"The Leak" About the IBWO

Well, there has been some discussion on Tom Nelson's site about the infamous leak that either did or didn't (depending on what random story Cornell decides to tell on any particular day) rush the original Science story into publication.

At the time, people associated with the Cornell team stated that the leak came from someone in the federal government, which is simply false. While I wasn't privy to the "rediscovery" story until a day or two before the press conference, I know several birders -- some on other continents -- who were not associated with the search but knew about it weeks before the official announcement.

Having said that, I think the first public leak on the story came from the little-known "New River Valley Birds" listserve in southwestern Virginia and Tennessee. That list has now moved from Yahoo to Google and the archives from April 2005 are no longer available, but in April 2005 I checked out this angle and that is indeed where the story first broke. My recollection is that someone involved with the search team talked to someone who posted the info, but if anyone has saved that thread from NRV Birds, please send it to me and I will post it.

SHOCKING UPDATE: Another Burrowing Owl seen in Illinois

There has apparently been another Burrowing Owl -- one of my nemesis birds here in Illinois -- spotted in Illinois today. OK, so it's not a Wood Stork, but remember what I wrote a few posts back:

***

The BINAC staff is headed to South Florida next week, so while we are looking at Wood Storks down there, don't be surprised if my bad karma sends one up Chicago-way.

***

We leave for Florida tomorrow. If you ask me, I think the top listers in Illinois should start paying for my trips.

UPDATE: Apparently the Burrowing Owl (found in Warren County, so I'm calling him "Warren") has been EATEN!!! I know there is a precedent for rare birds being predated but I can't remember the last time it happened to an Illinois rarity.

ABC Results are Almost Ready!

A little birdie told me that the 2006 America's Birdiest City/County results are almost ready to be released. Chicago did very well this year, not sure if we won any categories, but it was definitely a much better showing than 2005.

Mr. Guppy Threatens to go the the Yahoo Police!!!

Whine, whine whine...

***

Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 23:45:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: "franks william"

Subject: Re: IBWO sites
To: "a b"

I am formally asking you to not e-mail me or I will
report you to yahoo as a harasser. If you continue to
slander me on yuor "blog" then I will seek action
against you.

I have done nothing to you, I have not engaged you and
yet you seem to like to mock me and attack me.

This will cease now.

Bill

Mr. Guppy Fires Back!!!

So, I sent a very nice e-mail to Mr. Guppy (I'm not sure if his name is Wiliam Smith now or William Franks or what) and I got a classic response (see below). Just trying to pish the flock a bit, as the lovely BirdChick would say. The best part is I think he actually has me confused with somebody who lives in Minnesota. (Don't all birding bloggers live in Minnesota?)


Pish, pish, PISH!!!

***

Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 23:31:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: "franks william"

Subject:Re: IBWO sites
To:"a b"

I've seen your picture, you are a mature man,,not a
kid,,why is it important for you to act like a child
and bash me publicly without ever introducing yourself
or even trying to find out who I am?

You've posted quotes out of context to paint a
negative picture of me, you've labelled me names that
are derogatory and yet you have never attempted to
have an adult conversation with me.

Ironically some of your other Minnesota birders have
done the same. What is it about your state that makes
you so hateful?

You are one of the reasons the internet has no
credibility, you hide behind a blog, you attack
people, and yet you are a grown man. It is shameful.

Go back to your blog and mis-quote me, poke fun, and
impress your circle of cronies.

Bill

--- a b <birdingisnotacrime@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear William;
>
> Can you give me a few hints on where I should look
> for Ivory-billeds in Florida? I would like to try
> to get a photo.
>
> Thanks!!!!

Wood Storks in Indiana

A couple of Wood Storks have just been reported from Gibson County in Southern Indiana.

This is the time of year when a lot of southern species, specifically herons/waders, tend to wander north and west. These Wood Storks are probably a classic case of post-breeding dispersal, although I like the term "wanderers" a bit better. (Post-breeding sounds a bit naughty, doesn't it?)

Will this summer present the opportunity for me to rectify the biggest "dip" of my birding career? Of course, I am speaking of the infamous Palos-area Wood Stork that appeared in the Chicago suburbs a few years ago -- in a spot I regularly bird -- while I was in freakin' Australia. I still claim that the Palos bird was an escapee, but no one is buying that. The BINAC staff is headed to South Florida next week, so while we are looking at Wood Storks down there, don't be surprised if my bad karma sends one up Chicago-way.

