-- Alabama etc. --

 ----------------------------------------------------------

Recent post at the Facebook Ivory-bill group page touts Alabama’s  possibly under-emphasized potential for IBWO presence:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/179784035376368/permalink/3729098973778172/

The specific article that is being referenced is here:

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-11-29/mobile-river-biodiversity-extinctions-alabama?fbclid=IwAR1P68xAtSM9g1b-P8w9xUKI0_Uj-ySRckJ78Y5LfENyRBEXXj5teGBSSmM

The article doesn’t really stress how much of the area has been cut over at one time or another, nor how fragmented parts of it are.  With that said, over the years I have several times cited Alabama as an overlooked region for IBWO investigation. And Bill Pulliam in his old blog did as well here: 

http://bbill.blogspot.com/2006/03/alabama.html

…as I once wrote about part of the area:

“The area falls nicely between the Florida Panhandle and the Pascagoula region of Mississippi if one cares to think in terms of a Gulf corridor for the species (which can stretch on to Louisiana's Pearl, and of course eastward to Florida's Apalachicola/Chipola).”

....As long as I’m posting will mention a couple of other things by way of catch-up for anyone who may have missed them:

1)  Matt Courtman, active Louisiana birder and IBWO searcher, was written up in this piece not long ago:

https://www.thehawkeye.com/story/lifestyle/2020/11/16/52-faces-leopold-house-guest-matt-courtman-seeks-near-mythical-woodpecker/6254228002/?fbclid=IwAR0sa-q_gjdRp8VLPFDkhMchbfOJbqFfBhKekEdc2U-MyY8ZvqT4kvy1uwo

2)  and indefatigable Mike Collins put out another re-hash of his arguments in this November, 40+ min. video “Debunking the Critics”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIT5Kw_sY0E

Once again, he gains no traction with his critics as shown in 12 pages of discussion/commentary that followed at the BirdForum website:

https://www.birdforum.net/threads/ivory-billed-woodpecker-debunking-the-critics.396701/

So again we approach the winter months, when any Ivory-bills ought be courting, calling out, and seeking nest sites, carrying on amidst bare trees, easier to spot than at any other time of the year (and before they actually go to nest)... but, will anything come of it. Or just deja vu all over again....

----------------------------------------------------------

-- And Back to Illinois --

 -------------------------------------------------------------

Having grown up in central Illinois I’ve long thought that both southern Illinois and southeast Missouri were actual possibilities for the IBWO, despite low attention paid to such locales (...and Bill Pulliam made us aware of western Tennessee as well).

Louisiana searcher Matt Courtman reports on one of the Facebook IBWO group pages that he will be searching in the S. Illinois area (which is part of the Cache River watershed) on Friday, November 6 (if he’s literally devoting just one day, not sure how extensive a look he'll get, but no doubt a fun area to explore and spend a day, with or without the prize).

He links to this 2010 'technical' paper from Jeff Hoover on the region/habitat:

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/17081/INHS2010_29.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

In some other side news, someone else at the same FB group has mentioned the 2018 discovery of the Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo (previously assumed long-extinct). Almost every year it seems some believed-extinct creature is re-discovered, and I don’t usually bother mentioning such news, except that in this case it is a relatively large, strictly tree-dwelling animal, confined to small remote areas… hmmmm… sound familiar? I’ve hypothesized in the past that the difficulty of IBWO documentation may be that, over time, the species has become a largely arboreal bird (in remote areas) rarely coming down low or to the ground, and essentially remaining out-of-human-sight most of the time.

A couple of bits on the kangaroo here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wondiwoi_tree-kangaroo

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/elusive-tree-kangaroo-spotted-first-time-90-years-180970413/

 -------------------------------------------------------------

-- From Dean Hurliman, Iowa Woodcarver --

 -------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry, nothing new IBWO-wise, but Dean Hurliman has contacted me with new carvings!  Regular readers here will recall that Dean is the Iowa woodcarver who made many incredible life-size replicas of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker… and gave them away for FREE to interested parties some time back.

Well, he has some new offerings…

He writes me in part:

“The story of the great auk is an agonizing one important especially now in this era of impending extinction of sundry species.  As you know I've made many an IBW, but also Carolina parakeets and passenger pigeons and now two great auks.  I would like to get maximum exposure for these carvings, perhaps in some small maritime museum.  Perhaps your followers would find some interest in this.”

As you can see Dean is hoping to find a very special and appropriate home for these ‘specimens’. If you can help out contact him at: deankarenhurliman2 AT a Gmail account.

