[va-bird] Re: Ivory-billed Woodpecker Driving Directions


Hi all -

The Nature Conservancy and other organizations will announce in late morning 
in Washington, DC the discovery of one Ivory-billed Woodpecker near Brinkley, 
Arkansas.  Apparently, they have already posted a good deal of material to 
their website, in advance of the announcement.  However, I'm reading a lot of 
incorrect information on the listserves about the discovery, and I'd urge 
people 
to get the correct information later today, especially anyone thinking about 
driving westward from VIrginia.  While most people involved with this bird for 
the past 15 months are open to the idea of birders searching for it, most also 
fear that a mob scene could easily frighten the bird, which is extremely 
difficult to locate in a habitat that is also extremely challenging - a 
bottomland 
wooded swamp, abounding in snakes and insects and requiring a fair amount of 
equipment and backwoods skills.  There is very limited access to the area, and 
it may in fact be closed temporarily, owing to the premature leak of informa
tion about this bird.  So it's best to wait to find out what will be permitted, 
etc., before heading out the door.  If this is the last surviving member of 
its species, it would be unconscionable, not to mention illegal, to harass this 
bird in any way.  It is also imperative that birders visiting the area be on 
their best behavior with local people; ill will toward birders, for any 
reason, could become ill will for the bird.  The American Birding Association 
will 
also certainly weigh in on this bird and the Code of Ethics today or tomorrow, 
and this is something to be heeded.  

Virginia is separated from Arkansas by only one state (Tennessee), which 
takes about 7.5 hrs to cross (much more if you hit rush hour in Knoxville, 
Nashville, or Memphis, all of which have highway repair projects underway) via 
I-81 
and I-40.  It's best to travel during off-peak times.  After crossing the river 
into Arkansas, Brinkley is about another 80 minutes.  There are plenty of 
motels and basic restaurants there.  

Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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