The Jan and Stuart Mitchell Book and Magazine Collection

For Sale Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Center at Glastonbury’s Tag Sale

1361 Main St., Glastonbury

This collection of books and magazines was donated to the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Glastonbury by the children of Jan and Stuart Mitchell to support our fundraising goals. Many of the books have personalized book plates and a few have signatures by the various authors. Many of the magazines would be difficult to purchase in the volumes and quantity represented by this offering.

Jan and Stuart were active raptor rehabilitators for over 30 years and resided in Portland, Ct., where they built a small complex of outdoor cages for the injured hawks and owls that they rehabilitated and cared for – “Raptor Hilton,” as it came to be known.

Jan was the area coordinator for the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the Christmas Bird Count and the winter eagle count. She co-authored a study with Stuart, The Time and Energy Budgets of Bald Eagles Along the Connecticut River. Jan was an early observer for the New England Hawk Migration study, following hawks in a motorized glider. Jan had many interests and loved to travel with her husband, especially in Canada.

Stuart and other birding enthusiasts started the Bald Eagle Study Group after the first eagle was spotted when it returned to Connecticut in 1975. He helped establish the Hawk Migration Association of North America (originally called the New England Hawk Watch) and would travel around the state to enlist help from other bird clubs to count hawks during their annual migration. Stuart was also president of the Hartford Audubon Society from 1973 to 1975.

Stuart died on January 21, 2011 at the age of 81 and Jan died on February 8, 2012, at the age of 79.

Jan and Stuart were inspiring teachers and mentors to many people who loved birds, especially raptors. Our own Kasha Breau first met Stuart over 25 years ago when she was rehabilitating songbirds and brought him a kestrel, and she soon acquired the licenses to handle raptors. The Mitchells’ legacy continues at the Center with the books that we have decided to keep for our reference library and with the hawks and owls we maintain for educational purposes.

A detailed list of the book and magazine titles is available here, and can be sent to you via e-mail or print in whatever format you desire.

To provide you with a general idea of the magazine collection, it includes copies of: Audubon Field Notes/American Birds, 1966-1978, Volumes 20-32; The Auk, 1966-1987, Volumes 83-104; The Connecticut Warbler, 1980-2012, Volumes 1-32; Inland Bird Banding News, 1978-1981, Volumes 50-53; Journal of Field Ornithology, 1977-1999, Volumes 48-70; Journal of Raptor Research, 1979-2003, Volumes 13-27. Missing issues, duplicates, supplements, and condition are noted in our details.