more on ignored reports
Well, here is the original statement you made:
Was it? There is a continuing and consistent line of reports since the 40's that have been completely ignored or scoffed at.
I
showed, I think that, there has, in fact, been lots of follow-up over a period of decades. You said
completely ignored--that is hardly the case.
As one who personally answers many of these calls and emails, I can assure you that most of them are NOT followed up on. I received one last week in a river system where there is currently a search ongoing. When forwarded to an ornithologist, I was told to reply that "when a clear photo or video is passed to us, we will follow up."
I don't think there is enough money in the world to follow up on
all reports of IBWO--some judgment has to be exercised somewhere. Look at the fiascoes in Arkansas and the "Choc" of Florida--sketchy reports from chronically unreliable to sort-of-reliable observers. How many millions have been spent, and what has come of it after 3-4 years? How much lower should the bar go? As a US taxpayer concerned about conservation, like most of us on this forum, I am not happy about how low the bar has dropped.
In parallel experience to yours, I participate fairly regularly in local bird counts, and I have seen any number of rarities reported based on insufficient details. People do that frequently--sometimes even experienced birders make bad reports, and it is usually when they really
want to see something rare. None of us are immune from the problem of expectation bias. (And looking at the reports of IBWO from Arkansas and the Choc, I don't think any of them would have passed muster with our regional count compiler for documentation of even a moderately rare species.)
In further parallel experience to yours, I occasionally have non-birder friends approach me claiming to have seen very unusual birds, including some extreme rarities. I was once approached by a very intelligent woman who claimed to have seen a Carolina Parakeet in captivity. I patiently explained to her that it was probably a common New World parrot. Should have I, instead, called the USFWS and insisted that a full-scale search be instigated?
Unfortunately, there is not an infinite amount of money, or even time, for worthy conservation causes--some judgment must be exercised at some point.