Federal funding is no longer available to public institutions for ivory-bill search.
The search must continue with organizations like ours and individuals

Please support as you can!

We may not be able to make the anticipated trips this fall.
I have to go thru radiation treatment every day, for 7 consecutive weeks, starting shortly.
On September 15 I was officially notified that I had breast cancer, I have gone thru a series of procedures.
I had a Lumpectomy, the Md. feels that they got all the cancer and the pathology reports regarding the 2 lymph nodes removed came back clear.

SO, our trips may be more limited than anticipated this fall.

However, after the treatments we may be able to make more trips to the Bayou.

Norma

Planning to make some trips this Fall.
Not sure of dates yet. We'll keep you posted.

Remember to Check this out then read on, start below, on March 30, you must read from bottom up!

It's an Ivory-billed
Art AUCTION!
U can participate!!
A collection of different ivory-billed woodpecker artwork

This auction is sponsored by the
Austin Audubon Society

Share this news with a friend
or ibwo supporter!

Finally home!

Two canoes, still in place on top of the van.

Day 5, Sunday, April 12

We left Brinkley and headed home. I have to return to the classroom. As I have time, I will review the hours of taping I did of the decoys.

Bobby takes pictures of his partners and of the environment.

Then he has to go back down, of course!

Bobby carefully climbs tree to set the decoy in place.

Bobby Harrison prepares decoy for hanging.

Jim Carpenter, CEO of Wildbirds Unlimited, in full camo.

Out into the imense bayou.

Days 2, 3, 4: Thursday-Saturday, April 9-11

We were up before the sun to get an early start each day. It took about an hour to unload the van, load the canoes and reach the decoy deployment site. The purpose of this trip was to use decoys to attract an ivory-bill within camera range.

With cameras and decoys ready to go, we set out for a location south of AR17 to set up the decoy and video cameras. We were hoping an Ivorybill would take interest in the decoy and check it out. For this deployment we used an animated decoy that has a moving head. We were hoping the movement of the decoys head would make it easier to detect by a passing Ivorybill.

It takes about forty-five minutes to an hour to deploy a decoy and set-up cameras. Each decoy is placed about 15 feet up a tree, making it visible at a greater distance.

One of the trolling motors for the canoes failed before we even got started. So, John and Kevin paddled the entire trip. Paddling is not new for them, but paddling creates additional movement that might draw attention to a passing Ivory-bill and lessen the chance of an encounter.

After decoy deployment we each took a section of the swamp. At different times we each pursued an active search - moving through the swamp, and at times laying in wait for a bird by fly-by.

Taking down the decoys and cameras also took time. Decoys and cameras were taken down each day and re-deployed the next. Approximately 48 hours of video was made during the 3 days of deployment.

We typically got out of the swamp and back to town between 7pm and 7:30pm each evening.

We were not the only searchers in the swamp. On the dates we were in the bayou there were at least two other searchers working in other parts of the swamp.

DAY 1, Wednesday, April 8

Plans had been laid to meet with friends in Brinkley, AR to continue searching for the Ivorybill in Bayou de View. (photo left to right), Jim Capenter, Bobby Harrison, John Schaust and Kevin Carlson

We met at Gene's BBQ on Wednesday evening, upon our arrival to Brinkley. Jim, John and Kevin had arrive a day earilier and had already spent a day on the water searching for the elusive ivory-bill.

It's an Ivory-billed
Art AUCTION!
U can participate!!
A collection of different ibwo artwork

This auction is sponsored by the
Austin Audubon Society

Share this news with a friend
or ibwo supporter!

For those of u faithful watchers of this blog:

Norma is improving, doing physical therapy, she has graduated to a walker, hopefully soon she will walk independently. Thanks for asking.

If you check out this blog, please leave your name under comments or send us an e-mail. We want to know who we are reaching. If you have any questions for the Foundation or Bobby, you can do so here.

NEXT Search TRIP
We are planning a trip the bayou at the end of this month. Bobby plans to use his decoys and set up cameras on them. He wants to see if an ivory-bill shows up to check them out. The foundation has acquired all necessary permits.

The Kent, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation Newsletter, is now available.
To be included in our e-mailings, please send your e-mail address to:

ivorybillwp@aol.com

Bobby and Tim are speaking tonight at the Albuquerque Museum of Natural History. They will give a historical overview and updates of the ivory-bill.

They are attending the NANPA yearly convention.

Newsletter coming soon.
Sign up NOW!

