Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for August 11, 2016

The reporters from Birder’s World can be tenacious.

I can’t imagine a time when this kind of controversy would matter to political types…

Pity poor Lacie. She really is deeply moved, and missing him terribly right now. Or right then.

Big birder battles the past few years over “sightings” of Ivory Billed Woodpeckers in the SE USA and Cuba. So this could have happened.

One of the things I’ve long liked about Trudeau is that he always adds depth to his characters if they’re around more than just a few panels. BD, for instance, the anti-POV character, eventually showed ways in which he’s more admirable than Mike, the author’s surrogate. We got glimpses into the secret sorrows of politicians on both sides, of Mr. Slackmeyer, and others. Even some bit players, helmeted cops for example, will reveal some humanity in a brief aside..It’s like the secret of Soylent Green: It’s People!

Here’s the little guy who’s causing all the excitement:

Thank god for eccentrics. How dull the world would be where everyone was “normal.”

There’s no mistaking a Bachman’s distinctive coloring.. It’s so fitting that this is the last thing Lacie’s husband saw.

I had a friend who could identify species and male/female from hundreds of feet, when all I was seeing was a black dot against the sky. Gotta love niche enthusiasts. Crossword addicts, model railroad buffs, quilters, whoever… they make the world more interesting.