Sunday, November 10, 2019

-- Hope, Fading and Springing --


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Trying not to be too speculative here these days, but with another lull in news, will go ahead and be a little what-iffy ;)

One would like to believe that some of the most promising places for Ivory-bills like the Congaree, the Apalachicola, the Atchafalaya, the Big Thicket, are simply so huge, dense, and difficult to traverse, that despite the many man-hours of unsuccessful searching devoted to them over decades, the species’ presence there can never be fully discounted. Especially so, if the species is wary, a fast flyer, and certainly few in number; it could evade detection even when in a searcher’s near-presence. Maybe. Still, odd that remote automatic cameras have failed to capture them, and that even fleeting glances or auditory encounters have been so few and hard to replicate, and not a single active roost or nest-hole found in all that time. Perhaps the species has truly disappeared from such places long ago (except for an occasional fly-through), and too much time has been wasted concentrating on such regions. Maybe.

Even if such locales are devoid of IBWOs there’s always the hope that over the decades individual birds may have moved on to historically less well-established (or seriously-considered) locations such as Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, et. al., where searching has been much less rigorously conducted.

I mention all this because of a recent posting over at the “Ivory-billed Woodpecker RediscoveredFacebook group that linked to an old (well, 2017) piece on Michael Collins’ work — I hadn’t re-looked at it since it came out, so only recently discovered all the comments added to it, including several claimed sightings for the species. The sightings claims are more of what one typically finds across the Internet — not terribly credible, nor including the sort of detail one would like, and almost never with photos (or when there are pictures, clearly of a Pileated).  Nonetheless, one FB responder picked out one Tennessee claim as interesting, which read verbatim as follows:
In 1991 I was turkey hunting and had the sighting of a lifetime. For at least 20 minutes a hen ivorybill worked on a old tree and flew down to a rotten log and caught bugs no more than 25 yards from me. I am 100% certain of what she was and would take a polygraph or be hypnotized to prove it. I am very familiar with pileateds and she was not, black and white head and lots of white on the wings. The kicker is where she was. Clinch Mountain valley, near Cherokee lake in TN. Not supposed to be here, but knew several old folks who saw them.I have seen 2 or 3 since, but never that long and good of a sighting. Any biologist that wants to look for themselves I would help any way I could.
Again, I wouldn’t place too much weight on the claim, except that it did remind me of a story writer Sam Keen told in his book “Sightings” many years ago — a childhood story from 1942, of living in Pikeville, TN. (eastern TN.) and being present when an Ivory-billed Woodpecker was shot and killed (he couldn’t absolutely confirm that it was an IBWO, only that the adults he was with at the time claimed it was one). Clinch Mountain Valley is perhaps an hour or two further east (from Pikeville); neither locale with any significant history of IBWO claims or searches.

When USFWS/Cornell did their large Southeast search for the Ivory-bill they only suggested a few locales in the far western edge of Tennessee as being worth any time (because of a few claims and the habitat). Excellent Tennessee birder Bill Pulliam (now deceased) also left hints about the possibility of IBWO presence in far western TN. I was never able to get a straight answer from him as to whether he honestly believed IBWO were there, or merely thought it fell within the realm of outside possibility, though I think it was more the latter case (I always thought that perhaps after his death, if he truly believed in IBWO existence in his state, something in his papers or writing might have been found to back that up). 

Anyway, the western edge of TN. borders on the southeast corner of Missouri, the southern tip of Illinois, and the northeast edge of Arkansas (near the 'Big Woods' area), all oddball locales for which I’ve heard occasional rumors of IBWOs over the decades. (Kentucky, southern Indiana, Oklahoma, and certainly parts of Alabama, Georgia, and perhaps N. Carolina, not usually associated with traditional range maps for IBWO, have also produced rumors/claims from time-to-time.) But of course no one is going to look much in these places without stronger evidence to lead them there. Is it like the old joke of the fellow looking for his keys under the lamp-post where the light is, instead of where he lost them a block away? The acreage of southern woodland that is not regularly monitored, nor even very accessible, is enormous... 

Unfortunately, I’m going in circles here, in that I’ve discussed this possibility in the distant past — that perhaps we’ve spent most of our time, spinning our wheels, searching in all the wrong places (based upon false assumptions); places that have already been scoured many times over, and the birds have moved on to further locales, not part of (but adjacent to) their older, traditional range? IF the species is EVER found and documented it may be astounding to discover how much we've gotten wrong over the decades! That's a big IF, but

hope springs eternal….

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20 comments:

DJG93 said...

I agree. I feel they have been chased out to other habitats. But I do believe strongly they are still in the Big Cypress and in the Apalachicola area. There is too much evidence. I also feel they are in other areas in central Florida.

Anonymous said...

What is the evidence that that they are ANYWHERE in the S half of Florida? I have spoken to several top field scientists in area and naturalists. I know of no reputable sightings from Big Cypress and to its west (Panther NWR, Fakahatchee etc)in the at least the last 15 years.

Central FL is now very fragmented with Green Swamp an extremely unlikely area for breeding or even hiding a lone bird. Please share. tks

DJG93 said...

Searching areas where the habitat just seems right. Finding deep foraging and scaling in abundance in burn areas that is just too much to be done by Pileated’s. A clear sighting and another known sighting by another searcher. Recorded DK’s, Kent call. We know they are there. Also you seem to be screaming at me so that’s all that will be shared.

