Jim Wright (www.celeryfarm.net) is the author of The Real James Bond, (www.realjamesbond.net), the story of the ornithologist/author who was the victim of the greatest identity theft in history. Although Bond, who wrote the landmark Birds of the West Indies in 1936, is now mostly a footnote for 007 fans, he lived a life of great accomplishment.
Jim’s illustrated talk covered Bond’s life and career, with special mention of ornithologists who were spies, most notably the American Museum of Natural History’s James Chapin. Jim also talked about three Bond specimens in the AMNH collection: Saint Lucia Black Finch, La Selle Thrush, and Bahama Nuthatch (now feared extinct).
After the presentation, Caribbean ornithologist Dr. Joseph Wunderle joined Jim to discuss Bond, current conservation efforts in the West Indies, and more. Not only did Joe know Bond, but he once met Sean Connery in the Bahamas and was suspected of spying in Grenada in 1983.
Jim Wright has written large-format books about the New Jersey Meadowlands, Hawk Mountain, and Central America’s Selva Maya. He is the long-time birding columnist for The Record in Northern NJ.
Dr. Joseph Wunderle is on the board of BirdsCaribbean, a regional non-profit dedicated to the conservation of Caribbean birds and their habitats, and is the editor of BirdsCaribbean’s journal, the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. He has researched birds in the West Indies for four decades.