P.S. (off-topic) On Monday, I was on my way to Panama City, FL for a meeting and I stopped at a boat landing on the Choctawhatchee River (they had some possible Ivory-bill evidence during the past year). The minute I got out of my car, I heard some calls that were rather unusual and frankly kent-like. I have to admit I got a little excited. There were 2 birds calling in front and one behind. Then......two Blue Jays flew out of the woods right where the birds had been calling and the excitement was over. Honestly, I hadn't heard Blue Jays making this type of call ever before.
Monday
1 hour ago
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It is of note though that the searchers did not see any Blue Jays in their study area when they recorded many of these "Kents".
It is of note though that the searchers claim that they did not see any Blue Jays in their study area when they recorded many of these "Kents".
Fixed the typo, anon.
"It is of note though that the searchers did not see any Blue Jays in their study area when they recorded many of these "Kents"."
Regarding the Blue Jays, I think Hill et al's wording was very carefully chosen.
I also believe this statement is correct: The searchers DID see Blue Jays in their study area when they recorded many of these "Kents".
I hope to address this issue in further detail sometime soon.
People missunderstand the amount of vocalizations Blue Jays do in the wild. They are used to them at their feeders and in their yards when the jays are fussing at each other and people's cats! The Blue Jay doesn't exist to call and call for Ivory-bill researchers!
Instead, I find them, in the wild, to be very silent especially during nesting times. They can be very tough to see or hear.
And during these times, they give softer calls. Not the harsher mobbing calls such as "jay, jay, jay" that Auburn thinks they should be hearing on the ARUs.
Which of course brings up the interesting proposition. I wouldn't expect the harsh calls to be heard immediately before or after the softer "kent" calls. The two calls perform different functions for the jay.
Instead, Auburn should search all the hours of sound data to look for Blue Jay calls seperate from the "kent" calls. They will find them.
Instead, Auburn should search all the hours of sound data to look for Blue Jay calls seperate from the "kent" calls. They will find them.
Or they could simply erase their worthless recordings and apologize for wasting everybody's time.
"Or they could simply erase their worthless recordings and apologize for wasting everybody's time. "
I was trying to be polite and not say it so directly.
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