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1) Again, a bit bemused by how little serious discussion has been generated from the latest USFWS 30-day comment period… a sign of just how many folks have simply left the IBWO room, or if they remain, are still awaiting something more definitive.
It was always incredible that way back with the Luneau video, equally expert, experienced birders could not even agree, whether certain frames were showing the ventral or dorsal side of the wing — how is it even possible that that can’t be settled!? — and still those same-type battles are present today… pause, freeze-frame, re-play as much as you want and people still can’t agree on the features being seen in virtually any submitted video.
2) Hahh!… Big spender biologist Jerry Coyne is offering $100 to anyone who can offer evidence 'convincing the birding community' that the species still exists:
(…in the past, rewards of between $10,000 and $50,000 have failed to produce the needed documentation, but maybe Jerry’s offer will get lucky ;))
3) A reader points me to an old timey book with chapter on IBWOs, “The Red Headed Family,” starting on page 23 (I’ve seen a LOT of old references, but had missed this one):
https://ia600703.us.archive.org/27/items/bywaysbirdnotes00thomrich/bywaysbirdnotes00thomrich.pdf
4) Since IBWO evidence seems to now be getting disclosed publicly months, even years after its actual collection, I hope that means that more is being analyzed right now that we may have to look forward to seeing in the next 6 months.
5) I'll just note that this week marks the 5-year anniversary since the all-too-early death of Tennessee's Bill Pulliam, one of my favorite figures in this whole IBWO saga. His search in the Moss Island region of Western Tennessee made for some interesting reading over a dozen years ago. I could never get a very straight answer from him as to whether he really thought IBWOs dwelled there, or how much followup searching was ever done... BUT he did once tell me that IF they were there they deserved to just be left alone... IF they had made it this far they could continue to make it on their own just fine.
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