Stillman Nature Center

ROBERT CLAUSS: A REMEMBRANCE --Mark Spreyer Robert Clauss started at Stillman as a bird banding volunteer. Banding involves catching, measuring, marking, and releasing wild birds. Since Robert had experience at another banding location, I welcomed his help. Therein started a tradition where Robert and I talked as we sat at the picnic table by the pond waiting for birds to fly into nets or hop into traps. I imagine we talked for hundreds of hours. He had a marvelously dry sense of humor. It didn’t take long for Robert to spread his wings from migrant songbirds to our collection of disabled owls and hawks. He was quite adept at handling the raptors. It became something of a running joke that Robert, wearing his trademark red winter cap, was always getting his photo in the Herald holding the great horned owl. He also traveled in service to Stillman and our birds of prey. Our barn owl came from a facility in Vermont. They were willing to send it to us but we had to meet them part way; in Erie, Pennsylvania. Guess who made that drive? Robert also drove to Kentucky to retrieve a peregrine falcon from the Kentucky Raptor Center. The bird had a permanent disability and needed a home. It now keeps its eye on us here at Stillman. Robert and the peregrine soon became a team (see photo). He cleaned the falcon’s enclosure every week. Along the way, Robert became one of Stillman’s Board Members. The last time we saw Robert was holding the peregrine for Mother’s Day with Birds of Prey. He drove his classic red Alpha Romeo to Stillman that day. Less than a week later, he died in that car in a tragic auto accident. He was 71. Not a day goes by that Robert isn’t deeply missed here at the Nature Center. Farewell, compadre. The family asks that donations be made in his name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation (michaeljfox.org) or Stillman Nature Center (click here).