Bob Cossins (Robert R Cossins, 1940-2021)

February 20, 1940 – February 22, 2021
Burlingame, CA

Bob passed away in early 2021, following a long struggle with Prostate Cancer. At his passing his wife, Sue, was at his bedside.

Bob was born in Lodi, California to Roy Cossins and Marjorie Cossins. He lived a short time in Lodi and Stockton before moving to the outskirts of Byron, a small delta town. He attended Byron Elementary School and graduated from Liberty Union High in Brentwood. He attended Stockton College for 2 years before moving to the Bay Area where he took a surveying position with the City of San Mateo in 1960 as an Engineering Aide Trainee. He spent his entire working career of 38 ½ years with the City, running the Survey Division for the last 30 of those years. After retiring, he started a small photography business along with participating in Millbrae Camera Club. Bob and Sue, married 29 years, loved traveling. Photography and birding took them to over 11 countries and many states here at home. Between 2009 and 2016, Bob and Sue gave numerous Sequoia Audubon presentations to Sequoia meetings. These included trips to the Galapagos, Chile, Panama, Machu Pichu, India, and Madagascar; all featured Bob's remarkable photo-documentation and wry sense of humor.

Bob was preceded in death by his first wife, Charlotte in 1990 and their son, Jeff, in 2018. He is survived by his loving wife, Sue, stepson Dan Dower, daughter-in-law, Harriet, stepdaughter Coleen Stamper, son-in-law, Chris, daughter-in-law, Mindy Cossins, and the light of his life, his grandchildren, Megan and Connor.

Bob's life contained many struggles, but as he told Sue – "I looked back and wouldn't change anything. I'm well satisfied with my life". On the back of his business card is an image entitled "Look Beyond the Gray Days". Don't read this as Bob being an optimist, he was a realist. The message was meant for other people.

If you care to make a donation in his memory please consider the Millbrae Camera Club. Bob was an active member and made many wonderful friends during his years of membership.

Checks can be made payable to Millbrae Camera Club and mailed to: Treasurer, Jared J. Hein, 25 Citrus Court, Hillsborough, CA 94010-6569

Here are three favorite photos Bob took in India in 2012:

Bob Ulvang

(March 5, 1944 - September 7, 2020)

Bob Ulvang

??Bob Ulvang (March 5, 1944 - September 7, 2020) was a long-time member of Sequoia Audubon Society, a regular participant in the Christmas Bird Counts, and a faithful presence at monthly meetings. Originally from northern Minnesota, Bob started birding in the third grade and became the youngest member of the Duluth Audubon Society. He participated for many years in the Duluth Hawk Count. An all-around outdoorsman, Bob led sailing courses and was also a skier, backpacker and rock climber. His international experience started as soon as he completed college, when he established the East African Outward Bound School as a Peace Corps Assignment. He worked for the US Outward Bound program for twenty years before becoming a clinical social worker. He and his wife Renna travelled the world as birders; his last major birding trip was to see the Cassia Crossbill in Idaho. He loved Mono Lake; donations in his memory can be made to the Mono Lake Committee.

Bob Ulvang with his wife Renna

Robin Winslow Smith (1934-2011)

          Robin Smith

By Leslie Flint

Robin Winslow Smith was an active member of Sequoia Audubon for 20+ years. She was Chair of the Education Committee from 1991-1997; Chair of the Conservation Committee from 2002-2005 and member of the committee for many more years; Christmas Bird Count coordinator from 1996 – 2005, and President of Sequoia Audubon from 1999 – 2002.

She fought many a battle with (primarily) Redwood City over bayside conservation issues involving one development project after another. She worked tirelessly for habitat protection, including the conservation of Bair Island and the protection of Bedwell-Bayfront Park as open space.

Robin was born in San Francisco and raised in Saratoga and Palo Alto, attended Palo Alto High School and graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. She married Gordon Dean Smith, Jr. in 1956 and had four children, Mallory, Colin, Evan, and Alison. As her children grew, she received a M.A. from San Jose State and then taught special education for 20 years, primarily in the Fremont United School District.

Robin was an avid traveler – she visited all 50 states – standing on her head when she crossed a new state line! She drove up the Alaska Highway before it was paved. She explored all seven continents including trekking to Mt. Everest, traveling by train from Lake Baikal to Mongolia, going on safari in Africa, and weathering Antarctica. She loved the outdoors and hiking, camping, backpacking, sailing, and skiing were a big part of her life.

Robin died at home surrounded by her family, on June 15, just three days after her 77th birthday. Her sharp wit, sense of humor and friendship will certainly be missed.

If you wish to celebrate Robin through a charitable contribution, the family suggests you choose a local environmental organization such as Sequoia Audubon, Save the Bay, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, or the Mono Lake Committee.

