I'm still here, just...not updating as much.

Last week the founder of the scrub-jay project passed away following a hernia operation. He was a giant among ornithologists, renowned for his decades-long work on cooperative breeding biology. I keep thinking this news should be affecting me more�I mean, he's the reason I'm here at all�but I'm typing this entry outside his office, replete with books and papers and mail still waiting for him, and I don't feel weird about it. Then again, I just peeked in and looked at his photo from a faded bird meeting picture. It is dated 1958, and his face is smooth and solemn.

Since he was no longer involved with fieldwork, I hardly ever interacted with him except to say hi in passing and answer occasional questions he threw my way. And to be honest, the few memories I have of him are of a cranky old guy who was not very receptive to change. That trait is understandable, given that anyone who started a project 38(!) years ago would probably be reluctant to see it tweaked, but after more than one conversation with him I came away thinking that he was being deliberately peevish. Maybe he just looks at students a quarter of his age and shakes his head at how green we are. (I would.) Or he just wasn't feeling well the entire time I was here. Either way, I know I acted pretty juvenile by not bothering to see past his gruffness and tap into his knowledge.

Fortunately those who have known him MUCH longer gave me the chance to revise my ill-formed opinion of him. The lab head, who was one of his students, took us out to lunch the following day. Along with the librarian, who's been here for 35 years and was also one of his students, he treated the interns and RAs to stories upon stories of Glen the student, the scholar, the teacher, the sportsman. They were the sort of anecdotes that helped us realize what a superior academic and person he was. We laughed at his quirks, his stubbornness now receding to an endearing idiosyncrasy, and I felt disproportionately privileged to be sitting there listening in.

There will be more stories at the 2007 bird meeting this August from the many researchers who collaborated with him. Until then, I have six weeks left at the station to finish my project. His name will be on so many papers I cite, and I already know all of us interns will be giving him special thanks on our Acknowledgments slides. I suppose it will be my small way of saying I knew him when he was alive.