I am compiling a list of e-mail addresses of interested persons to whom I will e-mail our newsletter,
'The Kent'.

Sign up by e-mailing me @ ivorybillwp@aol.com

IN THE NEWS, AGAIN!
The Showtime short film about the Ivory-billed woodpecker and Bobby's quest to find this iconic bird is featured in This American Life.

Description found in:

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/70568-this-american-life-season-two/

Check it out!

A short play has been written and is being produced in Baltimore, March 4-8

For more information about the play
http://www.umbc.edu/theatre/In10_2009.html


and check out the writer's blog @
http://www.writinglife3.blogspot.com>

We have a children's book about the rediscovery called:

To Find an Ivory-billed Woodpecker

It is available through amazon.com, click under new book

Hello everyone this is Bobby --- As mentioned in a previous post the foundation has received an Endangered Species Permit to use decoys. The foundation has now received its Special Use Permit (SUP) to use decoys in the Cache River NWR. All paper work is now complete and as time permits I will deploy decoys in the Bayou Deview area.

I still believe that Bayou Deview is the best place to obtain further confirmation of the Ivory-bills existence. My April 2008 possible encounter makes me believe that ivorybills are still using the area. Bayou Deview is narrow, providing a higher probability of an encounter. I currently have 7 days schedule in March to use decoys on Bayou Deview.

In November, 2008 four members of the Houston Audubon Society joined the search for the Ivory-bill. Water levels were extremely low and the only way to traverse the swamp was to walk. Fortunately the ground was not mucky and walking was quite easy. We walked about 12 miles over the two day period. We saw lots of birds, but not the one we were looking for.

If you are interested in checking the water levels on Bayou Deview go to, (waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/uv?07077700) . The water gauge on this site is for Morton, Arkansas. When the water level reads 13.3 feet and falling the water level is too low to put a canoe in and travel north or south of Arkansas Highway 17 near Brinkley. When the water level reads 14.5 - 15 feet and higher you can go just about anywhere in the swamp. If you plan a trip to Bayou Deview check this site first to see if there is enough water to canoe.

This is Norma writing.
We have several updates to insert. I have been slow in doing so because I had to have more surgery on my knee and there were complications with which I had to deal. I still have another procedure to undergo in the next week or so. We'll see.

It seemed to take forever, but it finally arrived: The Endangered Species Permit. This permit will allow the Foundation to use decoys in the field, as it continues its search for the Ivory-bill. The application process started in October of 2007 and the final paperwork finally arrived in August of 2008.

Hopefully the use of decoys will make a significant contribution in the continued search and documentation of this magnificent bird.

April 12th. As Bobby and Jim Carpenter, CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited traveled deep in the Bayou in Arkansas, they spied a large black and white bird flying in the distance. Both Bobby and Jim found the bird interesting in its speed, wing beat frequency and it flight pattern. While the bird flew like other Ivory-bills that Bobby has seen in powered flight it was simply too far away to say it was an Ivory-bill. But just in case, Bobby decided to deploy cameras in the area.

The next day, Jim and Wild Birds chief biologist John Schaust were in the same area. Both Jim and John heard and recorded more than fifty minutes of “kent” like calls.

Bobby’s cameras have now recorded more than 300,000 images in the area, but not all of the images have been reviewed. On September 6th Bobby made a trip to the swamp to retrieve the cameras for general maintenance. When he arrived at the deployment site he heard a distinct Ivory-bill like double-knock about 800 plus feet away. Bobby is anxious to finish review of the images already produced and eager to get the cameras back out in the swamp.

1st News!
September 2nd and 3rd: Bobby Harrison attended the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery Team meeting in Atlanta as a representative of The Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation. Search team leaders from each state gave a presentation of its search efforts for the 2008 search season. There were a few sightings as well as “kent” like calls and double raps reported, but as of this date no clear photographs have been taken. While sound evidence hints to the presence of Ivory-bills in numerous location, sound evidence must be carefully analyzed and is often considered questionable.

Search efforts will continue during the 2008-2009 season in Arkansas, Florida, and other states. The Cornell mobile search team will continue to check out areas as a quick response team. Future search plans appear to include less human searchers and more technology in the form of automated camera surveillance.

It is not known how much longer federal funding will be available for the continued search. While the federal government does not fund the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation, its search efforts will continue, even when other agencies' and institutions' funding is cut.

It has been about 5 months since my accident. I am not walking. I tire easily, but I will try to update as I am able.