Barry Sauppe (1947-2018), Birding Pioneer

Barry Sauppe, "Mr. Pigeon Point"

Barry Sauppe was a legendary birder who passed away in January. He moved out of San Mateo county in 2001, but his positive impact on birding here remains. A full obituary ran in the Eureka Times-Standard and can be found on their website. A few local birders shared some memories of Barry.

Alvaro Jamarillo: "When I moved into the county, one of the very active birders here was Barry Sauppe. He was famous as the birder who discovered a Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Vancouver (still a near mythical record), and the birder who found the Smew at Leo Ryan Park. That was before my time here, but I always look over to the lake when I drive by. Just in case. He also was one of the first seawatchers in the state, and made Pigeon Point the hot spot we know it as today."

Roy Carlson: "So many stories; so much learned. One of the first times I heard his name, it was about a Sequoia Audubon meeting in the early 1970s where he talked of hearing Black Rails in (I think) Belmont Slough. The older members told him that there weren't any Black Rails there. The next meeting, Barry showed up with a box, opened it, and showed the Black Rail, which he then returned to the Slough. This story may be apocryphal, but I'm sure Al DeMartini and Peter Metropulos would know.

"The first birding trip I took with him was to Death Valley and other SoCal stops, with Peter, on Memorial Day weekend in 1976. It was hotter than Billy Blue Blazes' pitchfork that weekend, so we birded at dawn and dusk, and napped or drank beer between times. I learned so much about HOW to bird from those younger guys on that trip. In October of that year, the three of us went to New Hogan Reservoir to see the Blue-footed Booby - an amazing inland record.

"The last time I saw Barry was at the beach beyond Maverick's parking at Pillar Point Harbor in April, 2000. He was standing behind his scope with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other - practicing the patented Sauppe method of birding, waiting for the birds to come to him. And they did. He was one of a kind."

Ron Thorn: "I met Barry Sauppe in the early eighties at the Christmas Birds Counts. Being the compiler, Barry had a high standard for getting everyone on the Crystal Springs CBC to reach the goal of being one of the highest counts in the country. The high counts came with Barry getting participants to scout and stake out birds beforehand.

"When I heard of Barry finding a Smew in Foster City, I said what the heck is a Smew? I had one book with an illustration of a Smew. Wow, what a cool looking bird and I raced out to Foster City to see it.

"I was told of Barry's reputation as a dedicated seawatcher. He was Mr. Pigeon Point and will always hold the title. Barry put in over 10,000 hours of seawatching from Pigeon Point. There were rarities such as Yellow-billed Loon, Laysan Albatross, Mottled Petrel, Little Gull and Black-headed Gull. On one of his spring seawatches, there was a gale force wind strong enough to blow out windows at the lighthouse. Black-footed Albatrosses were at the rock near the lighthouse. Sabine's Gulls, Common and Arctic Terns were blown in, flying across the field between the lighthouse and Highway 1.

"I wanted to learn about seawatching, but I did not know if Barry wanted a rookie to hang out with him. He did not mind my company at all. I had heck of a time identifying birds on the ocean. Over time, he became a mentor to me. Without Barry and even Peter I would have never become the seawatcher I am today.

"Barry told me about looking for weed birds. He said the percentage of finding rarities in weed patches would be low compared to riparian. I followed what he said and found rarities. The Dusky Warbler in the fall of 2016 in South San Francisco was in a weed patch. Thank you for that one Barry!

"There are many stories to tell. One time in mid-winter, Barry stopped at the nursery pond along Cloverdale Road. He saw a Merlin struggling in the water. He stripped down to his shorts, jumped in the water, and swam out to the Merlin, bringing it back to shore. The Merlin promptly flew off. Barry was happy with the outcome, even though he was freezing his buns off.

"Barry and Peter were owling one night. Barry played a recording of Northern Saw-whet Owl. One responded by landing on his head. Barry's head was bleeding from the talons. Barry was freaking out and running around yelling at Peter to help. Eventually the owl flew off. The next time Barry went owling he wore a football helmet. The sheriffs came by and stopped the car. They stared at Barry, shook their heads and drove off.

"I will be returning to Pigeon Point with spring migration beginning. When I see the migrating birds I will joyfully thank Barry, as I know his spirit will be there to hear me."

Photo by Donna Pomeroy

Rick Baird (Richard Bruce Baird, 1937-2017)

Rick Baird was president of Sequoia Audubon Society from 1982 to 1985. It was during his tenure that Sequoia Audubon published the first edition of its site guide, San Francisco Peninsula Birdwatching (1984), which serves now as the foundation of our online site guide. His volunteer work with Audubon Canyon Ranch was another strength he brought to the chapter, combining birding with conservation. As president, he set clear goals, helped in Sequoia's work at Pescadero, and advanced the mission of our chapter. These characteristic interests are all present in his final editorial as president in the Sequoia Needles newsletter in June 1985, reproduced below.

See a full obituary here: https://sites.google.com/view/richardbrucebaird