Now back to my painting, with interludes of Avisys-ing.

Field trip to Indianapolis???

From 60 Minutes and birding comventions to Wild Bird Stores. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Indy is a bit far for a BINAC road trip, but if any of our readers go to this talk, please give us an update. I wonder what Bobby is getting paid for this stop?

***

Program: "Obsessed with the Ivory-billed Woodpecker"

When: Sunday, June 25

In our store 2:00 - 4:00 pm Program 2:30 - 3:30 pm

Where: Rivers Edge Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop 4040 East 82nd, Suite C-4 Indianapolis, IN 46250

Meet Bobby Harrison and hear his first-hand account of the rediscoveryof the Ivory-billed Woodpecker!

Don't miss this fascinating afternoon with Bobby, who in 1972, at age 17 read about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Life Magazine and became obsessed. He and his friend, Tim Gallagher, refused to accept the conclusion that the bird was extinct and traveled throughout theSouthern swamps in search of this "Ghost" bird. Their efforts were rewarded on February 27, 2004 when they made the first qualified sighting of an Ivory-billed in over sixty years. Reservations are recommended for the program portion of this event. Call 578-0770 to reserve your seat.

Gina JannazzoManagerWild Birds Unlimited4040 E. 82nd Suite C4Indianapolis, IN 46250(317) 578-0770

***

Report a Spoonbill!!!

I know that updates have been few and far between over the last few weeks, but now that my travel schedule has settled down (until next week, at least) we have a few posts ready to go.

There is a very interesting Spoonbill banding project going on in Florida right now, check it out:

http://www.audubonofflorida.org/science/reportspoonbills.htm

Since Spoonbills have been known to wander far out of their normal range (I remember seeing my state bird near Vandalia, Illinois a few years ago) these banded birds could show up almost anywhere.

Boston Gull Bashing

I have been in Boston for a few days, and here is one of the top local stories:

***

Office had bird’s-eye view to kill: Workers say window washer slayed gull with vengeance

By Jessica Heslam and O’Ryan Johnson

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - Updated: 10:14 AM EST

Bird-bashing window washer Christopher Guay - arrested after killing a sea gull - had his goose cooked by his boss yesterday as eagle-eyed witnesses from a nearby office building pecked away at his self-defense claim.

MSPCA ruffles his feathers: Animal lover says treatment is for the birds

Guay, 40, was canned by his employer after news of his battle with the bird took flight. “They said there was too much bad publicity,” he said. “I’m out looking for another job right now.”

Guay was arrested by an MSPCA officer and has been charged with animal cruelty, a felony. The owner of Cliffhangers Inc., Guay’s employer, could not be reached for comment.

The window washer says he has numerous pet birds and loves them. But some Hub office workers say they watched in horror as he cold-heartedly delivered a fatal blow to the gull - then saw them watching and promptly flipped them the bird.

Sarah, a witness who spoke on condition that her last name not be used, works in a cubicle overlooking the Devonshire Street rooftop where the sea gulls built their nest as she and her co-workers kept a daily vigil at the window.

She called Guay’s self-defense claim “absolute crap.”

“He deliberately walked over to the nest and began to beat them,” said Sarah. “He was batting at them, swinging and missing quite a bit. When he swung, he completely hit her and she flew. It was not a nice, gentle, get-out-of-the-way swing.”

For six weeks, she said, she and other employees watched as the pair of sea gulls built a nest for their family. Two of their eggs hatched Thursday, and the workers hung out a congratulations” sign and another urging window washers to be careful of the gull babies.

Guay told the Herald he fended off three birds all day Friday while washing windows. He said he didn’t mean to kill the bird and said he used a broom stick. Sarah said the gulls had swooped down toward the window washers Friday only when they came near their nest. Guay went after them with a three-foot-long pipe, she said.

“My whole floor, as every other floor from my company, was banging on the glass and screaming,” Sarah said. “He started batting at them up in the sky intentionally and then beat the mother bird down totally dead to the ground.”

“It was horrifying,” she said. “We were screaming, crying and banging on the window.” She said Guay dropped the pipe, noticed the pleading employees and then “flipped us off, grabbed his crotch at us and started shaking himself and flipping us off.”

