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Here.
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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
-- "Backs Against A Wall" --
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Further brief piece on Cornell's scale-back in Arkansas here.
I assume that there will still be some sort of "mobile search team" activity this year, but article doesn't say. Also, assume that some official searching will continue in at least 2-3 other southern states, besides AR., this season, but again specifics not given. Nor has an official USFW summary from last season yet been released.
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Further brief piece on Cornell's scale-back in Arkansas here.
I assume that there will still be some sort of "mobile search team" activity this year, but article doesn't say. Also, assume that some official searching will continue in at least 2-3 other southern states, besides AR., this season, but again specifics not given. Nor has an official USFW summary from last season yet been released.
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Friday, October 10, 2008
-- Cornell Scaling Back in AR. --
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Arkansas Public Radio segment here confirming that Cornell will be scaling back it's efforts in Arkansas this coming season (although efforts by other agencies will continue). No mention made of the specific search plans for other states at this point.
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Arkansas Public Radio segment here confirming that Cornell will be scaling back it's efforts in Arkansas this coming season (although efforts by other agencies will continue). No mention made of the specific search plans for other states at this point.
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008
-- West Virginia Tragedy --
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Still no major IBWO news (...Bobby Harrison does report, after almost a year wait, finally getting permission to utilize decoys in the search for IBWO). Most of what I've been reading lately about birds in general, especially on the conservation front, is extremely pessimistic stuff, even though often quite predictable. For one rather more unpredictable and bizarre story, this dispiriting news item out of West Virginia:
http://www.timeswv.com/westvirginia/local_story_274113358.html
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Still no major IBWO news (...Bobby Harrison does report, after almost a year wait, finally getting permission to utilize decoys in the search for IBWO). Most of what I've been reading lately about birds in general, especially on the conservation front, is extremely pessimistic stuff, even though often quite predictable. For one rather more unpredictable and bizarre story, this dispiriting news item out of West Virginia:
http://www.timeswv.com/westvirginia/local_story_274113358.html
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Sunday, September 21, 2008
-- Physics --
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Again, off on a NON-Ivorybill tangent today. This will probably be of interest to only a small percentage of you, but still feel it is too good not to pass along: The Large Hadron Collider, recently 'switched on' in Europe, has been the focus of much science news of late, and on "bloggingheads.TV" Sean Carroll (from Cal Tech) and science writer Jennifer Ouellette elucidate some of the particle physics and cosmology involved that make this such a momentous science story (before wandering into miscellaneous math and probability toward end). Hour-long video presentation from two excellent science communicators for anyone who finds modern-day physics fascinating.
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Again, off on a NON-Ivorybill tangent today. This will probably be of interest to only a small percentage of you, but still feel it is too good not to pass along: The Large Hadron Collider, recently 'switched on' in Europe, has been the focus of much science news of late, and on "bloggingheads.TV" Sean Carroll (from Cal Tech) and science writer Jennifer Ouellette elucidate some of the particle physics and cosmology involved that make this such a momentous science story (before wandering into miscellaneous math and probability toward end). Hour-long video presentation from two excellent science communicators for anyone who finds modern-day physics fascinating.
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Saturday, September 20, 2008
-- Old Reading Material --
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A couple of emailers in last month have suggested that an official extended summary report of last season's Ivory-bill search might not be publicly released this year. Don't know if that's true or not --- and if true, don't know if that would be a reflection of a paucity of significant findings from last season, or rather because the quick burst of cynicism that now follow such reports make it less worthwhile to issue one (I'd think however, that legally, this type of Federally-sponsored work requires routine public disclosure in summary form).
In any event, while awaiting such a report, or the start of 2009 searching, LAST year's summary can be viewed here (as a pdf). I imagine any summary from this year will read quite similarly in its conclusions, though with dwindling funds, a smaller number of state areas may be included for future study efforts.
And the much longer (180 pg. pdf.) "Draft Recovery Plan" is available here, if you need more reading material to review while awaiting news.
