lewis20126
Well-known member
Welcome back Snowy.
I trust you're talking about those darned believers who keep releasing those comedy wind-up videos and associated material to us suffering skeptics? Perhaps not...
a
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker (formerly updates) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter KC Foggin
- Start date
Welcome back Snowy.
I trust you're talking about those darned believers who keep releasing those comedy wind-up videos and associated material to us suffering skeptics? Perhaps not...
a
Edward woodwood
Member
mmm...
too much ground to cover
too few 'competent' (boy, is that ever a joke!) searchers
standard excuses.
many of the key people involved are pedalling backwards faster than the tour-de-france on rewind and appear to have taken even more drugs than the average Lance Armstrong.
and just when you thought it was safe... Collins produces another gem.
too much ground to cover
too few 'competent' (boy, is that ever a joke!) searchers
standard excuses.
many of the key people involved are pedalling backwards faster than the tour-de-france on rewind and appear to have taken even more drugs than the average Lance Armstrong.
and just when you thought it was safe... Collins produces another gem.
The military is planning to turn the land between the Pearl and Mike's River into a live firing range. I have been away from the Pearl since July. As far as I know, machine gun bullets and mortars may already be flying in this high-quality and isolated habitat. Even without the extraordinary history of sightings, this would be an obvious area to search for ivorybills since there is a clustering of waterways and the transition between cypress-tupelo and hardwoods is just to the south.
Say what you like about Mike Collins, and some of you do, but his heart is patently in the right place as the above quote from fishcrow.com shows. He most obviously is in favour of expanding and saving the southern forests. Clearly, he wants to protect the environment.
He keeps repeating statements like the above about the destruction of good habitat (good for MANY species) but he gets precious little support.
And there is a steady growth in the need for Recovery Plans.
Say what you like about Mike Collins, and some of you do, but his heart is patently in the right place as the above quote from fishcrow.com shows. He most obviously is in favour of expanding and saving the southern forests. Clearly, he wants to protect the environment.
He keeps repeating statements like the above about the destruction of good habitat (good for MANY species) but he gets precious little support.
And there is a steady growth in the need for Recovery Plans.
del69
expat in BG
Wow this thread goes on for ever and will do untill a clean sweep off the suspected area(s) is covered.
And with 63,661 members and counting plan a trip to cover the suspected area's,a BF army if you like and put this one to bed.with there been so many off you im sure this could be done.
Not just with IBWP others too........think about 63.661 members?????.
I know not every one would go but im sure you would get a bloody good team together, MEET AND GREET AND GO BLOODY FIND IT OR NOT.
del.
And with 63,661 members and counting plan a trip to cover the suspected area's,a BF army if you like and put this one to bed.with there been so many off you im sure this could be done.
Not just with IBWP others too........think about 63.661 members?????.
I know not every one would go but im sure you would get a bloody good team together, MEET AND GREET AND GO BLOODY FIND IT OR NOT.
del.
Sidewinder
Well-known member
Can we go without being bloody? ;-)
del69
expat in BG
Aracari
This will end when all the trees are felled and only naked soil to be seen.
But what if, a lonely IBWP is seen sat on a tree stump in the middle of nowhere.
What would anger you most.
The trees felled
The lonely IBWP sat on a stump in the middle of nowhere
The group of twitcher s taking pictures of it.
This will end when all the trees are felled and only naked soil to be seen.
But what if, a lonely IBWP is seen sat on a tree stump in the middle of nowhere.
What would anger you most.
The trees felled
The lonely IBWP sat on a stump in the middle of nowhere
The group of twitcher s taking pictures of it.
lewis20126
Well-known member
Elvis sat on the stump seems more likely...
Russ Jones
Well-known member
Do you truly believe the odds are greater that Elvis is alive than they are that an ivory-billed woodpecker is alive? If you think so then you are a nutcase, if you don't could you please stop using this ridiculous comparison...
Cheers,
Russ
Imaginos
Well-known member
Jane Turner
Well-known member
.....as is the collective desire to believe that its possible.
Edward woodwood
Member
The odds are the same - if zero is an 'odd' of course...
although i suspect there are actually more sightings of Elvis
as for nutcases:
http://www.ibwo.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2957&postcount=699
Hill says Rolek went searching for the bird on a university expedition as part of a 'serious' study and he didn't know what it looked like. mmmm....
and those three Reconyx birds are Campephilus peckers in formation over the canopy.
sheesh...
Tim
djleahy
Well-known member
Bigfoot located!
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_114251.asp
I believe that the pictures will show an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker perched on the shoulder.
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_114251.asp
I believe that the pictures will show an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker perched on the shoulder.
pcoin
Well-known member
In "remote" area of New Mexico, or was that Arkansas?
But of course, Bigfoot was videotaped in "In Remote New Mexico", which is in some unknown location, but the people reporting it were driving on I-40, one of the largest, busiest highways in the world, dangling the video camera out the window.
