Amateur Naturalist Allen E. Rhodes

Forrest M. Mims III

Allen E. Rhodes is a retired US Army officer who lives near my place in South Texas. He is a sharp-eyed amateur naturalist and a regular contributor to The Citizen Scientist. This issue of TCS includes an article by Allen about his observations of several species outside their previously reported ranges.

Last week Allen sent an e-mail that provided detailed instructions on where a nesting pair of invasive Eurasian collared doves could be seen. "If you want to see one," Allen wrote, "there is a pair nesting in a small oak tree in front of the IHOP restaurant. It is the single tree to the south end of the line of shrubbery parallel to the highway." He continued, "One of the pair is usually perched on the utility line that runs overhead. Look for the dark "collar" on the top/back of the neck--very distinctive and easy to identify field mark."

Allen's e-mail caught my attention, because I have never seen a Eurasian collared dove, and I was intrigued by his multiple sightings. So the next time I was near the IHOP restaurant, I parked near the tree at the south end of the shrubbery and went for a look. No doves or any other birds were visible, so I walked under the low branches and looked up into the branches. There were at three birds nests in the branches, but they all appeared to be old.

Allen is a reliable observer, so I decided to look elsewhere. That's when I spotted the trees near the highway just as described in Allen's e-mail. Two large doves were perched on the power line above the southernmost tree.

When I walked over for a closer look, the doves kept a close eye on me. These doves were clearly different from the white wing doves that are common here. When they looked down in my direction, they seemed to have longer necks than white wing doves. That's when I noticed a black collar across the top sides of their necks.

Later when I told Allen that the doves were exactly where he said they would be, I asked him how he became so interested in the natural world. Here is his reply:

"My interest dates back to childhood, but I can't put a finger on what first piqued my interest in the natural world. However, for as long as I can remember I have had that interest. I majored in biology (BS from Arkansas State University in 1969) but have not worked in the science field at all. The degree was simply the vehicle that began my military career as a commissioned officer through the ROTC program. Prior to graduation I had thoughts of going on to graduate school, and had considered Oklahoma State University and their wildlife management program based on a recommendation from one of my professors. However, that didn't happen and I entered the Army instead.

"My first assignment was Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where one of my classmates was a "naturalist." It was fascinating hearing him describe the many animals and plants we encountered at Camp Bullis during the officer basic course training, and I guess some of his enthusiasm rubbed off on me. It has grown over the years."

This space has described many citizen scientists who have made a wide variety of contributions. Allen E. Rhodes is among those who demonstrate how a careful observer can study the natural world and make new discoveries while equipped only with some field guides, a camera and a pair of very sharp eyes.