Wednesday, January 25, 2006

-- Update, Sort-of --

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Laura Erickson casually mentions in a post at her site today that Bobby Harrison now claims 5 IBWO sightings!!?? Cornell has basically intimated that any current anecdotal (non-definitive) sightings or auditory claims for the bird this winter, will not be released 'til the end of the search season in May (to avoid anymore of the controversy they are already embroiled in). It is less clear to me if they are saying that even a definitive video, if obtained, would also be held back for release 'til May or might be announced earlier??? In short, from all the hints/rumors out there, there seems little doubt that additional sightings and claims are being turned in, but whether a nest/roost hole will be found and photographic/video evidence attained, remains the critical question.
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5 comments:

Mike's Soap Box said...

Hey I had to chime in this Bobby Harrison 5 sightings this year as it was posted on Laura's website.

1. I know Laura very much and Laura would NEVER posted this claim unless Bobby gave her the go ahead to do so. Laura is very careful in posting other people's quotes and sightings unless she contacted the person and ask for permission.

2. Why would Bobby lie about this or make it up? I believe without "faith" Bobby saw a woodpecker he identified as a IBWO five times! Bobby is staying at the Mallard Point lodge ( Bayou De View) next to the restrictive area ( where you need permits ) and this is the same lodge that has private blinds where Bob' Odear is running his trips from. These blinds are very near to the restrictive area or is it restricted area? I never have it right but you what I mean.

3. AS you know I chatted with Bob and many times a few weeks ago and he slipped these phrases many times in our discussions "they are studying him right now" or " they are gathering all the facts on these birds as we speak". This is why I posted on my blog our conversation on my blog "Mike's Soap Box" because I was excited about his slip of the tongue because Bob told me Bobby has been keeping reseidence this winter at this lodge. Could Bobby slip some information to Bob O Dear and Bob O'Dear slip information to me in our conversations? Maybe or maybe not but doesn't it seem strange that Bobby Harrison has claimed 5 sightings this year and he mighted of slipped this information to Laura as well? Then Bobby decided to let Laura use these 5 sightings in her recent blog?
Maybe just maybe these are leaks within Cornell!!??? You and I and everyone else knows that Bobby is listed as one of the Cornell's team leaders in this years search according to the Cornell website. Did he sign a contract as well?

Remember in my posting on my blog, Bob O'Dear told me he had sit in meetings with Cornell because they are interested in Bob's tours and what they are seeing or hearing in these blinds, which are close to their area "private area" where you need permits. Could all this be leaks? Who knows for sure but in the month of May maybe we will all find out what these 5 sightings means and if cornell has seen the bird and finally have hard evidence to prove it once and for all. Who knows!

After reading these skeptic blogs they are getting very antsy and very impatient about this years search. They want to see Bobby's video. If I remember its Bobby's video and maybe Bobby doesn't want to get raked over the coals like David Luneau video is going through. To me it looks like Bobby is gathering as much evidence as possble to prove to everyone that these birds exists in the wild and when the time comes he will show us the video. I am in no rush. If the bird in Bobby's video is not a IBWO I am sure Bobby would of said so to someone and the would of leaked out some way or another. I just do not like listening to the skeptics demanding Bobby to release the video. To me the skeptics are losing topics to chat about and are hungry to criticize another video. Bobby is doing the right thing and not giving in to these so-called back yard blog scientists.

Time will tell and we just need to go out and do some birding until the news is announced on what Cornell found out in 2005-2006 search.

Mike Hendrickson
Duluth, Mn

Anonymous said...

I don't think the skeptics are
antsy at all. Why would they
be? No new information has
surfaced during this current
search to suggest they have
been wrong. When May rolls around
I'm sure we'll hear about more
sightings by "experienced"
observers, however, what is
really needed - the photos
or videos will be lacking.
The ones who are antsy are
the searchers, the believers,
and, above all, the professional
ornithologists at Cornell. With
each day that passes it becomes
more and more obvious that the
chances of Ivory-bills cruising
the Big Woods is rapidly approaching the big "0".

Tom said...

"The Grail Bird" mentions a lot of "Ivory-bill" sightings by Bobby Harrison.

Depending on how you define a "sighting", he may have had five sightings in 2004 alone...

Anonymous said...

To anonymous who said, approaching the big "0".
Exactly which lumber co. do you work for?

Anonymous said...

To anonymous who said, approaching the big "0".
Exactly which lumber co. do you work for?


Maybe the same one Dr. Jackson and David Sibley work for?

If Harrison's video looked like an Ivory-Bill to Cornell, we would have see that clip by now.

Harrison sees an Ivory-Bill, it looks like a pintail to other people. Cornell sees an Ivory-Bill, Jackson and Prum and Sibley see a Pileated. Cornell sees an Ivory-Bill, but other people (including Cornell now) see a branch stub. Why the different interpretations? Because the skeptics are evil lumbermen? I don't think so.

Tanner sees an Ivory-Bill, everyone sees an Ivory-Bill. Why do we all agree that Tanner saw Ivory-Bills? Because he had proof.