16 May 2021
This past week, our friend, Cleve Nash completed his life at age 79. He was a self-taught photographer and naturalist who donated so many of his very fine photographs to our Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch website here. Living in Cambria and Santa Margarita, he traveled to where the birds that he loved to photograph were, Shell Beach, Bob Jones Trail, Atascadero Lake, Santa Margarita Lake, etc. Some of his favorite birds were the White-tailed Kites at Isla Vista.
Morro Rock was a place he’d always come to see the peregrines court, nest and rear chicks over the years. We had expected him to show up as the chicks were ready to take their first steps onto the nest site ledge to show themselves off. It was his tradition. Bob and I use his photographs still because they’re the best!
He was a gracious and generous person who always had time to be with us. He had a great dry sense of humor. We cherish the twenty plus years we’ve known him. We’ll always hold him in our hearts.
Happy trails, Bob and Heather
Such sad news. Friends are such a treasure and it is
Painful to loose any of them. I have enjoyed Cleve’s photographs, especially the peregrine/eagle encounter.
I appreciate your caring eulogy for Cleve. I am so sad not to stand with my tripod next to his one more time. I always felt I was in the presence of a special and great man. Cleve was my teacher and my friend. 🙏 💕
Very sad news. I photographed many times with Cleve and it was always fun. He was generous with his information about where to find birds and animals to photograph. But my favorite memory is something he told me. When I mentioned that he was very patient to get the photographs he did, he said ‘I’m not patient; I’m stubborn.”
I first got to know Cleve through his SLO County bird photography. Long before we moved here, I would check in with him for suggestions on where to find the birds he was photographing.
Primarily an email relationship, we did cross paths a time or two. I owe so much of what I know about Central Coast birds because of Cleve’s photos. Grateful!