Ring-Billed Gull
(Based on Viola Washburn, Santa Cruz Bird Club (1956-1981)
The Santa Cruz Bird Club was founded in 1956. The first meeting was organized by Elaine Reinelt on January 13rd of that year. It was held at the Santa Cruz library. Eighty-nine people attended the first meeting and eighty-two joined and paid dues.
Elaine Reinelt was interested in birds from the time she was a child and gradually she came in contact with other people who shared her interest. Nonetheless, she was quite surprised by the turnout for the Bird Club's first meeting. Dues were set at $1.50 Individual per year; $2 Family. In 1981 they were $4 Individual and $6 Family.
Early pelagic trips were taken with Malio Stagnaro's ocean-going fishing boats. The boats went twelve miles out to the rock-cod fishing grounds.
The summer picnic and the Christmas Bird Count have been traditional activities of the Bird Club.
The Bird Club's newsletter, The Albatross, was first sent out in blue mimeograph in the fall of 1956. Here is a sample of some bird reports from old copies of The Albatross.
An early Bird Club outing. Note the few pairs of binoculars--times have changed.
Among the historian's files, I also found an interesting report from The Audubon Magazine of February 1887 entitled, "Man the Destroyer."