-- Of Anecdotes and Places --

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Am always a bit hesitant to pass along anecdotes these days (just because  anecdotes from non-birders are so many and so rarely credible), but with little else to report will cite this recent Georgia one from Rob Tymstra over at the main Facebook Ivory-bill forum, in part because it reminds me of an old story I posted here almost 10 years ago:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/179784035376368/permalink/4827523787269013/

…and my post, regarding Georgia, from 2012:

https://ivorybills.blogspot.com/2012/02/and-back-to-georgia.html

At the time I was wondering (as I still do) if parts of Georgia deserved more search attention than they were getting when compared to states like Florida and Louisiana, or even South Carolina and Texas. An even far odder locale I’ve pondered about, principally because of some of Bill Pulliam’s old postings, is western Tennessee.

An old bromide essentially says it’s silly to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result… yet we keep concentrating IBWO searches in the same areas repeatedly over decades without definitive documentation (though based upon some evidence, and the sheer size of such locales)… but if the birds, which are powerful flyers, have moved on, it’s difficult to say just which lesser-explored areas deserve more attention than they’ve ever received… another reason the USFWS wish to declare ‘extinction’ seems premature.

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ADDENDUM 11/30/21:

The deadline for comments to the USFWS on its recommendation to de-list the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has now passed, with ~200 ~100 comments sent in (I assume these are mostly opposed to de-listing, but did not read all of them, so don’t know if any were actually posted in support of the ‘extinction’ designation). I doubt the Agency will be swayed, though I suspect there is dissension in USFWS over what action to take, so just perhaps minds will be changed or an extension will be given before a final decision is made.

Bobby Harrison was among the last to comment, and claims a 10-second video almost 14 months old showing an Ivory-bill in flight at an undisclosed location — seems likely if it was of any quality it would’ve (and should’ve) come to light long before now!…. indeed, I worry a bit that it will simply further exasperate officials as more of the same ol' same ol' brief, grainy, unconvincing frames; i.e. THIS is the best believers can ever come up with (yaaaawn). Harrison’s full comment to the Agency (where he hopes to present the video) can be downloaded from here:

https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FWS-R4-ES-2020-0109-0061

(...the film clip may be made public after being viewed by USFWS)

No idea how soon USFWS expects to make their final decision (I assume months away), but again probably not worth getting hopes up unless some truly better evidence arises this winter season. Luckily, searches will continue no matter what decision is made.

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