Gosh, the parallels with the Ivory-billed saga just keep on getting more delicious--the Arkansas sightings were in a "remote" area of Arkansas, but they couldn't hear the bird because of all the noise from I-40. See this article from The Nature Conservancy Magazine:
Just as we (Gallagher and Harrison) were thinking what a wild place Bayou de View is, we started to hear the roar of highway traffic less than a mile downstream. As we approached the bridge where the road crossed the bayou, the din of trucks was almost unbearable.
The highway referred to is, I believe, good 'ole I-40. Bayou de View is deep in the heart of "the Amazon of North America" (see here), but you can't hear the birds due to the Interstate Highway running through it!
I've always known there was something magical and mystical about I-40, having lived much of my life within a few miles of it. Previously I thought it was just a convenient way to get to the beach or the mountains, or more often, an inconvenient way of spending two hours in traffic jams. Now I see it as a mystical font of biodiversity--sprouting Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and Bigfoots, or is that Bigfeet? I'm keeping my eyes open for Passenger Pigeons and Carolina Parakeets--with I-40 so near, they've got to show up soon!
But of course, Bigfoot was videotaped in "In Remote New Mexico", which is in some unknown location, but the people reporting it were driving on I-40, one of the largest, busiest highways in the world, dangling the video camera out the window.
Gosh, the parallels with the Ivory-billed saga just keep on getting more delicious--the Arkansas sightings were in a "remote" area of Arkansas, but they couldn't hear the bird because of all the noise from I-40. See this article from The Nature Conservancy Magazine:
Just as we (Gallagher and Harrison) were thinking what a wild place Bayou de View is, we started to hear the roar of highway traffic less than a mile downstream. As we approached the bridge where the road crossed the bayou, the din of trucks was almost unbearable.
The highway referred to is, I believe, good 'ole I-40. Bayou de View is deep in the heart of "the Amazon of North America" (see here), but you can't hear the birds due to the Interstate Highway running through it!
I've always known there was something magical and mystical about I-40, having lived much of my life within a few miles of it. Previously I thought it was just a convenient way to get to the beach or the mountains, or more often, an inconvenient way of spending two hours in traffic jams. Now I see it as a mystical font of biodiversity--sprouting Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and Bigfoots, or is that Bigfeet? I'm keeping my eyes open for Passenger Pigeons and Carolina Parakeets--with I-40 so near, they've got to show up soon!
Last edited:
Actually, the Rolek sighting Hill was talking about took place on the initial weekend habitat scouting trip -- which Hill gave the impression was thrown together with a couple of grad students as something of a lark -- and not "as part of a 'serious' study."
It may be a little surprising, but it's not at all what you're suggesting.
It may be a little surprising, but it's not at all what you're suggesting.
NBC weighs in on the debate on their Fleecing America report. http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&bra...s:ns:MSNVideo_Top_Cat:ps:10:sd:-1:ind:1:ff:8A
Interesting
I know that some people have attempted to ban the word, but readers of this thread might find the following link interesting.
I did.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/q_and_a/
I know that some people have attempted to ban the word, but readers of this thread might find the following link interesting.
I did.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/q_and_a/
pcoin
Well-known member
Cornell 2006-07 report--interesting tidbits
Yes, that's a very interesting report--it looks very similar to their summary of the 2005-06 search season (here). It's couched as an FAQ, I'll pull out some interesting quotes:
Did searchers see or hear Ivory-billed Woodpeckers during the 2006-07 season in Arkansas?
"The official search team logged 24 possible ivory-bill encounters..... All were investigated in detail but none were declared to be definitive."
Translation: No.
Were any of these encounters especially interesting?
(A tantalizing account of an interesting observation by a hunter--no photo of course.)
Translation: To the people at Cornell, perhaps.
Were any ivory-bill sounds recorded?
"Eleven recordings were flagged as being possible ivory-bill sounds and analyzed further....These included audio recordings of nasal kent-like sounds. However, without an accompanying sighting, it is impossible to say with absolute certainly that these sounds were made by an ivory-bill....Wild Turkey, Great Blue Heron, and eastern gray squirrel (can produce kent-like calls). Also the clap of duck wings can sometimes produce sounds similar to the characteristic double-knock of an ivory-bill drum."
Translation: audio evidence without sightings to back it up is worthless--they admit it. The things they thought were IBWO double-knocks are probably ducks. (That was in the 2005-06 report as well.)
I find it interesting that Eastern Gray Squirrels can produce kent-like calls. I had not heard that one before. Makes one wonder about Hill's audio results in Florida--can they claim there are no squirrels in their area?
Were ivory-bill nest holes or roost holes found?
Translation: No.
Were any pictures of ivory-bills taken by remote cameras?
"..alas, no ivory-bills were recorded during these deployments."
Alas! I like that. I don't see that word in press releases very often. We did not find any birds, but we are so sad and wistful about it, we must be sincere. They also get points for sounding Shakespearean.
How extensive was the 2006-07 search in Arkansas?
