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I hear a lot of grumbling out in cyberspace among folks starving for a good photo or videotape of the Arkansas Ivory-bill(s). There is a low drumbeat of concern and nervousness. Please be patient and keep in mind that:
1. Virtually no organized searching took place during the hot uncomfortable summer months.
2. The winter search only recently got underway; the leaves probably aren't even entirely off the Big Woods trees yet, and all the logistics may still be getting worked out.
3. In 14 months and 20,000+ man-hours of previous searching, Cornell attained less than 2 minutes of sightings.
The task ahead, in short, is no cakewalk; only the sheer number of people now involved in this once super secret mission, gives raised hopes for an encounter... and even then, clearcut photographic evidence may remain difficult to attain.
Moreover, it is possible, depending on the precise circumstances, that even if good documentation is gathered, Cornell might wait months to release it. The ultimate object here has to be to save the bird and its habitat, not to feed the appetite of the birding masses.
So take a deep breath everybody, and just know that the first truly large-scale Ivory-bill search ever conducted in a given area in human history is now underway.
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