Three Rivers Birding Club Southwestern Pennsylvania

Ralph K. Bell, an internationally known ornithologist in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and far beyond, died on May 20, 2014, at the age of 99 in his Greene County, home.

A summary and tributes about Ralph appeared in the July-August 2014 issue of the Three Rivers Birding Club newsletter, The Peregrine, but he deserves more than that because of his importance to ornithology and conservation. The following article with its biographical detail and comments from those who knew him will serve as a more complete reference to his life, his achievements, and his personality.

Ralph was born January 27, 1915, at home on the Bell family farm in Clarksville, Greene County, Pennsylvania, a son of the late Harold Kennedy Bell and Harriett Gaddis Luse. Harold K. Bell was a recognized Master Farmer of Pennsylvania in the early 1950s, and the Bell and Luse families were among the first settlers of Greene County.

He was a 1938 graduate of Penn State University. On September 2, 1939 he married Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Kern from State College, and they owned and operated the Bell Farm, raising chickens, sheep, and Christmas trees.

Surviving are two children, David Kern Bell and his wife Ruth of State College, and Joan Bell Pattison and her husband Donald of Fort Myers, Florida; two grandsons, Cristian David Bell and his wife Leah, and Luke David Pattison.

Deceased in addition to his wife, Betty, who died October 16, 1995, are his brother, Frank Heaton Bell; his sister, Esther Bell Tuckish Cordray; and his grandson, Grant Charles Pattison.

Ralph was a member of the Jefferson Presbyterian Church, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), Fort Jackson Chapter, Greene County Soil Conservation; Ralph K. Bell Bird Club; Eastern Bird Banding Association; Brooks Bird Club; Izaak Walton League; Three Rivers Birding Club; Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology; Purple Martin Conservation Society, and many other organizations.

He founded the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory (AFMO), September 18, 1958. AFMO is the oldest, continuous running bird banding station in North America. In 2002, on site at AFMO, Dolly Sods, West Virginia, the West Virginia Public Broadcasting System filmed a documentary about his founding of AFMO.

Ralph began studying birds around the age of 12, and kept records from that time on. He obtained his Bird Banding Master Permit in 1954. Over the years, he had 15 sub-permitees, whom he mentored for their bird banding permits. As of May 2013, he had had banded 142,255 birds, and had 1,481 recoveries of those birds.

Ralph was awarded the Pennsylvania Game Commission Certificate of Appreciation in 2006, in recognition of over 50 years of unparalleled service. The award praised "Your exemplary achievement in bird banding, bird research and providing homes for wildlife is truly inspirational to everyone who has a love and appreciation for the natural world."

In 1983 he received the John and Norah Lane Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Bluebird Conservation by an Individual" from the North American Bluebird Society. At that time, he monitored more than 250 bluebird nest boxes in Greene County, kept records of the results, and banded the nestlings and some adults.

Ralph was awarded the U.S. Department of Forest Service 2003 Volunteer Award of the Year for 46 years of outstanding dedication and service; the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology Earl Poole Award in 1998; the 2006 Purple Martin Preservation Alliance Award "for a lifetime of dedication to Purple Martin conservation in Western Pennsylvania."

He was Pennsylvania Envirothon leader for many years, and was ornithological leader for 46 years at the West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage at Blackwater Falls. He was the founder and leader of the Jefferson Audubon Christmas Bird Count in Greene County in December 1958 and continued compiling it for more than 50 years. He also contributed research to the first and second editions of the Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania.

Ralph lectured for more than 65 years on birds and nature to school children, civic groups, bird clubs, Boy Scouts, and many other organizations. He was interviewed on the radio in Pittsburgh and elsewhere as an expert on the subject of birds and other aspects of natural history.

