Ivorybill Searcher's Forum: Insights and current reports (1 Viewer)

AmpelisChinito said:

I guess Cornell is an exception because it's very professional, and a college based search.

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What about trying for a spot on the Auburn FL team then?

Until you get a chance to join in an ivory-bill search, there is one very important way you can contribute to the overall effort - by collecting data on another magnificent bird, the pileated woodpecker. We need data, data, and more data. Data on dimensions of pileated roost and nest cavities. Data on pileated foraging sign - gouge widths, bark adhesion, and so on. Data on pileated wingbeat rates and any color pattern anomalies. We need recordings of pileated rapping. Not to mention that becoming intimately familiar with the pileated will make you that much better an ivory-bill searcher when you do have the opportunity to enter its realm.

fangsheath said:

Until you get a chance to join in an ivory-bill search, there is one very important way you can contribute to the overall effort - by collecting data on another magnificent bird, the pileated woodpecker. We need data, data, and more data. Data on dimensions of pileated roost and nest cavities. Data on pileated foraging sign - gouge widths, bark adhesion, and so on. Data on pileated wingbeat rates and any color pattern anomalies. We need recordings of pileated rapping. Not to mention that becoming intimately familiar with the pileated will make you that much better an ivory-bill searcher when you do have the opportunity to enter its realm.

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That work is vitally needed!! Also I would cover any other woodpecker species in the area that also is in IBWO turf.

I saw a redhead the other day in a hole that I am sure was a pileated or IBWO hole given the size of the hole. The hole was probably twice a normal red head hole from what I have seen, but nonetheless a redhead was actively guarding the site from a squirrel all afternoon.

As for your mom being an obstacle don't view one of the few people in this world that will always love you as an obstacle. You will find that your mother is probably one of the greatest people in the world (next to mine, of course) when you get a older.

That doesn't mean that they aren't a pain in the neck at times, just in case my mother reads this.

Good luck.

fangsheath said:

Until you get a chance to join in an ivory-bill search, there is one very important way you can contribute to the overall effort - by collecting data on another magnificent bird, the pileated woodpecker. We need data, data, and more data. Data on dimensions of pileated roost and nest cavities. Data on pileated foraging sign - gouge widths, bark adhesion, and so on. Data on pileated wingbeat rates and any color pattern anomalies. We need recordings of pileated rapping. Not to mention that becoming intimately familiar with the pileated will make you that much better an ivory-bill searcher when you do have the opportunity to enter its realm.

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I live in eastern NC and the places that I go birding are chock full of all types of woodpeckers, it's not unusual to see 20 of them in a 6 hour trek, all types, i'm always on the lookout for the ivory, but photograph them all, let me know how I can give a hand, i'd be glad to help if I can

ncbill said:

let me know how I can give a hand, i'd be glad to help if I can

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One way you may be able to help is to photo any scallings/holes that seem to be done by either the IBWO or PWO. Others who post in this thread may have some more suggestions.

A couple of items are useful to have, notably a rangefinder and a fish scale. A Cabela's digital scale is only $20, but any accurate fish scale would work. With this and a picture-hanging hook you can measure bark adhesion on scaled trees. With experience it is easy to distinguish beaver sign from other scaling. With your camera and a rangefinder you can estimate cavity dimensions. Try to follow pileateds late in the day to find their roosts. Photograph their roost cavities at known distances and standard magnifications to estimate cavity sizes. Even if you don't have a rangefinder, photograph known pileated roost and nest sites. If you have a GPS receiver note the locations of cavities and feeding trees.

Familiarize yourself with the pileated woodpecker. Note the way they move, they way they look at different angles and different lighting conditions. Study the wing patterns carefully as they fly. Take notes, try to describe exactly what you see as soon as possible after you make an observation. Look for any color pattern anomalies and photograph them. Listen to their tapping and drumming. Do they ever do discrete, loud double-knocks? If so, try to record them. Document, document, document. Studying and documenting this wonderful bird will give you lots of enjoyment and aid the effort to find and document ivory-bills.