About Mary Beth Stowe

I just discovered that Mary Beth Stowe has a web site. And that she is an artist, music maker, photographer, and has a birding blog pertaining to her bird sightings and locations in San Diego and Texas.

I first and only met Mary Beth in San Diego on a Christmas bird count. She told me to meet her at a park, I am quite sure it was Cabrillo Heights Park, for the 1999-2000 bird count. When I arrived, she was with Ed Wallace. My opinion was that they were both advanced birders. Now it is years later, and I am sure that Mary Beth is more advanced as a birder. I am not, I have not advanced since then, in fact over many years, I really don’t go birding. Although I am in the sky every day, hawking.

The bird count was over and we were standing in  the lawn, when I popped the question: Have there been any sighting of Goshawks in San Diego? I think there was some hesitation, then Ed made a comment. He might have given a sir- name and a location. But this did not compute, because I was new to the area, and his reply was in the affirmative. I quipped: I will bet that went over big with the birding community. I also said: I have two more months to stay in San Diego and that should be enough time to find a Goshawk in San Diego. Mary Beth inserted: What makes you so sure you will find a Goshawk in San Diego? I replied: They follow me as I travel.

We started moseying toward the parking lot. A raptor was circling. I went running toward and to the edge of the black- top. The raptor was spiraling upward. Now Mary Beth and Ed were at my side, with the raptor still spiraling upward. Then the raptor leveled off and went cruising. The the hawk dropped down toward tree- top level and continued toward the zoo. The lapsed time of observation was at least one minute.

I called the hawk. I asked Mary Beth, she thought the hawk may have been a falcon. I asked Ed. He said the hawk was an accipiter. The raptor was Goshawk, was female, and was immature.

I do not wish to castigate. But Mary Beth is not a hawk watcher. Are you a friend of Mary Beth? Then your friend has observed a Goshawk. Is Ed Wallace your neighbor? Then your neighbor has observed a Goshawk.

Mary Beth is my missing link! Mary Beth is your missing link! However in this case, sadly, the link will remain missing. It is attenuated.

The thought: Alexandria Ocasio Cortez— my nick name for her. The Cisco Kid. And Montezuma’s Revenge. NB.