He published more than 200 articles on birds and nature. From 1956 to 1975, he published articles in EBBA News for the Eastern Bird Banding Association and from 1964 to 1973 wrote a column in the newsletter titled "A Bird Bander's Diary." He also published articles in The Redstart and The Mailbag for the Brooks Bird Club for many years. He wrote a column titled "Bluebirds" for the Nature Society News in Griggsville, Illinois, and published articles in many other publications.

"A Little Bit of History" — by Jack Solomon, Founding President of the Three Rivers Birding Club in Pittsburgh (reprinted from the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania Bulletin):

The legendary Ralph K. Bell, leader of the famous annual Bell's Farm outing in Greene County, has an absolutely amazing ability to identify birds by ear for a man his age (he's even older than I am) and compares well with good ear-birders half his age. Back in the early 1970s when I started birding, Ralph was already a legend, not only for his annual outing, but for his ornithological skills and personality. My sources tell me that the reason he can still tell you so many species by their vocalizations is because, when he was much younger, he would climb up into a tree when necessary, and then patiently wait for a good look at whatever was singing. That kind of effort is amazing — I can see how it would firmly fix the sound in his brain.

37 years after the founding of ASWP, the organization welcomed Ralph as a new board member. Bell's birding experience quickly hit the pages of the Bulletin in 1954 with the results of the Clarksville Christmas Bird Count: Ralph Bell, sole observer, 14 species reported. The Bell's Farm outing in Greene County was soon inaugurated with the Bulletin report that "we have been invited to explore new territory with Mr. Bell on his farmland," known back then as Bell's Chicken Farm. That first Bell's Farm outing had 35 "observers" and 48 species — more people and more species than any other single day outing that year. Birds observed included Upland Sandpiper (a great find, anywhere around here), "quail," and Mourning Warbler. The tradition was off to a great start.

Auduboners used to look forward to the Bell's Farm outing in late May or early June. In one day, we'd see a singing male Yellow-throated Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Orchard Oriole, and have a really good chance to see a Summer Tanager or a grassland sparrow rarely seen in Allegheny County at the time. My favorite reason for attendance was to kid around with Ralph and marvel, not only at his uncanny hearing, but at the way he ably climbed a ladder to his Kestrel box. He'd bring down a hen Kestrel and chick to be photographed and banded, while the tiercel (male falcon) circled above, screaming defiance and irritation. Ralph would also open one of the many bluebird boxes in his yard to let us see the young; or he'd throw a handful of feathers right in front of us, an action followed immediately by several species of swallows swooping in our faces to snatch the feathers for their nests.

My favorite activity, though, was just talking to Ralph, enjoying his sense of humor, and learning about all aspects of nature. I also enjoyed birding, botanizing, and chatting with the people — sometimes numbering 100 — from ASWP and West Virginia's Brooks Bird Club who came for the fun.

Only once in the course of over 50 years has someone filled in for Ralph at his outing — and that was only so he could accept the prestigious Poole Award from the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology (PSO). That was back when the awardee's identity was kept a secret until the actual presentation at the PSO banquet. Ralph's daughter, Joan Bell Pattison, found it completely impossible to get Ralph to attend the PSO conference because he said it conflicted with his commitment to lead his ASWP outing. Finally, with PSO's approval, she divulged that he was the guest of honor. He went reluctantly, and only after arranging for someone qualified to fill in for him so that the show could go on back at home.

It was great fun to look through the old Bulletin issues for glimpses of Ralph. For instance, Ralph once, long ago, observed magpies (undoubtedly Black-billed, though the species is not stated) near his Greene County home. He loaned a trap to a federal Fish & Wildlife agent, and, together, they trapped one of the magpies. Ralph's neighbor reported a flock of 14 of them at their feeder. This puzzled me, because I believed there were no Pennsylvania records of magpies. Sure enough, a few issues later, a letter from Ralph stated the birds were found to be escapees, and he believed the reports of the flock of 14 were from someone who mistook pigeons for magpies. Another example of his scrupulous honesty is found in the June 1956 issue of the Bulletin where Ralph asks that the "lady who lost her billfold" on his 1955 outing return and claim "it and the money it contains this year."

