated on specific locations and the information that I learned eventually ended up in Birds of Central Pennsylvania. Jim was a more eclectic birder, visiting many more places and being an all-round birder. In those early years before eBird debuted, but you can see in the historic eBird records, Jim would consistently have the highest species number in historic eBird records for Centre County and I would be second. That is as close as I ever came to being an eBird leader. Jim was very outgoing and would talk to anyone. During PA's second breeding bird atlas, 2004-2009, Jim was very proud that he completed 20 atlas blocks, many of them in farmland of Big Valley. Of course, from his job as an ag economist, Jim routinely talked to farmers and so I think that it was very natural that he did so much in Big Valley. That was a great contribution. Being naturally communicative, Jim did a great job as president of the State College Bird Club. People who volunteer for community service are very generous. After Jim retired, he would often visit the Stone Mountain hawk watch, where I was a counter two days a week. Jim would usually show up mid- or late morning, eat lunch, and stay for 3-4 hours. He loved communicating and so there was a lot of talking, more from him than me. I was a more serious hawk watcher and I would frequently scan the skies with my binoculars. I think that Jim didn't see as well as I did, so I gave him a job: to watch near the platform for those raptors that tried to sneak past us and that I might have missed while looking up. He didn't have to scan, he could relax, we were both happy with our roles. It was pretty common that he would find a few birds that I didn't see and I could tell that he liked that aspect. Nick Bolgiano On Mon, Oct 19, 2026 at 5:40 PM Grove, Deborah Shuey <dsg4...> wrote: > I am sure that you can use the general address. > 500. E Marylyn Ave State College PA 16801 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fsearch%2F500.%2BE%2BMarylyn%2BAve%2BState%2BCollege%2BPA%2B16801%3Fentry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578910256%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=N%2B%2F%2F4IKL1RPzQY%2BaU35TAhereGrybsrwt34YpVSwfXU%3D&reserved=0> > > > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fkgmid%3D%252Fg%252F1thz2m_m&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578923439%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Qtg4M9xbOqTfdQQ7Sh565tAfEep29Mr7uK%2BPf8tlr5A%3D&reserved=0> > > Deborah S. Grove > > ------------------------------ > From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf > of Merrill David <mer22david...> > Sent: Monday, 19 October 2026 17:11:54 > To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...> > Subject: Re: Jim Dunn > > Yes,* thank you* so much for letting us know. > Does anyone happen to have Polly’s mailing address at Foxdale? > Unfortunately I won’t be in town for the service. > > - Merrill > > > On Mon, Oct 19, 2026 at 2:10 PM Chad Kauffman <chadkauffman...> > wrote: > > I had heard he wasn't doing well, but when I first got into birding, he > joined me on several things, allowing me to join him on various xmas > counts, birding chases, etc. > > he always had a story to tell from abroad. > > thanks for letting us know > > chad. > On 10/19/2026 1:49 PM, Grove, Gregory William wrote: > > We learned recently of the passing of Jim Dunn at age 76. Jim was a > long-time member of the State College Bird Club, including service as > President of the Club. A native of South Dakota, Jim had degrees in > Chemistry, Math, and Economics and eventually earned a Ph.D. at Oklahoma > State. From Oklahoma he came to Penn State in 1977 as Assistant Professor > in Agricultural Economics, retiring as full Professor in 2017. > > Jim’s birding career started in 1997 in a way very different than for most > of us. During a year-long sabbatical in Australia, he became interested in > the birds there and upon his return to State College, was committed all the > way to birding. As with many of us, birds became an important component in > planning of activities whether in his own backyard, around town and campus, > or during world travels related to work. He eventually served four years as > President of the State College Bird Club, 2003-2007. His ID skills came > quickly and he became a dedicated lister, including Pennsylvania county > listing, which he combined with visits connected to Penn State Ag Extension > travels through-out the state. His world life-list benefited thanks to his > travels and collaborations with faculty from many countries, especially > Eastern Europe and republics of the former Soviet Union. In that regard he > was proud of his “airport life-list”, which numbered over 100. > Jim’s interests and expertise ranged far beyond birding and economics. For > many years he was a regular in lunch-time pick-up basketball on campus, > often with fellow birders Scott Lewis and Rob Stone. He was a 50-year > member of the Toastmaster’s Club and was on the board of Centre Region > Parks and Recreation. He was particularly deeply involved in genealogy, and > indeed I learned a lot about his family in South Dakota and Nebraska during > slow sessions at the Stone Mt hawk watch. > Jim is survived by wife Polly, son John, and daughter Robin. A celebration > of life will be held at Foxdale Village on November 6, 2026, at 12:30 pm. > > Memorial contributions may be directed to The Centre Foundation’s > Endowment for the State College Bird Club @ > https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcentrefoundation.fcsuite.com%2Ferp%2Fdonate&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578933891%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2B0KNgTIr5qR8AqkryNdVykLB5TVyIcw7JkztzZURROc%3D&reserved=0 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcentrefoundation.fcsuite.com%2Ferp%2Fdonate&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578943776%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JvR%2Bx9y8%2FjtP5REwKnKHZy9%2BOcMf7FT6NmwbsDTId00%3D&reserved=0> > - and enter State College Bird Club. > > Greg Grove > > > > > > > Greg Grove > eBird reviewer: Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin > PBA Ridge and Valley Coordinator > Stone Mt. Hawk Watch, Winter Raptor Survey > Huntingdon, PA. > > -- > - https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.page%2Fr%2FCXvl17D6umKrEB0%2Freview&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578953486%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EqSygjn%2FD1JvFK2mom6zNHcqQLD4MOnCb9okIxxkF%2FY%3D&reserved=0 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.page%2Fr%2FCXvl17D6umKrEB0%2Freview&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578963438%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2Fwy2uhIcq7HV6iqrKtKRcePSfCHJiWtdyu49D5pGGzg%3D&reserved=0> > - See our new video https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2F3gyjkxmmFS4&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578972990%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jUKO%2BhFVb8qqAa4Esfy8PJMGiFmOqKVxQRI3faR2f7Y%3D&reserved=0 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2F3gyjkxmmFS4&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578982664%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=lCU1HO7wYffLxH%2BsiuV%2BDwuFd5nuwgpAsUMai%2B%2Fmwfk%3D&reserved=0> > - Check us out on facebook - https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkauffmaninsurance%2F&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311578992349%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=moW3K3R4%2F9psGiPxUUKYmOA3JlEwYP82uoWjRp1oy30%3D&reserved=0 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkauffmaninsurance%2F&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C978483acbc6e4186992c08df2ef73e4e%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639281311579002324%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vbjYQ2znGd%2FtUlsBk14hCbvkSRC8pi2%2FfWYcrkyiY%2FA%3D&reserved=0> > >

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