Re: More Ivory-billed info

[Richard Wood <rwoodphd at msn dot com>]

Hi Matt and Jim and all,

My theory on all this goes as follows.  In 2002, Cornell spent the time 
to look for and record evidence that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker wasn't 
extinct, based on the 1999 report of a sighting by a Louisiana State 
graduate student.  When Ms. Scott reported her sighting in 2003, they 
said, basically, "Yea right, whatever..." and didn't take her seriously.
 Then, suddenly, in 2004 a kayaker reports seeing the bird.  Guess what, 
his sighting has more credibility because the CLO people say, "Well, 
there's been two sightings in two years now.   Maybe there is something 
to this after all..."  So then they contact the kayaker.  I suspect that 
had Ms. Scott made her report AFTER the kayaker, she would be the one 
being given the credit.  I also suspect that had Ms. Scott not made her 
report in 2003, they kayaker wouldn't have been taken as seriously as he 
was.

Good birding,
Richard


  ----- Original Message -----
  From: james.d.mcintyre
  To: Matthew J. Williams ; BIRDTALK
  Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 10:24 AM
  Subject: Re: [BirdTalk] More Ivory-billed info


      Matthew:

      There are 2 ways of looking at this I think.

      I have read some of Mary Scott's previous posts 
(http://www.birdingamerica.com/default.htm) on her dedicated longtime 
search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (IBWO) and found her both 
knowledgable and credible.  She reported seeing the IBWO in Arkansas in 
Spring, 2003 although apparently none of her group did.  Wisely, she did 
not publicize her findings - presumably to protect the bird and also her 
own credibility.  Who would believe her under the circumstances?  Most 
people would think she was hallucinating.

      However, she did apparently report her sighting to Arkansas 
wildlife officials and the Cornell Lab (CLO).  Obviously the CLO 
officials did not take her report seriously, as they sent no team to 
investigate in 2003.  Now the Big Woods area is where the IBWO 
historically resided.  So it would be a logical place to search and 
that's why she was there.  (For a historical rangemap of the IBWO, see 
the CLO site

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ivory-bille=
d_Woodpecker_dtl.html#map)

      To date I have read nothing about Gene Sparling other than that he 
is a resident of Hot Springs, AR and a kayaker.  Is he also a birder or 
was he just exploring the Cache River NWR in his kayak?  Did he have any 
connection with an Arkansas wildlife agency that would have enabled him 
to learn of Scott's previous report?

      The important thing is not who found the IBWO but that it was 
found.  But I hope that the right person will eventually get the credit.
 It has to be more than coincidence that Scott reported her sighting in 
2003 in the same general area of Arkansas prior to Sparling's 2004 
dicovery.  CLO may have some egg on its face for not heeding her 2003 
report and perhaps that is why they don't acknowledge her.  Hopefully we 
will soon learn exactly where and when Scott's alleged sighting was 
made.

      In the meantime, wouldn't it be nice if someone spotted an IBWO on 
ANWR?

      Jim

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