Like the Clarksville CBC, the Bell's Farm outing has run for 51 years, the longest continuously running field outing in ASWP's history. But these milestones just scratch the surface of the accomplishments of Ralph Bell.

Experts agree that Ralphs meticulous, untiring field work has contributed much to our understanding of bird life in the southwestern corner of the state and in neighboring West Virginia. Ralph was already a registered bird bander in 1953. He has personally banded well over 100,000 birds, all while operating his farm. One bird banded by Bell at Clarksville, Pennsylvania on May 6, 1962, was recaptured 1,500 miles to the north at Battle Harbor, Labrador, on June 12, having averaged 40 miles per day.

A Slate-colored Junco banded by Bell in August 1991 was recaptured in October 2001, establishing a longevity record of at least 11 years and four months old for the species! This junco was a local bird, staying in the area year round, and was caught many times. Bell says this shows at least two items of interest — first, that the junco did not seem to mind being caught and handled. Also, birds that do not migrate have a better chance of living longer due to all of the hazards of migration.

That junco was banded and recaptured at the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory (AFMO) at Bear Rocks, on the Dolly Sods in West Virginia. The AMFO was founded by Ralph, a Penn State graduate with a degree in poultry husbandry, in 1953. He banded there every year since. His daughter, co-leader of AFMO with him for the past several years, details the observatory's history in an article in The Redstart, newsletter of the Brooks Bird Club.

In 1990, Bell started a program at AFMO to count flyovers going over the banding station. He and his helpers count and record goldfinches, Blue Jays, hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, and Green Darner dragonflies. Trends are already beginning to show up from the observations. Blue Jays migrate in the daytime, not at night as most passerines do. Bell says "that in some years very few Blue Jays migrate, probably due to a good mast crop in their area. In other years they migrate to the southern U.S. to spend the winter where food would be more plentiful. On October 3, 1999, 8,297 Blue Jays flew by."

Among the many AFMO helpers of note, most of whom are Brooks Bird Club members, are Pittsburghers Carol and Fred McCullough, organizers and compilers of the Allegheny County portion of the Pennsylvania Migration Count. With their young sons, they began helping at AFMO in 1973 and continued through the present. Bell, recognizing their dedication and ability, arranged for them to obtain sub permits under him, and they began banding at AFMO in 1999.

Carol has seen Ralph's "huge bank-ledger type books full of data that he has kept since around 1927 — all of it written in exquisite handwriting. He showed us book after book filled with banding records of chipping sparrows — he'd banded over 6,000 at the time."

Ralph has monitored hundreds of nest boxes, has been a member of various ornithological and birding organizations (American Ornithologists' Union, Association of Field Ornithologists, Wilson Ornithological Society, Pennsylvania Society, and others) has researched cowbird parasitism, and has years of service to The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and the Brooks Bird Club. A copy of the Eastern Bird Banding Association's newsletter announced that in 1959, Ralph Bell "banded more Horned Larks, crows, meadowlarks, martins, Vesper, Savannah, Grasshopper, Chipping, Field and Song sparrows than anyone else." The Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology's website records for Greene County show Bell twice in the top life list with 194 species in the county and top "Big Year" 137 in 1985).

Still, whenever I show up and say hello to him, Ralph always smiles and tells me he's "really pleased to meet someone famous." I'm really pleased to know the man who epitomizes the joy of making a major contribution to science while having fun and enriching many lives.

"My Visit to Bell's Farm" — by Gabrielle Hughes, educator at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (reprinted from the ASWP Bulletin):

I must confess that I have always had trouble identifying Acadian Flycatchers by ear. I could do it, but it was a less than instantaneous process of elimination. "Plodding" would be the more apt description. It just never clicked for me. Of course, that was before my visit to Bell's Farm this past May. Now I can pick out that Acadian in a heartbeat — Cerulean Warblers, too. And it is because of Ralph Bell. Well, in truth, the Acadian is due to Ralph's daughter, Joan, but we'll get to that.

