Wednesday, October 18, 2006

He's everywhere!

From the University of Florida News here:
Florida Museum Ornithology Curator David Steadman will lecture on some of the realities and myths about our ever-changing bird populations, including the ivory-bill, when he presents “Common, Rare, Endangered and Extinct Birds I Have Known and Loved” from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. The lecture is part of the Florida Museum’s Science Sunday series.

The series continues from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 12 as award-winning nature photographer Bobby Harrison presents “Obsessed with the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.” Learn about the story of the ivory-bill’s near demise, miraculous resurrection and his first-hand account of the rediscovery of the Holy Grail bird. A book signing of Harrison’s “To Find an Ivory-billed Woodpecker” will follow. Harrison has been involved with the ivory-bill research project in eastern Arkansas since he and Tim Gallagher, editor of Living Bird magazine, reported their sighting Feb. 27, 2004.
Is anyone else getting the impression that Harrison is still at full-throttle in publicly selling the Arkansas Ivory-bill tale, while the rest of Fitz et al seems to be easing off the gas?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Is anyone else getting the impression that Harrison is still at full-throttle in publicly selling the Arkansas Ivory-bill tale, while the rest of Fitz et al seems to be easing off the gas?"

Yep, it's all about the money and fading fame now.

Anonymous said...

Come on, cut the guy some slack! He probably has a whole stack of "To Find an Ivory-billed Woodpecker" copies he needs to unload.

Anonymous said...

Unless they turn up a live bird pronto, the expiration date on this product is rapidly approaching. I don't imagine the book sales or speaker fees will be quite the same if definitive proof isn't turned up this season, and each future birdless season would equal a further discount.

Anonymous said...

Tim's book is going for $1.50 on Amazon and if it comes with free shipping could be a less expensive heating option than chopping your own firewood or could be an alternative to paper towels. Think of the trees (and woodpeckers) you could be saving by buying his book in bulk.

Anonymous said...

In my dream, I saw a small Bobby Harrison in a black tuxedo and white shirt perched on the side of a tupelo.

Anonymous said...

I didn't hear any talk in Veracruz about any of the authors of the Science article backing off their claims. A friend of mine tried to talk to one of the authors about it, but the guy wouldn't talk. So, who knows. Would be fun if anyone could get a statement from one of these guys...even off the record.

Anonymous said...

It's good to see the concept of the proud red-blooded American huckster still alive and well and turning a profit.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous wrote: "it's all about the money and fading fame now."

So which would you rather do: teach art to college students or travel around the country talking about Ivory-bills and raising money to continue searching for them?

METHINKS II

Anonymous said...

Hey Bobby and Tim - this way to the egress!!

And just like with the IBWO when you realize what you are seeing is really the egress you will probably also have tears in your eyes.

Anonymous said...

Call it snake oil or whatever you want, but methinks the dude is convinced he has seen the pecker and wants to photograph it, and is using the money to continue his personal quest. And methinks he just might be enjoying life more than a lot of others who have given up on the pecker for dead. Methinks most of ya'll hope he fails. I suspect he will, but I certainly hope he succeeds.

METHINKS II

Anonymous said...

I hope he crashes and burns and is never heard from again.

Does that make me a bad person?

Anonymous said...

And methinks he just might be enjoying life more than a lot of others who have given up on the pecker for dead.

Actually, my sex life has improved tremendously since I became an IBWO skeptic.

Anonymous said...

HI:
So being an IBWO skeptic is the ornithological version of Viagra??
To paraphrase Freud: sometimes a woodpecker is just a woodpecker!!