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A couple of emailers in last month have suggested that an official extended summary report of last season's Ivory-bill search might not be publicly released this year. Don't know if that's true or not --- and if true, don't know if that would be a reflection of a paucity of significant findings from last season, or rather because the quick burst of cynicism that now follow such reports make it less worthwhile to issue one (I'd think however, that legally, this type of Federally-sponsored work requires routine public disclosure in summary form).
In any event, while awaiting such a report, or the start of 2009 searching, LAST year's summary can be viewed here (as a pdf). I imagine any summary from this year will read quite similarly in its conclusions, though with dwindling funds, a smaller number of state areas may be included for future study efforts.
And the much longer (180 pg. pdf.) "Draft Recovery Plan" is available here, if you need more reading material to review while awaiting news.
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
-- Collins Back in Louisiana --
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Mike Collins has returned to Stennis Space Center, in pursuit of indisputable documentation for Ivory-bills' persistence in Louisiana's Pearl River region (...well, I s'pose he'll do some Gov't. work while there too ;-). His new "2009" search season log here.
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Mike Collins has returned to Stennis Space Center, in pursuit of indisputable documentation for Ivory-bills' persistence in Louisiana's Pearl River region (...well, I s'pose he'll do some Gov't. work while there too ;-). His new "2009" search season log here.
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Sunday, September 14, 2008
-- IBWO Foundation Update --
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Bobby Harrison's Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation blog has now been updated after an extensive lapse, here. Bobby is continuing to focus on certain areas with additional signs/sounds from Arkansas, while reviewing images captured by automatic cameras. Thanks for the update, Norma.
The official IBWO Recovery Team apparently met in Atlanta the first week of this month in preparation for the upcoming search season.
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Bobby Harrison's Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation blog has now been updated after an extensive lapse, here. Bobby is continuing to focus on certain areas with additional signs/sounds from Arkansas, while reviewing images captured by automatic cameras. Thanks for the update, Norma.
The official IBWO Recovery Team apparently met in Atlanta the first week of this month in preparation for the upcoming search season.
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-- Hoping I'm Wrong --
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This coming week a further short-term search of prime habitat in South Carolina gets underway. Over the past two years various key Ivory-bill researchers have pointed to S.C. as having the best, oldest, largest stretch of habitat (primarily the Congaree, but other areas as well) suitable for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers anywhere in the United States. Several signs/sounds of possible IBWOs have been reported in the state (more than publicly disclosed), and of course S.C. was one of the last bastions where Tanner himself believed the species held on 60 years ago.
Having said all that, and for a different set of reasons, I've never personally held out great hope of Ivory-bills being documented in S.C., or at least not ahead of other states. Of course, I'd be thrilled to be wrong. GOOD LUCK to all involved.
For further inspiration, this recent story of the elusive Okapi (ehhh, not exactly a tiny creature) finally being caught on film in the wild for the first time in 50 years:
http://www.itv.com/News/Articles/Unicorn-captured-on-camera-321272489.html
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This coming week a further short-term search of prime habitat in South Carolina gets underway. Over the past two years various key Ivory-bill researchers have pointed to S.C. as having the best, oldest, largest stretch of habitat (primarily the Congaree, but other areas as well) suitable for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers anywhere in the United States. Several signs/sounds of possible IBWOs have been reported in the state (more than publicly disclosed), and of course S.C. was one of the last bastions where Tanner himself believed the species held on 60 years ago.
Having said all that, and for a different set of reasons, I've never personally held out great hope of Ivory-bills being documented in S.C., or at least not ahead of other states. Of course, I'd be thrilled to be wrong. GOOD LUCK to all involved.
For further inspiration, this recent story of the elusive Okapi (ehhh, not exactly a tiny creature) finally being caught on film in the wild for the first time in 50 years:
http://www.itv.com/News/Articles/Unicorn-captured-on-camera-321272489.html
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