Thanks for all you do Dean!

Dean’s message reminded me of a wonderful, touching volume (a novel actually) that I loved in my youth, called “The Great Auk” by Allan W. Eckert. If you can find a copy give it a read!

And as he has previously done, Dean penned his own tribute to this bird in the following poem he sent along:

*************************************

Padraig’s‌ ‌Ave‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌Lost‌ ‌Auk‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌

It‌ ‌shames‌ ‌me‌ ‌now‌ ‌how‌ ‌I‌ ‌pursued‌ ‌

that‌ ‌gentle‌ ‌race‌ ‌of‌ ‌tame‌ ‌pen‌ ‌gwyn,‌ ‌

who‌ ‌hoped‌ ‌vast‌ ‌seas‌ ‌would‌ ‌keep‌ ‌‘im‌ ‌safe‌ ‌

from‌ ‌long‌ ‌boats‌ ‌of‌ ‌us‌ ‌scramblin’‌ ‌men.‌ ‌

 ‌

A‌ ‌thought‌ ‌it‌ ‌struck‌ ‌on‌ ‌midnight‌ ‌watch‌ ‌

(the‌ ‌best‌ ‌they‌ ‌comes‌ ‌a‌ ‌little‌ ‌late):‌ ‌

The‌ ‌auk‌ ‌had‌ ‌worth‌ ‌beyond‌ ‌our‌ ‌need‌ ‌

of‌ ‌blanket‌ ‌fill‌ ‌or‌ ‌oily‌ ‌bait.‌ ‌

 ‌

Me‌ ‌sainted‌ ‌mother’s‌ ‌blessed‌ ‌book‌ ‌

schooled‌ ‌me‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Holy‌ ‌Word:‌ ‌

of‌ ‌how‌ ‌the‌ ‌seas‌ ‌were‌ ‌filled‌ ‌with‌ ‌cod‌ ‌

and‌ ‌how‌ ‌He‌ ‌marks‌ ‌both‌ ‌man‌ ‌and‌ ‌bird.‌ ‌

 ‌

I’ve‌ ‌risked‌ ‌Nantucket‌ ‌sleigh‌ ‌rides,‌ ‌

cast‌ ‌many‌ ‌a‌ ‌net‌ ‌with‌ ‌pride‌ ‌

but,‌ ‌o’‌ ‌this‌ ‌pen‌ ‌gwyn‌ ‌thing‌ ‌has‌ ‌left‌ ‌

unease‌ ‌and‌ ‌bitter‌ ‌gall‌ ‌inside.‌ ‌

‘Afa‌ ‌crown‌ ‌says‌ ‌that‌ ‌‘e’s‌ ‌got‌ ‌

a‌ ‌mortal‌ ‌soul‌ ‌like‌ ‌you‌ ‌or‌ ‌I‌‌

but‌ ‌keep‌ ‌that‌ ‌ave‌ ‌to‌ ‌yourself‌ ‌

if‌ ‌Sister‌ ‌Aine‌ ‌be‌ ‌kneelin’‌ ‌by.‌ ‌

 ‌

From‌ ‌these‌ ‌Grand‌ ‌Banks‌ ‌I‌ ‌takes‌ ‌me‌ ‌leave‌ ‌

to‌ ‌raise‌ ‌an‌ ‌extra‌ ‌pint‌ ‌o’‌ ‌wine‌ ‌

abeggin’‌ ‌the‌ ‌Great‌ ‌Auk’s‌ ‌pardon.‌ ‌

(How‌ ‌sadly‌ ‌some‌ ‌lives‌ ‌intertwine.)‌ ‌

 ‌

                               ‌DSH‌          ‌2020‌ 

‌

*************************************

 ‌

Dean's‌ ‌Notes‌:

The‌ ‌great‌ ‌auk‌ ‌is‌ ‌not‌ ‌closely‌ ‌related‌ ‌to‌ ‌penguins,‌ ‌but‌ ‌seaman‌ ‌Padraig‌ ‌had‌ ‌no‌ ‌interest‌ ‌in‌ ‌taxonomy.‌  ‌He‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌19th‌ ‌century‌ ‌Irish‌ ‌Catholic‌ ‌-devout,‌ ‌introspective,‌ ‌though‌ ‌somewhat‌ ‌independent‌ ‌in‌ ‌theology.‌  ‌The‌ ‌word‌ ‌“pen‌ ‌gwyn”‌ ‌ ‌is‌ ‌not‌ ‌Irish,‌ ‌but‌ ‌Welsh.‌  ‌I‌ ‌could‌ ‌not‌ ‌resist‌ ‌using‌ ‌it.‌  ‌The‌ ‌“sleigh‌ ‌ride”‌ ‌meaning‌ ‌may‌ ‌be‌ ‌researched‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌reader.‌ ‌

