Sadly I report that Mike Milton passed away this past weekend, Oct 24
2004.   He was with his companion, Judy Schaefer, at their new second
home in Buena Vista Colorado.  The apparent cause was a heart attack
and he died in his sleep.

Many of you who did not know him personally, may have seen his black
Celica Convertible in many of the region's birding hot spots with
"Motmot" on his DC plates, reflective of his very large world life list.

Over the many years I have known him, I can remember perhaps twice he
said  he couldn't go birding on the basis of an impulsive phone call,
and that was when some professional matter demanded his attention (he
was a lawyer for a prestigious DC firm).
The many who did know him was in his role as the compiler for the C&O
Canal Midwinter bird count, sponsored by the DC Audubon chapter of which
he was a charter member and long time officer.  The C&O  Canal is 184
miles long and this event, started in 1999 with teams covering 2-3 miles
each, is perhaps the longest bird count anywhere.   See:
http://www.dcaudubon.org/ and   http://www.dcaudubon.org/canal.shtml


Being the 3rd weekend in January, this count has usually been hampered
by bad weather, yet in 2002 178 of the 184 miles were covered!

If you would like to send a note of condolence to Judy Schaefer, the
address is:
 2400 41 St NW #314
WASHINGTON, DC 20007

We will all miss him greatly.

Peter Vankevich
Washington, DC