Meanwhile, the MSPCA - which has refused comment on the story from the outset - reported yesterday it has been flooded with angry calls it blamed on “unbalanced media reports.” The animal welfare agency declined to elaborate due to pending legal proceedings, but said, “suffice to say that if the MSPCA had found the defendant’s self-defense story credible, it would have chosen a different course of action.”

***

Maybe the window washer should have borrowed a few of Mayor Daley's collies to chase the gulls away.

Calling Out Mr. Guppy: William Smith, Are You Still Out There?

OK, our favorite IBWO searcher, Mr. Guppy, aka William Smith, aka ThatMagicGuy, has apparently poked his head out of the pond again. We've been holding this post for some time since we have heard some rumblings that Mr. Guppy would reappear. Someone with the screen name "TMGUY" (aka ThatMagicGuy) from Florida has been making some strange posts on BirdForum lately. So, it looks like this is not a false start. It's the real deal. It's

THE REVENGE OF MR. GUPPY!!!

Here at BINAC we love Mr. Guppy aka William Smith because he's so much fun. Who else could write masterful prose such as this:

***

Then there is a very small percentage of people who frequent the internet who are intelligent, who are looking for a quick way to transmit intelligent information and dip into the this sick and mentally deranged pool that is known as the worl wide web.You decide where you fit.Our society is crumbling quickly.Our society's health is crumbling quickly.Our society is becoming obese, sick, and stupid.

***

That is Mr. Guppy at his finest. Now, when we last left Mr. Guppy, he had taken his ball and gone home because people on Bird Forum had the audacity to question the photo that he posted on his web site. Now, there are a lot of IBWO "True Believers" on Bird Forum, and if your sightings start getting ripped by them, you are in deep trouble.

So here's the deal. We here at BINAC are getting tired of this delusional clown. Mr. Guppy, it's time for you to put up or shut up. Show us the original photo you claim is of an IBWO. Show us the photos you took immediately before and after the photo you posted on your web site. Explain to us why the bird is in an orange tree. Explain to us why there is a house (or some other manmade object) in the background of your photo. Explain to us why the bird in your photo doesn't have any eyes or feet. Explain to us why the bird in your photo looks like it is...well...not a live bird. That would be a good start.

Why is this guy still on our radar screen? Because he has either taken a nearly-perfect photo of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, or the whole thing is a hoax. There's no in-between. You can say what you want about the evidence offered by Cornell and Mike Collins, but neither of them are putting stuffed birds into trees and taking photos of them. As the debate rages on as to whether the IBWO exists -- and if so, how many still fly, and where, and what can be done to save them -- it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. So let's find out, once and for all, whether William Smith is the wheat or the chaff.

Mr. Guppy, if you want to state your case, this is your your chance. There are no BirdForum moderators here. Fire away.

This ought to be fun.

Rookie Mistake in the Big Apple

I know those namby-pamby birders who think all birders (except for themselves, of course) are evil constantly refer to the ABA's "Birder's Code of Ethics" or similar codes, but that really doesn't help the average birder that much. I've been working on a "Birder's Ten Commandments" and a "Birder's Bill of Rights." Like Jefferson, I will take my time and get them right.

Last weekend I was in NYC and I made a "rookie birder" mistake. The rule I violated should probably be the first or second Commandment:

"Thou shalt not travel anywhere without thy binoculars. ANYWHERE."

I am so ashamed. I knew we were not going to be near Central Park, so I figured there would be nothing to see. We did the typical tourist things...went to Yankee Stadium...

...saw some of the important historical sites...

...and so on, and so on.

And then my family decided they wanted to go to the beach. To see the Jersey Shore. To visit Sandy Hook. WAIT A MINUTE---SANDY HOOK????? Where are my *&%$#@* binoculars??? Why didn't you tell me we were going to Sandy Hook? I would have brought my *&$% binoculars!!!

Never again will I make that same mistake.

Well, except today. Because right now I'm in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) and I DIDN'T BRING MY *&$*%(@&;^%*$ binoculars!!!!

Oh, the shame, the guilt, why did I make the same mistake twice!!! Maybe this is a sign from heaven that I should buy a good pair of compact binoculars...I hear that some of the smaller Zeiss compacts are a great deal.

P.S. The Arthur Treacher's on the NJ Turnpike makes the best hush puppies in the world. Can't stop eatin' 'em.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

There have been quite a few birding blogs that have linked to the "mannakin moonwalk" video lately. The lovely Birdchick posted a link. Why, Laura Erickson at BirderBlog even took a brief (but appreciated) break from shilling her new book and whining about comments to post a link to the moonwalk video.

