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The American Ornithological Union's annual meeting opens in Laramie, Wyoming Wednesday, where Dr. Geoff Hill's group will present their latest evidence/analysis from Florida's Choctawhatchee area; at least a couple of possible sightings from the last season, further acoustic evidence, and the fuzzy video that was taken over a year ago (but never released) of a possible Ivory-bill will all be presented. Wouldn't expect any minds to change, and I'm not aware of Cornell even making any IBWO-related presentations this year. Nor likely that much significant Ivory-bill-related news will pop during the next couple months, of hot/humid summer (though automatic cameras continue to be monitored).
So again we're in a long wait for the winter search season to begin (and for the release of written summaries of the prior season). And again, we have possible sounds, cavities, foraging sign, and sightings that stretch across 50+ years, and lack only an agreed-upon photo, yet some wish to close the door on this story, just as it was closed in 1900, 1920, and the 1930's before Cornell documented the birds that non-birders had known were there all along. As for those who argue that money is being wasted I suspect someone could argue the same for a significant percentage of the presentations that will be given at the AOU, if so inclined (...former Sen.William Proxmire might have a field day if he saw the titles of some of those 'scientific' papers --- justifiable expenditures are often in the eye of the beholder).
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