Kenneth Charles Vail

Kenneth Charles Vail

12 May 1948 – 30 January 2020

Nels Thompson

Snowy Owl “finder,” Ken Vail, died Thurs-

day, 30 January 2020, of acute liver failure.

He was 71.

Kenneth Charles Vail was born in Princeton,

IL on May 12, 1948 to Roger Ervin and Eliza-

beth Marie (Linke) Vail. He served in the U.S.

Navy as a Radarman E5 from 1968 to 1972.

After his honorable discharge, he attended

Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL,

earning a Bachelor’s degree in biology. He later

worked on his Master’s, focusing on behavioral

patterns of certain warblers.

Ken was an enthusiastic birder, and he was

rarely seen without his binoculars. Although

some of his adult life was spent in Quincy, IL,

he called Owatonna, Minnesota his home. He

also lived for a while in Dodge County, Min-

nesota, and it was in Dodge County (though

he worked in Owatonna) that he discovered

the “mother lode” of Snowy Owls back in the

20-teens. During this time, his tireless observa-

tions of these Snowys were often posted to the

MOU, including maps and photos. One morn-

ing he reported seeing 17 in a single area that

was little more than six square miles! During

this influx of owls, Ken taught himself to take

“digi-scope” photographs, combining the use of

his cell phone’s camera with his spotting scope.

Many of these photos were excellent, includ-

ing one which captured a Snowy Owl eating

a Blue-winged Teal. But Ken didn’t limit his

birding to just owls; he once discovered a Surf

Scoter on Rice Lake in Rice Lake State Park. No

matter what bird he found, Ken loved sharing

his knowledge and findings with anyone who

would listen.

Ken is survived by two daughters, Amanda

of the Seattle area, and Kristin in Phoenix. In

his retirement he was living with his long time

friend Pat Drake in Carbondale, IL. He loved

the Carbondale area as it has an abundance of

birds, snakes, lizards, and all the other wildlife

he was so fond of.

Ken and Pat wintered on South Padre Is-

land, birding not only the island itself, but the

surrounding area as well. It was on South Padre

Island that Ken took ill. After stays in two hos-

pitals, he was transferred to Vanderbuilt Medi-

cal Center in Nashville where he died waiting

for a liver transplant, with Pat, his daughters,

and other loved ones by his side.

A private interment was held in Princeton,

IL on 1 May 2020, and a celebration of his life

was held the following day. Memorials may be

sent to the MOU, or the Nature Conservancy of

either Minnesota or Illinois.

— Owatonna, MN.

Fall 2020

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