As I mentioned, the Bell's Farm outing has been on my "to do" list for seven years. And every year there is some reason why I don't go. But this year, I was determined. It also helped that I had a passenger to accompany me on the drive to Greene County. And so, on a lovely May morning, I set out with my fellow birder, Alberta.

Bell's Tree Farm sits near Ten Mile Creek in Greene County. It is a beautiful ride down interstate 79 as you exchange the city and the suburbs for the rolling hills of southwestern Pennsylvania farmland.

Any reservations that I may have had about finding Ralph's place were unfounded, since there are at least three cars ahead of me that are obviously going to the same place. As we pull into his drive, several volunteers — veterans of previous Bell's Farm outings, are on hand to direct traffic.

The first bird sightings happen as we exit the car. The fields leading away from the farmhouse and outbuildings are being scanned by about 20 birders. Eastern Bluebirds perch on the wires in between forays to the grass below. Barn Swallows zip in and out of our field of view, and an occasional Eastern Meadowlark adds to the mix. Then someone yells out "Bobolink", and we get a great view of a male sporting the striking black and white plumage with a buffy-white nape. One minute, four species, not too shabby.

As we all gather, at least 60 of us, Ralph begins introducing various friends — folks that have attended previous outings, and people that Ralph has worked with over the years. People like his daughter, Joan Bell Pattison; educator and researcher, Bill Beatty; and naturalist/legend Esther Allen. Already, there is a feeling that this day is special, that you are taking part in more than a bird outing. This has the feel of a family reunion, one in which the whole family gets along.

Ralph begins by making sure everyone has had a chance to see the field birds before we head down the road. He points out the Purple Martin houses and gourds, and notes that their numbers haven't been the same since Hurricane Agnes hit in June of 1972. The storm brought a week of rain and cold temperatures during the birds' nesting season, and wiped out a large part of the western Pennsylvania population. Ralph doesn't put up all of his gourds anymore, because he doesn’t want to hog all of the nesting pairs, seeing as his neighbor has martin housing as well.

This considerate, and easy-going manner is evident in everything that Ralph does throughout the day. He walks along, surrounded by people with binoculars and high-powered spotting scopes, but Mr. Bell is empty-handed. He relies on those fantastic ears of his, that and long experience. Ralph says he's color blind, and that's why he had to learn the songs so well. He calls out birds he hears along the road, "didja get that one, kid? You'll know that one." He calls everyone "kid" no matter how old they are, and he makes sure no one misses out.

As we walk along beside the wooded creek, several species are our constant companions. The "buzz-buzz teedle teedle ti ti ti teeeee" of the Cerulean Warbler, and the "spit-a-keet" of the Acadian Flycatcher should be forever burned into my memory banks. Ralph's daughter Joan told me the phrase that she thinks of when she hears the Acadian song, and it is not "spit-a-keet," and I probably can’t reprint it here, but it definitely clicked in my brain, and I haven’t had trouble identifying it since.

Our large group stretches out into various little subgroups along the road, but we all come together whenever there's a notable find, such as the Common Nighthawk perched cryptically along a sycamore limb, or the Yellow-throated Vireo sitting on her nest. At one point, Larry Helgerman just happens to look up at the right time to catch a female hummingbird building her nest high up on another sycamore limb. He sets up his scope and the 10 of us who are lucky enough to be lagging behind get to watch a few of her many repeated trips, carrying wisps of spider silk and plant down to place on the barely visible bump on the branch.

Birds aren't the only finds on our walk. Esther Allen points out the delicate blossoms of Miami Mist along the roadside. At another spot, Bill Parker nearly sits down on an egg sac full of newly emerging baby spiders. We all spend a few moments transfixed by miniscule spiderlings pouring down the leaves, throwing invisible lifelines into the great beyond.