"Since spring 2004, search teams have made at least one visit to about 16.5% of the total area of southeastern Arkansas that has been the focus of the search."
Comment "About" 16.5 percent. I like the 0.5% added on--that gives an impression of accuracy, but the "about" tones it down. Excellent spin-doctoring!
From the 2005-06 report:
"Systematic transect searching and intensive field monitoring of 12% of the area of the Big Woods has cost roughly 1.6 million dollars and has taken two field seasons to complete."
So they are dropping off--in 2004-05 and 2005-06 they covered 12%, but only 4.5% more in 2006-07.
Translation. Send more money--there is so much more area to be searched. At this rate it will take something like 18 more years to finish the search in southeastern Arkansas alone. Then there are all of those promising areas in Florida, South Carolina, ...
What did the mobile search team find?
"Possible double knocks...Areas of promising habitat..."
Translation. Nothing.
What’s the status of the recovery plan?
"...This plan recognizes that a recovery strategy is based upon identifying where the ivory-bill may still exist-hence the continued search is key along with preservation of habitat...."
Comment. Isn't it more important to identify areas where the IBWO actually does exist? If you can't find those, what is the point of a recovery plan for a single species? (And I don't buy that "it's worth it to conserve other species." Biodiversity conservation, I feel, needs to be based on good science, especially biological surveys. People running around in camo in the woods with binoculars aren't going to find much except birds and maybe the odd mammal--their efforts are worthless for conservation of anything other than large, diurnal vertebrates.)
Well, it looks like there is going to be at least one more year of searching, and we can look forward to more entertaining press releases.
Yes, that's a very interesting report--it looks very similar to their summary of the 2005-06 search season (here). It's couched as an FAQ, I'll pull out some interesting quotes:
Did searchers see or hear Ivory-billed Woodpeckers during the 2006-07 season in Arkansas?
"The official search team logged 24 possible ivory-bill encounters..... All were investigated in detail but none were declared to be definitive."
Translation: No.
Were any of these encounters especially interesting?
(A tantalizing account of an interesting observation by a hunter--no photo of course.)
Translation: To the people at Cornell, perhaps.
Were any ivory-bill sounds recorded?
"Eleven recordings were flagged as being possible ivory-bill sounds and analyzed further....These included audio recordings of nasal kent-like sounds. However, without an accompanying sighting, it is impossible to say with absolute certainly that these sounds were made by an ivory-bill....Wild Turkey, Great Blue Heron, and eastern gray squirrel (can produce kent-like calls). Also the clap of duck wings can sometimes produce sounds similar to the characteristic double-knock of an ivory-bill drum."
Translation: audio evidence without sightings to back it up is worthless--they admit it. The things they thought were IBWO double-knocks are probably ducks. (That was in the 2005-06 report as well.)
I find it interesting that Eastern Gray Squirrels can produce kent-like calls. I had not heard that one before. Makes one wonder about Hill's audio results in Florida--can they claim there are no squirrels in their area?
Were ivory-bill nest holes or roost holes found?
Translation: No.
Were any pictures of ivory-bills taken by remote cameras?
"..alas, no ivory-bills were recorded during these deployments."
Alas! I like that. I don't see that word in press releases very often. We did not find any birds, but we are so sad and wistful about it, we must be sincere. They also get points for sounding Shakespearean.
How extensive was the 2006-07 search in Arkansas?
"Since spring 2004, search teams have made at least one visit to about 16.5% of the total area of southeastern Arkansas that has been the focus of the search."
Comment "About" 16.5 percent. I like the 0.5% added on--that gives an impression of accuracy, but the "about" tones it down. Excellent spin-doctoring!
From the 2005-06 report:
"Systematic transect searching and intensive field monitoring of 12% of the area of the Big Woods has cost roughly 1.6 million dollars and has taken two field seasons to complete."
So they are dropping off--in 2004-05 and 2005-06 they covered 12%, but only 4.5% more in 2006-07.
Translation. Send more money--there is so much more area to be searched. At this rate it will take something like 18 more years to finish the search in southeastern Arkansas alone. Then there are all of those promising areas in Florida, South Carolina, ...
What did the mobile search team find?
"Possible double knocks...Areas of promising habitat..."
Translation. Nothing.
What’s the status of the recovery plan?
"...This plan recognizes that a recovery strategy is based upon identifying where the ivory-bill may still exist-hence the continued search is key along with preservation of habitat...."
Comment. Isn't it more important to identify areas where the IBWO actually does exist? If you can't find those, what is the point of a recovery plan for a single species? (And I don't buy that "it's worth it to conserve other species." Biodiversity conservation, I feel, needs to be based on good science, especially biological surveys. People running around in camo in the woods with binoculars aren't going to find much except birds and maybe the odd mammal--their efforts are worthless for conservation of anything other than large, diurnal vertebrates.)
Well, it looks like there is going to be at least one more year of searching, and we can look forward to more entertaining press releases.
Last edited:
Similar threads
