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Feel like injecting a li'l humor... in the event the next post or two aren't very lighthearted. Old Tom Toles cartoon from back in the heyday of the Big Woods search:
...Still seeing no significant or extended discussion at serious birding sites of the latest video "evidence" which probably says a lot about how dismissively the bulk of the birding community regards it, with about 16 days left for comments to USFWS.
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3 comments:
I saw the interview with Harrison by BirdWatchng Daily on Youtube, where he goes over his video and analysis. I thought he was quite compelling. I guess the right question to ask is "what else could it be??". I don't know the birds of that area well enough to guess. I'd love to hear what you think it is!
well, I don’t think it’s compelling, especially given the year-and-a-half lapse to even make the video available (creating lots more questions), but my field identification skills are lame at this point so I’m still waiting to see what certain more capable birders have to say — and their deafening silence thus far on it likely says something about how NON-compelling they find it! For me, the GISS of the bird points in one direction, and the individual frames are a whole ‘nuther matter (…but with that said I don’t rule out IBWO). In the 2 weeks remaining of the USFWS comment period other video evidence may be offered, and I might wait 'til it is all submitted before commenting on any of it (not sure?)
Harrison said he watched the bird while he hand held the camera and has no doubts it was an Ivory Bill. I always find the direct observations interesting. It's not verifiable, but he's clearly a careful observer judging from his presentation. The people involved in the recent Project Principalis paper also had direct observations that they have no doubt were Ivory Bills. It's hard not to consider these people reliable observers. I mean if David Sibley claimed to see one clearly and had no doubt what he saw would we not believe him? At what point do you trust the competence of the observer?
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