Authenticity of Ivory-billed Woodpecker Sightings to be Challenged

In an exclusive report, the anonymous author of Bootstrap Analysis—touted as the “chronicles and musings of an urban field ecologist”—speculates that a soon-to-appear paper by three well-known and respected American ornithologists will cast doubt on the authenticity of the recent sightings of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in Arkansas.

Rare Bird

While on the road from Martinsburg, West Virginia, to Columbia, Maryland, on Monday, I chanced to tune in to the Diane Rehm show and was treated to a wonderful interview with nature writer Maria Mudd Ruth, who talked at length about her new book, Rare bird: pursuing the mystery of the Marbled Murrelet. In speaking of the many people she met and interviewed in researching the book, Ms. Ruth specifically mentions the Pacific Seabird Group and describes the biologists and other people involved in the conservation of this species as the “hardest-working, dedicated, passionate people I’ve ever met.” Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, you can hear the full interview online. In a Web site dedicated to promoting the book, Ms. Ruth has made available much interesting information about the Marbled Murrelet.

Karl Rove's Deep Dark Secret Revealed?

The print issue of Time magazine for July 25, 2005, includes a full-color photograph (page 3) of President Bush’s embattled chief strategist wearing a tie that features ducks in flight on a green background. Does this indicate that Rove harbors a secret passion for birds and environmentalism? Nice thought, but I seriously doubt that’s the case!

Are Birdwatchers a Security Threat?

Yes, according to this article by Gary Young that appeared in The Guardian on 07/07/05. An official with the U.S. Coast Guard is quoted as saying that, because they have “sophisticated gear and [are] looking at things not normally photographed by the common citizen in this area, they may be stopped and asked a few questions.” The article also includes the reactions of officials representing the American Bird Conservancy and the Bird Conservation Network.

In related news, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel commissioners have approved a compromise that will keep islands along the 20-mile span open to birders and ornithologists (see newly-adopted regulations) while maintaining tighter post-Sept. 11 security measures.

Lord God Bird: The Convergence of Conservation Science and Human Ingenuity

Without a doubt, the most incredible conservation story of the last 50 years was the announcement earlier this summer of the rediscovery in Arkansas of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, long thought to be extinct. This discovery was described in varying detail in the abstract, full text, and supporting online material of a scientific paper initially posted on Science Express and subsequently published in the print journal Science. More recently, I found myself intrigued by the reactions--both positivie and negative--of the residents of Brinkley, Arkansas (where, thanks to enterprising citizens, one can now get an Ivory-billed burger and a woodpecker haircut), to the discovery of the bird in their midst, as chronicled in this audio account from National Public Radio (this link provided in accordance with NPR’s terms of use), which features clips from an original song by singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens.

The Birds of Michigan--Historical Reference

Michiganbirds.org, described as a sister site of Northern Michigan Birding, has posted a checklist of Michigan birds that includes links to the text of Norman A. Wood’s Birds of Michigan, originally published in 1951 as University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Miscellaneous Publication No. 75. A wonderful historical reference!