Of course, loyal readers of this site saw the very same "mannakin moonwalk" video back in... wait for it...October 2005:

http://birdingisnotacrime.blogspot.com/2005/10/do-mannakin-moonwalk.html

So if you want to see what will be posted to BINAC later this week, check out those other sites in, say, December.

I Hate Gulls: Mystery Gull Photo

OK, I must admit it: I HATE gulls.

But I know there are quite a few masochists out there that love gull identification, so this post is for you.

Name this gull:

OK, so it's not a super-tricky photo, but perhaps a bit trickier than it would appear to be at first glance. Can't say any more without giving it away.

The photo was taken by one of Chicago's best young birders, Jim Giacinto, and I'll tell the full story of this bird after (if) we get a few comments.

ABC Updates

Well, our ABC efforts went fairly well in Chicago this year. In the fine Chicago tradition, we are still counting, and will have a final total in after all of the other locales report their totals. It is entirely possible that we will report a total that is precisely one species higher than every other participating city and county, but that is pure speculation on my part.

Here is an update e-mail that was sent today by the organizer of the competition, Phil Pryde of San Diego:

***

Greetings again to everyone,

With one more day to go until June arrives on the scene, I'm hopeful everyone has had a very successful ABC/C outing in your local area, and are busily tabulating your sightings. Many thanks to those who have already submitted their results.

As usual, there has been a spirited battle along the California coast for the Birdiest County title. The front-runner at this point, due to excellent organization this year, is Los Angeles County with 265 species. In hot pursuit were San Diego with 261 and Monterey with a preliminary report of 252-253. Under the heading of "don't look behind you, something might be catching up to you", Kern County (inland!) has reported an inland record 246 species. One shudders to think of their total if they had a coastline!

New inland entrants San Antonio and Bexar County had an outstanding first effort at 195 for the city and 205 for the county. No reports yet from the more northernly entrants, who usually do their count a little later in May. Keep those cards and letters coming in! And again, please send me your results, even if they aren't as high as you would have liked; I never post the lower results, but I would like to know the total of how many locales participated. Thanks.

And now the big announcement - I have mentioned in previous e-mails that I was desirous of turning over the national organization of the ABC/C to someone else, preferably an organization, that could perpetuate it, and perhaps increase participation, better than I've been able to do working as an individual.

I'm happy to announce that an enthusiastic offer has been received, and accepted, from the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries folks, last years small coastal city winners. Following the final results for 2006, the official Robe, Scepter, and triangular key to the secret vault at 24 Rue Haxo will be turned over to them. The contact there is Mike Wilson at Ylhammer1@cs.com . They're looking into the possibility of setting up a web site for the ABC/C competition. So things look promising for 2007!

As you submit your results over the next week or so, please note that I'll be away leading a bird trip to Alaska from June 3 through June 11, so there won't be any responses to your e-mails after this Friday, until at least June 12. If you can get your results posted to me no later than June 11, I'll immediately begin determining winners in each of the several categories, and hopefully have final 2006 results sent out by the 15th. That's the goal anyway.

***

Breaking News: New Treasury Secretary is a Birder!!!

President Bush today formally (it has been rumored for some time) nominated Henry M. Paulson Jr. to replace John Snow as treasury Secretary. The best part of this nomination is that Paulson is apparently one of us--he's a birder!!!! Check out this snippet from the wire article:

***

Paulson was known on Wall Street for his dedicated support of environmental causes. Earlier this year, he made a gift of $100 million in Goldman stock to a family foundation dedicated to conservation and environmental education. Even after that gift, Paulson has a net worth estimated at more than $500 million.

Paulson, who was known to favor bird-watching in New York's Central Park to playing golf, is chairman of the Nature Conservancy and the chairman emeritus of the Peregrine Fund.

***

Hoorah! We have quite a few NYC readers, can anyone out there confirm that Paulson is truly a birder? I have heard other people tell me in the past that the Chairman of Goldman Sachs (ie Paulson) was a birder but I want first-hand info.

BINAC on the radio

There will hopefully be a short story on WBBM-780 radio today about the city's plans to hire dogs to chase birds off of the beaches. They are streaming on the web at www.wbbm780.com.

Chicago's "bird-friendly" mayor declares: Let's hire dogs to chase birds off of our beaches!!!

