So very sorry to hear of the passing of Charlene Malone.
When I started birding in the late 80's there was no ebird, I got my birding inormation from the WGNSS bird hotline and then I found MOBIRDS, and Charlene was a prolific poster on the site and I was very appreciative of that fact.
I clearly remember one of her post about Shaw Arberetum (now Shaw Nature Preserve) and she mentioned a Rufous-sided Towhee (now called Eastern Towhee). Being a new birder I had never heard of this bird, looked it up in my Petersons and remember thinking "wow, what a cool bird!" I was soon out at Shaws and found a couple Towhees in short order. A seemingly minor posting about a common bird but it made my day!
I eventually met Charlene out in the field and got her phone number in order to follow up on her posts for more details. She may have regretted giving me that number as I did not hesitate to call when I had question about a sighting or birds in general.
Charlene, thanks for the patience you showed me in answering all my questions over the years and helping me to appreciate the birds and the world of birding, which has become so much a part of my life now. I hope I was not too much of a pest.
Rest in Peace.
Dave HaenniDes Peres, MO
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The Missouri Birding Society's Wild Bird Discussion Forum
