[MASSBIRD] Seth Kellogg 1940-2021, & RFI (Long)

[phaw...@comcast.net]

As Matt S. posted, Seth Kellogg of Southwick, MA passed on October 13. His funeral was on the 18th.  

 

Preparing a piece on Seth for two hawk watching organizations, where he was a key leader for decades, I have put together an outline of what I know he contributed but I often lack details such as the years or titles. If you have further information, including specific dates or titles, additional accomplishments, or corrections, please email me directly. Second, just assembling this partial list surprised me, who knew Seth for over forty years. It illustrates how important Seth was as a contributor to the broad birding community, locally in Massachusetts, especially the western portion, and internationally. He knew more – and wrote more – about North American hawk migration, especially Broadwing migration, than most anybody in the world. He was – is–   part and parcel of our revered tradition of a special breed of birders from our Commonwealth.  

 

Among Seth’s contributions:

• Past President and long-time trip coordinator for the Allen Bird Club, including leading trips to Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas, and eight trips to Costa Rica. 
• Participated in the Breeding Bird Survey of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for over 25 years, reporting on Hampden County birds.
• Contributed actively to the first and second “Breeding Bird Atlases” of Massachusetts (1975-79, 2007-2011)
• Compiler of the Cobble Mountain Christmas Bird Count (Allen Bird Club) since its inception 
• Compiler and Editor of the “Bird News of Western Massachusetts” for the Bird Clubs of Western Massachusetts 
• Voice of Audubon for Western Massachusetts
• Compiler and Editor of Western Massachusetts Bird Sightings for “Bird Observer” (1999-2018)
• Member of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee (MARC) in its formative years
• Weekly birding columnist for the “Springfield American” (1998-2018)
• Technical Committee Member of the Massachusetts’” Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program” in its seminal years (2000-2002)
• Long-term member of the Southwick Conservation Commission
• Treasurer and Eucharistic Minister at the Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Westfield. 
• Member of Board of Directors for the NorthEast Hawk Watch (19??–2016)
• Compiler and Editor of the “NorthEast Hawk Watch Report” (1988-2014)
• Vice Chair of the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) 1984-1986    
• Flyway Editor for the semi-annual “HMANA Newsletter,” for the biggest, most active flyway region (dates?)
• Compiler and Editor of the semi-annual “HMANA Newsletter” (dates?)
• Received HMANA's “Maurice Broun Award” in 1993 "to honor individuals who have made outstanding, long-term or major contributions of time and effort to HMANA itself or the goals of HMANA: hawk-migration study; raptor conservation" 
• Received Massachusetts Audubon's "Audubon A Award" in 1995
• Received HMANA's “Joseph Taylor Award” in 2003 "to honor heroic contributions to HMANA above and beyond the call of duty." (Awarded only four times over two decades.) The only HMANA member to my knowledge to receive TWO lifetime achievement awards from the organization.

I knew how much Seth had contributed to the hawk migration community regionally and internationally. What I did not fully understand was how much he did for the entire  birding community because he rarely talked about himself.

 

Many people think Seth Kellogg was a founder of the NorthEast Hawk Watch in 1971, and HMANA in 1974, but he was not. Instead, he arrived shortly after the formation of both. He compiled (without email), analyzed and wrote what was the primary output, the raison d'être, for both organizations. In a world without the internet or personal computers, he compiled, edited nd wrote what tied together literally thousands of people across North America, documenting the status and resurgence of many migratory hawk species across the continent. He learned more about North American hawk migration, especially of the Broad-winged Hawk, than anyone I know. Few probably knew that Seth held a doctorate in English and had taught at the university level. We just knew he was very good at organizing, analyzing, and writing.

 

Those under the age of 50 might not fully appreciate that Seth began his work on hawk migration using a typewriter, not a personal computer. There was no autocorrect or autofill; no “copy and insert” function; no automatic “saves.” Typos weren't highlighted for your convenience. There were columns of thousands of numbers that had to be keyboarded individually (often repeatedly) and aligned. Mistakes had to be corrected as cleanly as possible using "Whiteout" or "Type-Erase." There was no Excel. Personal computers were just beginning to evolve, as was the first spreadsheet software, VisiCalc and then Lotus 1-2-3. These were not simple, intuitive applications. Seth continually improved and built both the large semi-annual “HMANA Newslette r” and the annual ”NEHW Migration Report” into models that other hawk-watching organizations around the world would emulate. 

 

Many who benefitted from Seth's commitments predeceased him. But those who have not appreciate how fortunate our organizations were – we were – to have Seth. We owe a special thank-you to his family – his wife Connie and their daughter Tanya – for sharing him with us.

 

If you knew Seth or understand how birders and the birds you love benefitted from his efforts over more than four decades, I encourage you to consider a donation in his name. In the local obituary the family recommended donations to the Little Free Food Pantry at the Church of the Atonement in Westfield in lieu of flowers (visit atonementwestfield.org for more information.) The family also welcomes donations in Seth's name to the NorthEast Hawk Watch, HMANA, or any organization committed to protecting nature. Seth will be missed.

 

Best,

Paul

 

Paul M. Roberts 
Medford, MA  
phaw...@comcast.net