Making our way to the old iron bridge, Ralph tells us how the habitat has changed over the years. More forest has grown up, bringing more birds, although he notes that he doesn’t hear as many Wood Thrush as in the past. As we walk along, I ask a few people here and there why they chose to come on this outing. Whether they have been attending for years, or are newbies like me, the answer is always the same — Ralph.

They relate anecdotes that have been passed down over the years. Like the time that Ralph netted one of the empidonax flycatchers, notoriously hard to differentiate from each other unless they sing. Ralph wanted to be accurate when he recorded the bird, and didn't want to just put "empidonax species." So, he popped the bird in a cage and started driving to the Carnegie Museum in Oakland to have Dr. Ken Parkes, then curator of birds, identify it. Now this was back before interstate 79 existed, and it was no small drive from Greene County to Oakland. He was all the way to Dormont, about five miles from his destination, when the bird sang — a Willow Flycatcher. Ralph turned around and drove home.

We make our way back to the farm for a picnic lunch under the shade of the trees. We just naturally form a great big circle, laughing and sharing stories. Someone remarks on all of the many projects that Ralph is involved in — the Envirothon for high school students, scouting, bird banding, wildflower groups — and wonders how he does it. "I like to go to bed early and wake up around four in the morning," says Ralph. What's early? "Oh, anytime after midnight."

After lunch, it's time for the highlight of any Bell's Farm outing: heading up on the hill to check the kestrel nest boxes. Most of the group wanders through the field while Ralph fires up the ancient Willys Jeep. The old truck is a utilitarian beauty that can still do her field runs just fine. As we gather around the nest box, which is easily 15 feet off the ground, someone wonders aloud who is going up the ladder to get the chicks. "Most likely Bill (Beatty)" is the consensus, but as we debate, Ralph calmly puts the ladder up, climbs up to the hole, and reaches inside. "Eggs," he exclaims. He is clearly disappointed that we are not going to see any chicks, but we are not. He descends, adult female in one hand, collection bucket in the other, ladder in neither, while his daughter admonishes him to please drop the bucket and hold on.

Ralph gently turns the kestrel over, and checks her leg. Apparently they are old friends — she's been banded before. After holding her up for some photo ops, he releases her, none the worse for the experience. Later, Ralph will look her band number up in his ledger. She was banded as an adult in 2002. Thumbing through his records, he points out another one, "That's an interesting story. Banded May 20, 1999, found in Orlando, Florida, October 17, 1999."

The Allegheny Front Migration Observatory, founded by Bell in the early 1950s, banded its 200,000th bird in September, 2004 — a Black-throated Blue Warbler — and Ralph was there to do the honors. Watching him handle his umpteenth kestrel feels like no less an event to those present. Turning to go, I wonder at the many people, young and old, that Ralph has shared his experience with over the years. Next year, when someone asks me why I go on the Bell's Farm outing, I may just turn to them and say, "Didja get that one, kid? Acadian Flycatcher, you'll know that one."

"Spring Is Here" — by Paul Beck

On a cool, cloudy morning, May 17, 2014, my brother Joe and I arrived at the Ralph K Bell farm. At the bottom of Ralph's driveway, a single goldfinch passed from tree to shrub in front of us as if to welcome us to this golden birding area.

After riding up the drive, we were greeted immediately by longtime naturalist and Bell's farm regular, Bill Beatty, who gave us the disappointing news that Ralph was not feeling well and would not be able to make the walk. Even a couple of weeks previous, Ralph had mowed his own lawn at over 99 years of age. We were also greeted by Ralph's grandson, Christian David, also known as "CD," who stepped in to fill in for his legendary grandfather and lead us on our birding excursion.

The Purple Martins were remarkable sights with their free-spirit diving and incessant chitter-chattering. I spoke to one birder, among 70 or so people who made this year's pilgrimage to Ralph's farm, who was extremely excited to see his first Bobolink of the year on a fence post in the nearby hilly field.

