The first time we met Jeff Parks was at Baseline Reservoir. We saw a bicycle leaned up against a guardrail and a man crawling on his hands and knees through the weeds. He saw us with our scopes and waved us over. Uuuhh. We didn't know who he was or exactly what he was doing. We cautiously moved towards him and he pointed. There it was. A Common Loon twenty feet off shore. It wailed.
After crouching in the weeds with him for what seemed an eternity, we said that we were heading over to Sombrero March. Jeff said, "I'll meet you there." He hopped on his bicycle and off he went. When we pulled in to Sombrero, Jeff arrived moments later, with less CO2 emissions. We instantaneously friends.
Over the next few years, we would see him at Walden Ponds, Sombrero Marsh and Baseline Reservoir. It was a running joke as to who could get the Lewis's Woodpeckers and Burrowing Owls before Christian Nunes (they are his birds after all!)
Jeff was always kind. Always helpful. He loved sharing his knowledge. The last encounter with Jeff Parks was at the CU Campus chasing some sort of rarity. Luke Pheneger had called and wanted to go on an adventure. We arrived and there was Jeff Parks looking at the tail of a bird through, yes you guessed it, weeds. Within moments, everyone was crawling through the scrub thicket trying to find the source of the tail. Kindred spirits getting dirty, punctured with thorns, and endlessly discussing the finer points of birding. It was a Hermit Thrush.
When Christian offered Jeff the chance to monitor one of the Peregrine Falcon nests, Jeff jumped at the opportunity of lifetime. Jeff was an incredible man and he died doing what he loved best. We will miss him tremendously.
Maikel & Susan Wise
Longmont, Colorado
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