This is just fan-tastic. Here is an excerpt from an article in today's Chicago Sun-Times:

***

Park District hopes dogs can keep lake clean
May 25, 2006
BY LORI RACKL Health Reporter


Barking border collies are just one of the new weapons the Chicago Park District will use to reduce the number of swim bans during this year's beach season, which starts Friday.
The idea is to decrease the amount of Lake Michigan's bacteria, which makes swimming off-limits when levels climb too high. A fair share of the bacteria is thought to come from bird droppings deposited in the water or washed off the beach into the lake.

Fewer gulls, cleaner water

That's where the collies come in: For four weeks at one of the city's 31 public beaches, the dogs will give an early morning wake-up call to the many gulls that spend the night on the sand, hopefully scaring the birds into finding a new home.

Another novel approach being tested this season calls for stringing a grid of wires about 12 feet above Dumpsters to keep birds from garbage picking. The grids are supposed to go up at three lakefront sites, most likely including Foster and 63rd Street beaches. These beaches are among those that log the most swim bans, which happened 78 times last year in Chicago.

"The wires keep the birds from diving down," said Joyce Coffee of the Chicago Department of Environment. "We'll see if the water is getting cleaner and if there are fewer gulls in the area."
The dogs and wires probably won't be used until mid-June because the city doesn't want to disrupt the migration pattern of piping plovers and other birds as they make their annual trek north.

***

More Illinois rarities: Bullock's Oriole, a possible second Mac-G Warbler

Well, the run of amazing vagrants in Illinois has continued. Today a female Bullock's Oriole was reported from downstate, while a possible/probable Mac-G Warbler was reported from the bush formerly known as the Magic Hedge at Montrose. Maybe an Ivory-billed Woodpecker will be next. Oh, sorry, the person who reported today's Mac-G has *already seen* an IBWO!

Could today's bird be the Kane County bird, just moving further east? What are the odds? What are the odds that there are two Mac-G Warblers in Illinois right now, when there has been only one prior accepted record in the last 100 years or so?

But, playing devil's advocate to my own devil's advocate, maybe the second bird shows that there is a pattern of dispersal for this species this year, similar to what some have commented on in Texas regarding some out-of-range Mac-Gs that have been seen there this year.

Or maybe people are just starting to see things that aren't there once the thought has been put into their heads. Or maybe people are properly identifying a species that always passed through in small numbers but has been consistently misidentified and "disbelieved" by the experts. Wait a minute, are we talking about a warbler or a woodpecker here? BINAC's head is spinning!

Mac-G, or not Mac-G: That is the question!

Well, in addition to the MacGillivray's Warbler that has been reported in the Chicago area, there has also been a report of a flock of (possible) Long-Billed Curlews, and of a Kirtland's Warbler. Up to this point, only the Kirtland's (seen at Gilson Park in Wilmette) has been photographically documented. (Anyone want to guess where the loyal BINAC staff will be tomorrow?)

So, are all of these birds legit, or not? The person who originally reported the "curlews" was not really even sure that they were LBCs (as opposed to Whimbrels) so that sighting is probably not going to be accepted by IORC, if it is even documented by the observers at all.

The Mac-G is a bit of a tougher question. It was seen by a few people on the "second day," but already I have heard some grumblings that a Mac-G cannot be safely identified in the field. I suspect that the IORC (Illinois Ornithological Records Committee) will have some healthy skepticism about this bird. There is one prior (very old) specimen record, so I think that the IORC may treat this as a first-state record, and will want to see a photo or sound recording.

The problem is that some Mourning Warblers (even adult males) can have at least faint eye-ring "arcs." I've been saying this for years, and people tell me I'm crazy, but it's Dunn and Garrett. D&G also states that some adult Mourning Warblers can have what appear to be black lores. So, even though the description of this bird strongly suggests Mac-G Warbler, I'm not sure you can totally exclude Mourning Warbler.

Hmmm, we'll see.

Vagrant alert: Southern Lapwing in Florida? MacGillivray's Warbler in Illinois?

There has been a report of a Southern Lapwing sighted recently in Florida...does anyone know if there are any prior Florida records for this species? And does anyone know why these type of birds never show up when I'm in the Sunshine State?

There has also been a Mac-G's Warbler reported from the Chicago suburbs. The last part of May is typically a great time for vagrants in the Chicago area, so who knows what will turn up next!