Before the official walk, my brother Joe and I had the opportunity to make a short visit with Ralph in his house. Although gladdened to see us, he was obviously tired. Despite his illness, I noticed immediately that Ralph was as mentally sharp as ever, and his interest in birding and story-telling as sound as ever. I told him about the goldfinch that I had seen, and he said, "Mark it down." Later, I told him that I would miss him on the walk, but I would carry with me my "cheat sheet" of bird song mnemonics, a useful sound guide that I had accumulated from many an outing at the farm. Ralph said, "Do you know the sound of a Mockingbird?" I said that I didn't have that one on my list. He smiled as he said, "Spring is here."

By this time, we had fallen back behind the already advancing birding group, who had already started down the drive and road; however, we heard many bird sounds that permeated the area, including the sound of a Yellow Warbler, Rufous-Sided Towhee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Acadian Flycatcher. Birds seemed to be everywhere, including the frequently sighted bluebird.

Meeting us on the road, Rich Carlson arrived at the back of the birding group with his son Jeremy, bringing with them an amazing bird story. As they started walking down the road from Ralph's farm, Jeremy was hit in the chest by a flying Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We speculated that the hummingbird was attracted to his red t-shirt. Both hummingbird and Jeremy survived this close encounter of the bird kind.

As anyone who has had the opportunity to experience the Bell's Farm walk, the people who participate are just as interesting as the birds. I ran into longtime birders, Helen and Lee Jay Graffious, along with their "birding dog," a beautiful blue English Setter. Lee Jay was the official recorder on the day’s walk, and he looked the part, sporting a hat that read, "Zee Zee Zoo Zee," a mnemonic for the Black-throated Green Warbler. "Listen," Lee Jay said, "Hear the sound '3-8.' That's a Yellow-throated Vireo." At the same time, overhead, all the participants were excited to observe a raven being mobbed by a couple of crows.

I must confess that birding took a back seat for a moment for me, as I had the opportunity to spend time with Ralph's son, David Bell. David's love for plants is as infectious as Ralph’s love of birding. For a long stretch of the road, Bill Beatty, David, and I explored the variety and beauty of the unusual area plants. To help with identification, David carried with him the "Plants of Pennsylvania Atlas." Having Bill with us on the road was like having a second atlas. He displayed in his hands the tiny green flowers of a plant called Common Black Snake Root (Sanicula odorata). He also pointed out Virginia Waterleaf, Dwarf Larkspur, Canadian Waterleaf, Akebia, and the rare, Few-flowered Valerian, as well as many other interesting plants.

Near the old stone house, birders spotted a Blackpoll Warbler and heard a Black-billed Cuckoo. As we neared, the old Massillon Iron Bridge, we could hear the sound of water rushing; Ten Mile Creek was flowing high and fast. Several birders caught a glimpse of a Northern Rough-Winged Swallow, although the water in the railroad culvert was too high to explore one of the swallow's frequent nesting spots. Surprising many was the sighting from the bridge of a lone Rock Pigeon.

A strange noise was heard in the area, and everyone was surprised to see a man using a metal detector to search for coins.

On the way up the long hill back to the farm, Larry Helgerman set up his scope to give everyone present a great view of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak as it sat on its nest. Near the top of the hill, David Bell spotted a female Orchard Oriole singing cheerfully in a small tree. By the time I arrived back at Ralph's farm, hungry birders were already gathered in a circle in the sun enjoying their lunches in their lawn chairs, trying to stay warm in the cool breeze. This is the only outing that I remember everyone seeking the sun and not the shade of the large Tuliptree in the yard. Many people and several small dogs enjoyed watermelon, as Lee Jay made a survey of what was seen and compiled a still-growing list of 72 species. In conversation with other birders, I heard that Ralph was very interested in seeing the list. As folks gradually started to leave, a Great Blue Heron flew overhead, highlighting in blue the end of another Bell's Farm Outing, a gift that Ralph had given us for many years.

