Blimey. If I were an Ivory-bill sceptic, i'd have a field day with that report!Alas, Docmartin's post has apparently suffered the same fate as many other sensible/funny Birdforum posts--speedy deletion by those crack Birdforum moderators.
Cornell version...
Ivory-billed Woodpeckers are very few in number and range over very large areas. They can be rather silent in some circumstances, increasing the difficulty of repeatedly finding individuals. Searches for the ivory-bill are just beginning in other states. To make a definitive statement about the status of the bird will require years of intense searching. The leader of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery Team at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stated that the agency is a “long way” from declaring the bird extinct. The Lab is working with other parties to develop some mathematical models to give search leaders a quantitative idea of how much effort would be necessary before it is reasonable to state that there are no ivory-bills left in the Big Woods in Arkansas.
sceptic interpretation...
Ivory-billed Woodpeckers are zero in number and range over very large areas of the public imagination. They can be rather silent when they are extinct, increasing the difficulty of repeatedly finding individuals. Searches for the ivory-bill are just beginning in other states. To make a definitive statement about the status of the bird will require years of intense funding. The leader of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery Team at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stated that the agency is a “long way” from publically declaring the bird extinct. The Lab is working with other parties to develop some mathematical models to give search leaders a quantitative idea of how much money would be necessary before it is reasonable to accept that there are no ivory-bills left in the Big Woods in Arkansas.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Docmartin weighs in
In response to a Birdforum post about Cornell's recent Ivory-bill Q&A, Docmartin posted this on June 5:
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9 comments:
Over in Bird Forum they are debating new PIWO video.
Tim Allwood posted this,
"if you pause the video a few times, doesn't it ring any alarm bells at all about the luneau video? lots of white, trailing edge not visible in comparable shots... and this is in better focus! "
I couldn't agree more. I hope CLO looks at this video. It's also amazing how much white shows on a PIWO when it it's wing is extended up and the bird is flying up. Sibley has it right. The wing bends and curves in flight and exposes sides that is not immediately intuitive.
Welcome to BirdForum, the net's largest lunatic asylum, dedicated to wild birds, birding and the personal views of our moderators and absolutely FREE (from scepticism)! You are most welcome to register for an account, which allows you to take part in lively discussions in the forum (free tinfoil hat with every post you make to the Ivorybill Searcher’s Forum), post your pictures in the gallery, your p**s poor video in the Ivory-billed Woodpecker thread (hell, if you’re a believer you can post whatever you want wherever you want; you’re among friends here) and more lunacy than you're ever going to see unless someone sends a bunch of rednecks dressed in ghillie suits into the swamps to look for 'a Ivory-billed Woodpecker' (C)Louisianaman.
Just noticed this on BF;
'Ivorybill Searcher's Forum'
So, the name's wrong and if the puctuation is correct this is a forum for one searcher.........
Good old Fangsheath. Even the academics on the believers side don't know how to spell the name of the bird or correctly use an apostrophe. And what's happened to cinclodes (Mike Collins)? Has he assumed that his much manipulated video is absolute proof so he's stopped debating it? I fear that the discussion on BF is in danger of dying out with barely a whimper. What will we do for entertainment then?
"I fear that the discussion on BF is in danger of dying out with barely a whimper."
Are you kidding? BF IBWO discussion will go on for the next 3 years at least.
BTW, Collins has a new update on his www.fishcrow.com site. Now that his IBWO at the Pearl River is widely "accepted" as fact. He's exploring other areas to try to get the different population linked up via habitat corridors.
Gotta love that guy!
Ode to Bark Scaling Measurements
Extinction is forever
It’s a very sad endeavor
But it’s an easy concept to forget
Please don’t become upset
If I get this off my chest
As I do humbly suggest
That when you measure some bark
You leave some question mark
For if you give even an inch
Bobby will surely not flinch
To take it another mile
(It’s enough to make Skeptics smile)
To start film careers on their way
(if they can find donors to pay)
To begin searches in other states
(with countless knocky-knock updates)
So please if possible do return
To study things of real concern
"They can be rather silent in some circumstances, increasing the difficulty of repeatedly finding individuals."
CLO or Bird Forum. Is there a difference between the two?
"There are no nesting pairs in the Bayou.....," I dunno could be silent breeders.
A part of me:
Wishes the poetry and jokes and electron camaraderie will never end,
Wants to be completely wrong;
Wishes Bird Forum would grow up, be open minded but finds there youthful enthusiasm somewhat hopeful,
Wants the Interior Secretary to stand up and say "CLO stop the nonsense. You made a grand assumption that proved nothing except that good PR is a great tool."
I end my babbling.
Hi
Don't let the thought police at BFyou down. I'm glad my attempt at humour lives on in exile! If you get chance, check my comparison of the Nolin pileated vids with the Luneau vid, also on BF
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=607437#post607437
docM
http://proregulus.blogspot.com
If you haven't checked out docM's comparisons at Birdforum, please do. They're great and should be the envy of the skeptic's blog (number 3 is my personal favorite). Quick, take a look (or download them) before they're deleted by moderators.
Yes Doc, you done good.
It's clear that Barkscrow does not know his motion blur. Even when video is infocus, motion blur makes the white do some amazing things.
I repeated my poll of local birders. We are now up to about 70% Skeptics and 30% believers. And this is in Texas, where beievers are nourished from birth.
(just kidding, Texas)
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