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A bit surprised this hasn't popped up somewhere else by now: I was just re-reading parts of Jerry Jackson's book when I noticed he mentions (pg. 157) receiving a letter in 1987 from a Douglas James referencing "a report of ivory-bills in Jackson County [AR.] in 1986" that was never verified (no other details given). And looking on a state map, well lo and behold, Jackson County is home to part of the Cache River Wildlife Refuge! Gollllllleeeeee!! Do we have Elvis's parents being reported almost 20 years ago?
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3 comments:
This was probably the sighting that Jackson referred to some colleagues in academia in Arkansas.
Unfortunately, it never got followed up on. Typical.
Interesting that Jackson and a student thought they heard an IBWO calling in the Mississippi woods around the same period in time. (1986 or thereabouts, I believe) This area in Mississippi would probably have been with IBWO traveling range of the Arkansas hotspots.
I sure hope there is a insurgence of IBWOs somewhere in the South. It would be incredibly sad if Elvis the last of his species.
Ah, this I find very interesting, and tantalizing. I wonder if anyone has found the original correspondence and followed up now. Since Jackson's on the recovery team, perhaps that has happened. (I don't want everyone to think that I am a total nattering nabob of negativity.)
AHA! I Googled "Douglas James Arkansas" and found this
Douglas James, an ornithologist at the University of Arkansas. Seems like that is probably him. I'm sure somebody's been in touch with him.
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