Anonymous said...

Pikeville and Cherokee Lake are in valleys near the Cumberland Plateau, which has immense stretches of thick woods, with hardwoods and softwoods in all states of growth and decay. It's not swamp, but it's plenty wet. If the IBW are OK with altitude of 1500 to 1900 ft, then there is a lot of room for them to roam undetected. It seems every tree has been hammered by some form of woodpecker. Just west of Chattanooga, the Prentice Cooper State Forest alone is 40 sq miles of thick woods with little human activity. There are many more large wooded areas nearby too, including south of Monteagle on the Alabama / Tennessee line. I love watching all the pileateds around here. I'm going to keep my eyes open now for an IBW - just in case.

cyberthrush said...

Ahhh, thanks for the boots-on-the-ground info on those TN. parts -- I have no familiarity with the area other than what I see on topographic maps and those maps wouldn't attract the traditional IBWO searcher (which was sort of the point of the post).

Anonymous said...

You said "There is too much evidence." A single kent call is not much evidence but still could be indicative of a single bird.

For "Finding deep foraging and scaling in abundance in burn areas that is just too much to be done by Pileated’s". Pileated easily and quickly scale pines completely or almost all...... as you state it was not swamp.

Pines are also scaled by Red-bellieds. Pileateds do deep foraging, all things being equal, more than a IBWO. Most would not consider that evidence of an extremely rare species in area with common Pileateds unless more is known about the range of field observation(s).

But agreed a single kent can be diagnostic. And the DKs to the listener, if that listener is experienced.

good searching

DJG93 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DJG93 said...

Anonymous? Too much evidence! Historical searchers that new Florida, stated the IBWO fed in pine wood flat lands and sabal palms. So to find extensive scaling is relevant. We are not looking for Pileated’s. Also you didn’t mention experienced searchers having clear sightings that know what to look for.

Anonymous said...

Hello, obviously its hard to communicate in this type of format so patience is needed by all.

It's ambiguous to me what is being said. DJG You initially mentioned "I do believe strongly they are still in the Big Cypress and in the Apalachicola area". I have field knowledge not belief or opinion that they were recently (past few years) in the central panhandle.

Later you infer direct personal field knowledge they are in some areas of FL. Can you clarify you have seen the bird(s) or not (just a belief/opinion).

Also what is a "clear sighting" to you or the people with the sighting ?

TIA

DJG93 said...

Anonymous? I have plenty of field experience and I have had a clear sighting and continue to search extensively. How about you?

Anonymous said...

DJ, I have had 2 sightings but they where not robust sightings and separately have had several audio encounters in 3 states, some of these with multiple field listeners. This is over 10 years but have been doing more global exploring lately before birds/species get even rarer.

But might get out very soon in US for IBWO.

What do you estimate are the birds and separately pairs S of Orlando for example?

Do you actually think there is any hope S of Orlando as Big Cypress et al areas get let immigrants over decades from N or from successful breeding which has now been diminished for a hundred twenty years?

My number is here





Anonymous said...

I saw male and female IBW on Broad river ridge in past.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't look like this person in FL has anything actually pertinent to say other than strong but vague opinions with no information other than "hey look I am right".

Anonymous said...

DJG93 has been posting at the Research Forum for a few years. Oddly he never mentioned a sighting of his own there even though he went into great detail about anything IBWO related (or not) for years over 70 of his posts.

Checked the complete Florida thread at the forum and DJG93 may be referring to a Central FL post 283 eyeball sighting (no bins) there. It was from a moving white van that details the bird was "flapping slowly". Also claims a close to "36 inch wing span" and that he was able to elucidate the relative movement of the front and trailing edge of the wings.

Also that the wings were broad at ends and he "would not call them tips" therefore.
It is a bit of a bizarre but truthful pen to paper of some unknown species.

good chasing

DJG93 said...

Anonymous I don’t really care what your opinion of my post are. They are merely to show the evidence I have seen. I have had a very clear sighting of a female IBWO and two very quick sightings I feel was the same bird. Also I have an interesting video of a young IBWO. Deleted my comment about my sighting awhile back. Look at the Update section and some of the pictures I posted of the young IBWO. I do my searching because I love it and express my feelings about topics from time to time. Also did not refer to any other post other than my own results so rant on!

Anonymous said...

DG, did you prepare and date field notes and sketches on these important sightings immediately on the day of the events ?

And where and when were they sent/recorded somewhere?

The "community" would certainly appreciate seeing these.

thanks

DJG93 said...

Yes made my own notes about the sighting. The clear sighting happened August of 2017. The recording of what I feel was the young IBWO was the same month. The brief sightings were also in the summer of 2017. I made over 20 trips that summer. I have only shared some pictures on the Ivory bill researchers forum in the Update thread. I know they are not conclusive to most but I know what was there. I will only say it was in Florida.

Anonymous said...

Again when and where can these notes be seen?

They were not sent to anyone/any entity immediately after sighting(s)?

thanks

Anonymous said...

Hello All, I have read the various posts on the two main remaining IBWO sites.

DJG seems to see IB sign/evidence in many places. This is a likely sign of observer bias. He is not very discerning.

Refusing to discuss things in a calm manner is not exactly reassuring that he is as experienced as he thinks he is.

see ya

Jesse gilsdorf said...

Oddball locales? Western Tn, Southern IN, Southern Il? Much swamp land in that area for sure. Western Tn quite a bit.