Photographs and Artwork

From the very start, the editors sought to bring together something more compelling and vital than a dry collection of records and analyses. Beyond any impetus to contribute to the scientific record, we wanted to document and celebrate the California birding scene as it has unfolded over the past four decades. Readers will find the purest expression of this intention in the artwork that accompanies nearly every species account. Tracking down and preparing these images, and then compiling them in a single volume, was for those intimately involved perhaps the most joyous aspect of this project. The process started with Larry Sansone (assisted by Hamilton and Erickson) reviewing all of the images in the CBRC’s archives and selecting the sharpest for further consideration. We then called upon photographers and artists from all over the state, and some from across the country, to submit additional photos and sketches of birds that have appeared on the CBRC review list, so long as the images were obtained in California. Had our requests fallen on deaf ears, the highest goals of this project would not have been met. To the contrary, however, all but a single person we contacted were ready to contribute what they could. The variety and the overall quality of the photographs and artwork—pulled together through the talent, effort, and generosity of so many people—exceed the highest expectations we brought to this project.

In making final selections the editors gave extra consideration to unpublished and/or historical images, and to the goal of including a wide range of contributors, although the desire to publish the highest-quality images and the most interesting compositions often won out over such philosophical ideals. We scanned a great many slides (Sansone and Peter LaTourrette) and prints (Hamilton). Pamela Sansone was a great help in this process. The resulting image files were then prepared for publication by LaTourrette (color plates in the book’s main section) and Hamilton (all black-and-white images plus the color in Appendix H).

The following individuals—with web sites listed for the photographers and artists known to maintain formatted public sites—contributed images to this project: Stephen F. Bailey, Alan D. Barron, David Beadle, Louis R. Bevier, Andrew Birch (http://surfbirds.com), Mike Bowles, Bill Boyce, Ronald L. Branson, Greg Brinkley, Adam Brown, George K. Bryce, Les Chibana, Herbert Clarke, Luke W. Cole, Nancy T. Conzett, Robert Copper, Chris Corben, Don Cunningham, Mike Danzenbaker (http://avesphoto.com), Don DesJardin (http://camacdonald.com/birding/DesJardin/index.htm), Pierre Devillers, Donna L. Dittmann, Jon L. Dunn, Todd Easterla, Ray Ekstrom, Loretta Erickson (http://amazornia.us), Shawneen E. Finnegan, Wes Fritz, Joe Fuhrman, David Furseth, Peter A. Gaede, James R. Gallagher, Kimball L. Garrett, Albert Ghiorso, Ed Greaves, James M. Greaves (http://mysite.verizon.net/res1u8vm), Richard A. Hallowell, Robert A. Hamilton, Keith Hansen, Ned Harris, Scott Hein (http://heinphoto.com), Matthew T. Heindel, Mitch Heindel, Tom and Jo Heindel, Phil Henderson, Wes Hetrick, Bill Hill (http://fp2k.redshift.com/billhill), Brad K. Hines, Alan S. Hopkins, Arthur L. Howe, Steve N. G. Howell, Michael Hughes, Marshall J. Iliff, Alvaro Jaramillo, Richard G. Jeffers, Alden Johnson, Lars Jonsson, Ronald M. Jurek, Peter L. Knapp, Kenneth Z. Kurland, Daniel Lane, Jeri M. Langham, Peter LaTourrette (http://birdphotography.com), Rick LeBoudour, Paul E. Lehman, Ron LeValley, Kelli Levinson, James D. Lomax, Tim Manolis, Matthew Matthiessen, Sean McAllister, Guy McCaskie, Mac McCormick, Tristan (Bert) McKee, Kevin McKereghan, Dave Menke, Martin Meyers, Grace M. Miller, Joseph Morlan, Vic Murayama (http://vtm.smugmug.com), David Nelson, Kristie N. Nelson, Charles Newell, Rod Norden, John O’Brien, Cornelia Oedekoven (Protected Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla; http://swfsc.noaa.gov), Jerry Oldenettel, Michael A. Patten, Robert T. Patton, Mike Peters, Erik W. Preston, Robin Pulich, Peter Pyle, Don Roberson, Henry Robert, Michael M. Rogers, Matt Sadowski, Ronald M. Saldino, Ivan Samuels, Larry Sansone, Tim Schantz, John Schmitt, Brad Schram, David A. Sibley (http://sibleyguides.com), Arnold Small, Brian E. Small (http://briansmallphoto.com), Gregory P. Smith, Susan E. Smith, Brenda D. Smith-Patten, John Sorensen, Bruce Sorrie, Allen Spaulding, Kevin T. Spencer, Rich Stallcup, Bob Steele (http://bobsteelephoto.com), John C. Sterling, Roger Stone, Brian L. Sullivan, William J. Sydeman, Monte M. Taylor (http://tsuru-bird.net), Scott B. Terrill, Olivier Tostain, Lloyd Umberg, Bill Van Schaick, Brett Walker, William F. Walker (http://wfwalkerphoto.com), Sophie Webb (http://oikonos.org), Richard E. Webster, John C. Wilson, Alan Wormington, and Sue Yee. Brian E. Small graciously provided photos from the collection of the late Arnold Small, his father.

The Committee welcomes photo and art submissions documenting the occurrence in California of any species it reviews. Please transmit such images to the secretary of the Committee, whose physical and e-mail addresses are given at http://wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc.