Preface to the Second Edition

When the first edition of this little county bird book appeared in 1993, I envisioned that I would issue printed copies of new editions of the work every decade or so.  Obviously, this electronic second edition of Birds of Putnam County, Tennessee is both a little tardy and a little different in mode of appearance than I originally intended, but I hope it will serve its purpose--to acquaint residents of, and visitors to, the county with the diverse and wonderful avifauna living around us--despite these changes in my plans.

Many are the persons who have assisted in the collection of data on which the substance of this book rests, and I want to thank them collectively for their assistance, some of which has extended over the entire two decades that I have lived and birded in Putnam County.  Without the dedication of these individuals and many who conducted field work in the county before my time (see "List of Observers" in the Clickable Table of Contents) the present edition of this work would be much less substantive than it is. Special thanks are due to Brian O. Whitworth for assistance in the production of the maps (Figures 1 and 2) that accompany this edition of the work.

To my wife and companion of thirty years, Barbara H. Stedman, the most thanks are due, because, without her continuing support and participation in data collection, my efforts to find and to document the birds of Putnam County would have been a less pleasant and much longer task.  Thanks Barb.

8 December 2006                                                                                                                           SJS