-- YouTubing --

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A couple of (documentary) Ivory-bill offerings from YouTube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QsJ-UVWjq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxdd4KBww8c&mode=related&search=

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From the Web Grab Bag:

hmmm... kiss this internet goodbye, maybe??? :

http://www.livescience.com/technology/070413_ap_new_internet.html

...and if you love parrots like I love parrots, might enjoy this website:

http://www.cityparrots.org/

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-- Into the Weekend --

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Some photos from the Auburn Choctawhatchee camp site showing camp leader and Pomona College graduate ; - ) Rusty Ligon, and others here.

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Web Grab Bag stuff:

Birder Jim Stevenson, discussed here awhile back for IBWO matters, has now been indicted for the killing of a feral cat in Galveston, TX. months ago, in a story that made birding headlines at the time:

http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=fd0d6503f261260c&-session=TheDailyNews:42F942220a0f700099ORV3E514C1

...and to take you through the weekend some beautifully-striking photos of Pale Male and Lola, NY city's most famous hawks (kinda makes you want to be reincarnated as a red-tailed hawk someday):

http://www.palemale.com/march312007.html

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-- Wednesday --

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'Fangsheath' and Don Kimball of Ivory-bill Researchers Forum have put together a wonderful one-stop resource for various IBWO evidentiary material/links here (thanks guys!):

http://www.ibwo.net/forum/showthread.php?p=2210#post2210


... and Geoff Hill is seeking to hire a "bird counter/ivorybill hunter" for a study during the months of June/July in the Auburn area (Alabama) and the Fla. Choctawhatchee region. See his announcement here if interested.
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Appended to add this from the Web Grab Bag:

I guess we know that birding has truly gone mainstream when David Sibley makes it into The Onion ("America's Finest News Source"):

http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/the_sibley_guide_to_birds_has
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-- Independent Searchers --

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Yesterday I mentioned that independent searcher Richard Lyttle was asking for help with his searches for IBWOs in South Carolina. In the past, Jesse Gilsdorf has sought helpers for intriguing habitat he covers in southern Illinois, and of course Mike Collins has requested others search areas of the Pearl River, Louisiana, where he has sighted Ivorybills. Additionally now, Jerry Condrey, who, with another fisherman, claims sighting of a pair of Ivorybills back in 2004 in the Green Swamp area of SE North Carolina, is also seeking assistance for further exploration of that habitat.

If any readers are able and interested in aiding any of these folks send me your name and contact info and I'll forward it to the appropriate person. Or if any other of the many serious independent searchers out there would like to be mentioned here as seeking assistance just let me know, especially if you are in an area not frequently associated with Ivorybill searches.

I have to admit I would be at least mildly flabbergasted, but obviously delighted, if an independent researcher is able to accomplish what an academic institution or government agency, with their resources and base of funding, has been unable to do, and attain the first definitive, indisputable documentation for the species. Go for it!
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-- Mobile Team Checks In --

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Cornell's Mobile Search Team finally checks in with their ventures for the last 3 weeks in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and now back to the Congaree (S.C.). Nothing real head-turning in their reports, and so far, somewhat oddly, they have bypassed promising areas of central or southern Florida. A lot of continued emphasis on the Congaree which everyone acknowledges contains excellent habitat, but which has also been one of the more heavily birded of all potential IBWO habitat over the decades.

Addendum: speaking of South Carolina, independent searcher Richard Lyttle is seeking others to assist him in looking for the IBWO within the state:

http://www.ibwsearches.com/
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From the Web Grab Bag:

1. Who knew...? deer as destroyers of bird habitat!


2. ...and most who want to know probably already do so, but I'll mention that writer/birder Laura Erickson, after walking away from her popular commercially-sponsored birding blog several weeks back, has re-established her own personal blog here if you lost track of her or need to re-bookmark her:

http://lauraerickson.blogspot.com/

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-- The Week Begins --

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Latest update from Auburn's Dr. Hill here. Nothing very promising to report, except that he is committed to searching through May (later than most searches), feeling that spring foliage breakout does not significantly hurt sighting opportunities (because the Choc. canopy is high enough to allow plenty of viewable space below-canopy) --- he notes that, "some of the best ivorybill sightings by Brian Rolek and Tyler Hicks in 2005 and 2006 were made when trees were fully leafed out. I think that leaves on trees will have only a minor negative impact on most ivorybill searches." --- he does grant that sitting still and quiet, watching for big woodpeckers, while being harassed by newly-partying mosquitoes can be a challenge, however.

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...and from the Web Grab Bag this:

if you're a wine-lover, you might want to thank an owl...

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-- Florida News Article --

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New Florida newspaper story here. Starts off as just another review piece on the Ivorybill search, but last half a bit more interesting in at least revealing an inkling of the personalities involved as they deal with thus-far disappointing results of months in the swamp.


Addendum:
Ta daaaaa... a new feature (...maybe):

There's just too many fascinating things going on in the universe outside the IBWO arena to pass up... So starting this week I'm going to try a new feature, called "From the Grab Bag," which will simply be additional postings or links scattered through the week to bring up anything of interest striking my fancy (likely bird or nature-related stuff, but could be anything). Hopefully, it will add a little quirky pizzazz to the blog and treat for readers, while those who stop by here ONLY for IBWO news can simply ignore it. (I'll give it a try for 2-3 weeks and then decide if to continue.)
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