[mou] birders invading Ivory-billed homeland

[Jim Williams]

I have been on three hunts for Ivory-billeds, albeit all in Louisiana, 
not Arkansas. The habitat is difficult at best: Swampy, wet, muddy, 
filled with snakes and bugs. You route your walk around the through 
bayous. If water is high, forget it. You can canoe or kayak, as members 
of this successful hunt did, if you have the time and skill and 
equipment. You need guides or very good maps. Getting lost is very 
easy. You fit your expedition into and around the few non-hunting 
seasons so you don't get shot. This is not Sax-Zim. Sax-Zim looks like 
downtown Minneapolis in comparison. Hoards of birders there might be, 
but they are going to go to extreme efforts for prolonged periods of 
time to have any ANY chance of success. The most recent members of the 
Cornell party to see the birds were in canoes or kayaks for 72 hours 
before being successful, so I am told.
These birds have chosen their habitat wisely.
Jim Williams
Wayzata



On Apr 28, 2005, at 11:31 AM, eckma001 wrote:

What will be the impact on these few birds of hoards of eager 
birdwatchers
invading its habitat?!?!?  It's best hope may be for all of us to leave 
it
alone and instead work to protect its remaining habitat from curious
humans.
Karlyn Eckman

On 28 Apr 2005, Sharon Stiteler wrote:
> This is one of the days that you dream of as a birder, either being the
> person to find it or reading www.cnn.com or reading "Ivory-billed
> Rediscovered" and realizing that you have a chance to see this bird in
your
> lifetime.
>
> There are so many questions around this.
>
> Are local townspeople and businesses prepared for birders?  What kind 
> of
> economic impact could this mean for those communities?  Is this going 
> to
be
> managed like the Kirtland's warblers with people only being able to
access
> the area at certain times of year?  Are there any ivory-bill tours
planned?
>
> -- 
> Sharon Stiteler
> Minneapolis, MN
> www.birdchick.com
>
>
>
>
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