Several days later, I heard the sad news that Ralph had passed away on the following Tuesday, May 20. I think he was determined to live long enough to see one more bird outing. For many years, Ralph would write to me that he would have another outing if he was still alive on the following May. The outings gave him a chance to share his passion for birds, especially the great variety that live in his area of Greene County.

His legacy will live on in those he inspired and in the joy of nature that he shared, a tradition that his family plans to continue. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a student of his vast knowledge of birds, generosity, and overall love of life. In retrospect, I will most miss the humor of our famous birding friend, who kept us laughing and birding at the same time. All who had time to partake of his talents will think of him with gratitude, especially when "Spring is here" again.

Marjorie Howard, President of the Ralph K. Bell Birding Club: Greene County lost a good man who was a teacher, mentor, conservationist, citizen scientist, local ornithologist and a dear friend. Ralph enjoyed teaching others about nature but especially about the birds. I had the pleasure of birding with him many times including at Enlow Fork, at his annual farm walk, and at Dolly Sods. He had a way of making the walk interesting by telling a story or a joke. He now is flying with the birds he loved.

Carol and Fred McCullough, President and Trustee, respectively, of the Brooks Bird Club: Meeting Ralph Bell was a life changing event for us. We heard bird banding occurred at Dolly Sods in the fall so we went there in the fall of 1969. Ralph was banding and short-handed and that was the beginning of us spending a significant portion of each fall there.

Ralph was very generous and patient in teaching us about birds. He was also a meticulous record keeper and filled voluminous ledgers with bird observations on and around his farm. He was a friend of Chan Robbins and assisted Chan in developing the protocol for conducting Breeding Bird Surveys. This is just a small sampling of his talents. We are very fortunate to have worked with this remarkable man.

Larry Helgerman, Trustee of the Brooks Bird Club: "It sure is nice to know famous people." This is what Ralph would say to me (and many others) when I would see him as he would reach out to shake my hand. Funny thing is, Ralph K. Bell was the famous man, though you would never hear that from him. Ralph was one of the most modest gentlemen I ever knew.

Ralph passed the other day, at 99 years young. I say young because Ralph never seemed old to me, always light hearted, good spirited and loved to tell a joke. Still very active until just last year, he led the 2013 Enlow Fork spring outing, walking to the bridge pointing out all the birds he heard (and he heard them all) to the crowd of people who would always come down to the event knowing Ralph would be there.

Speaking of events, the Bell Farm outings were famous in southwestern Pennsylvania, spanning close to a half-century. I remember Ralph in his early nineties climbing up his old wooden ladder to reach the Kestrel box that was mounted high on a pole in his field. Then handing down chicks to be banded!

Ralph banded well over one hundred thousand birds; he was the founder of Allegheny Front Bird Observatory on Dolly Sods in West Virginia, the longest continuous banding station in the U.S. Yes, Ralph was the famous person… I know he’s looking down on us.

I'm sure he's in good company with other past birders. He's probably teaching Wilson or Audubon to bird by ear.

Ralph was known by and admired by many people. He wore many hats over his years, as they used to say in the old days, some folks knew him as farmer Bell, but I knew him as a birder and my friend. I’m not sure how long I knew Ralph, but I'll guess it was around 20 years. It's hard to put into words sometimes all the things you feel about a friend. One thing I can say for sure is that I will miss him.

Bob Leberman, Bird Bander Emeritus at Powdermill Nature Reserve: I have known Ralph as a friend since the late 1950s. For several decades he was a beloved fixture at the annual Eastern Bird Banding Association meetings, where he was appreciated for his sense of humor, dislike of cowbirds, and folksy ways. And he was, of course, the star of the Allegheny Front banding station in West Virginia. He certainly will be missed.