--------------------------------------------------------------

-- The Ivory-billed Woodpecker.... and Eschatology --

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Is the existence of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker "increasingly left to the realm of myth"?... a recent essay via Emergence Magazine:

https://emergencemagazine.org/story/the-lord-god-bird/

-------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Kenn Kaufman Ponders... --

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Renowned birder Kenn Kaufman attempts a fair-minded answer to the question of the Ivory-bill's existence:

https://www.audubon.org/news/ask-kenn-kaufman-ivory-billed-woodpecker-extinct

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ADDENDUM:  In a comment below “John” references a graph of Hz levels for IBWO kents that didn’t make it into his comment. Here is the graph (and I assume this is based on the IBWO calls recorded by Cornell originally at the Singer Tract, but I'm not clear since it specifically references Mennill/Proj.Coyote data):

-- Open Thread --

———————————————————————

I’m pretty distracted with everything else going on in the world these days, so only happened to check the blog a few days back to discover 60+ comments (still continuing) on the last post — probably only a few individuals involved, but still will start a fresh “open thread”  here if anyone wishes to begin anew with some IBWO-related discussion (or you can continue at previous post if preferred, but I think hard to follow).

I will ask 2 things (just for lack of time though, will try to stay out of things):

1)  please don’t engage in personal attacks on other interested parties, and

2)  I’d prefer if those using the “Anonymous” tag would still give themselves a "label," at beginning or end of comment, to make it easier to read who is saying what to whom about what. Label could be “Abe Lincoln” or “R-9348172-MWX4” for all I care so long as you use it consistently, so your comments (and who you're responding to) can be more easily tracked.

———————————————————————

-- Those Were The Days --

Just feeling a tad nostalgic about those heady days of Ivory-bill excitement over a dozen years ago, and taking a trip down memory lane via some of the media it spawned:

Trailer for the fictionalized independent film “Woodpecker”:

Trailer for Scott Crocker’s documentary “Ghost Bird”:

Sufjan Stevens' haunting song/memorial to the Ivory-bill, “The Lord God Bird”:

…also several novels, centered around the Ivory-billed Woodpecker came forth:

“The Life List of Adrian Mandrick” by Chris White

“The Lord God Bird”  by Russell Hill

“The Lord God Bird”  by Tom Gallant

(…and actually long-preceding all of these was Greg Lewbart’s “Ivory Hunters”) 

-- Rewards.... will anyone ever collect? --

———————————————--------------——

A story out of Louisiana, principally from Matt Courtman, mentioning a current $12,000 reward from Louisiana Wilds for information leading to an active Ivory-bill nesthole or roost hole:

https://www.redriverradio.org/post/12k-reward-offered-finding-rare-woodpecker

Can anyone confirm that either the original $10,000, or later $50,000 reward, for info leading to IBWO confirmation are still active and in force (or have they been dropped)?

————————--------------—————————

-- Another Blast From the Past --

———————————————————————

While biding time, figure it might be worth mentioning again a topic discussed here long ago and recently brought up over at the “Ivory-billed Woodpecker — Re-discovered” Group on Facebook, which is Noel Snyder’s ‘alternative hypothesis’ for the decline of the IBWO (focusing on human predation, instead of habitat loss). Respected ornithologist Snyder wrote of his hypothesis over a dozen years ago in a lengthy monograph, which I don’t believe is available on the internet (other than through a paywall)? He did make the same arguments later in book-form in “The Travails of Two Woodpeckers: Ivory-bills and Imperials.”

Anyway, Geoffrey Hill wrote a review of the monograph back at the time here:

https://tinyurl.com/vlwaffz

Birder Gary Graves also chimed in on it on the Arkansas listserv as I reported in this old posting:

https://ivorybills.blogspot.com/2007/10/snyder-hypothesis.html

The point of all this being that IF habitat loss was not as major a force in this species' decline as Tanner led people to believe, than the species' chance of surviving through the bottleneck of the 1940s was that much greater. I'd like to say 'time will tell,' though it is always possible that time has run out.

———————————————————————