Steve Sheridan’s Ivory-billed Woodpecker sightings.©Copyright 2004 to 2007 - Steve Sheridan, in full or in part, unless otherwise specified. Email, phone and Ivory-bill sighting data, from third parties, used with permission. Letters may have additional rights uses.
Original posted - May 21, 2005, additional update - August 24, 2005
Rob Creviston's 1970 Indiana sighting data added - January 19, 2006 (Refer to this date near the bottom of this web page, more updates to this data added 3/18/06 from a trip by Steve Sheridan to Derby, Indiana on Saturday, 2/18/06.)
Auklet commentary update added - March 18, 2006, amended March 26, 2006 (Auklet commentary removed per Steve Sheridan, July 2007)
additional link revisions, grammatical/typographical corrections - July/August 2007 and December 2007
Steve Sheridan’s Ivory-billed Woodpecker sightings.
“I originally felt that this mark was so insignificant that
I questioned myself as to whether I should even include it”.
This mark was very faintly noticeable at a now known distance of not less than
36 feet. This mark could only be seen when the crest was fully raised, when the
crest was slightly lowered, I could not see this mark. “I
was asked if I had read any of the really detailed books on the Ivory-bill, at
the time of questioning, I had not.
I was asked if I had examined any museum specimens
of Ivory-bills, to date, I have not. I was informed that this field mark is not
listed in regular field guides and this was very strong
evidence to support my having actually seen this bird”.
The off colored mark in question was actually an area of white feathering
showing through. The white feathering is a characteristic of male Ivory-bills,
which have white base feathering under the red crest feathers. Reference to this
mark can be found on page 109 of Jerome Jackson's book In Search of the
Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Guy, thank you so much for educating me on this
point...Steve Sheridan.
_Guy Luneau
addressing the white spot showing at the base of the red crest in a detailed
phone conversation with Steve Sheridan, who at the time was quite ignorant of
the significance of this mark.
--------------------------------------
This web page deals with Steve Sheridan's
sightings of two Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, one in 1970, the other in 1978.
These sightings and the digital files created from my actual field notes have
created a bit of a stir among those who have seen this data. The actual 1970
sighting and notes have been created largely from memory and I do acknowledge
the possibility that there may be some error regarding certain details. When I
say “from memory” it is in reference to myself and my family members, several of
which also saw this bird. My digital files were created from the original 1970s
notes in the fall of 2004. Included on this web site are the 3 pages of
“original 2004” digital files (with some new footnotes added up to 5/21/05) and
3 additional pages addressing some of the questions, concerns and points of
interest relating to these files.
I have nothing to gain by coming forward with my sightings and actually some to
lose. I have no reason for fabricating any of this data. I have nothing to gain
monetarily from my information. I feel that if this information may supply
the final piece to an almost complete puzzle held by another individual, then
all my efforts will be worth while. I also truly feel that if the
opportunity presents itself for in depth study of the Ivory-bills in the Cache
River area of Arkansas, these birds will show at least some behavioral
deviations from the old Singer Tract data. I feel that the Ivory-bill is
not a species that will conform to the exact “cookie cutter” ideals and
conceptions for this species. The Ivory-bill holds some still unknown aces in
its very thinned out deck of cards. This is proven by both the data in my
sightings and the fact that the bird has made it into the new century, despite
“NO CONFIRMED SIGHTINGS IN OVER 40 PLUS YEARS” until the year 2004.
Let us hope that the Ivory-bill will be able to prevail and persist into the
future. I truly hope that someday my daughter, Elizabeth, will be blessed to
have the opportunity to experience what I already have.....a close up sighting
of the magnificent Ivory-billed Woodpecker. In the interim, I hope to try to
educate her about this bird, starting with David Luneau’s wife Terri’s
children’s book “Big Woods Bird”. Terri, you beat Gretchen and I to the finish
line, we both had ideas of doing a children’s book on the Ivory-bill. This book
may possibly be as rare as the Ivory-bill itself, my guess would be that it is
probably the only children’s book on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
My first 1970 sighting consisted of a very
large woodpecker seen through the window of my family’s home. I
believe my mother (Pearl) was the first to see this bird and called us to see it
through the window. This Woodpecker was actively knocking wood off a rotting
stump in our yard, the bird was less than one foot from the ground. We saw that
the stump was covered with swarming insects but we could not tell what the
insects in question were due to distance. When I first looked upon that bird, I
remember thinking what a huge bird with a big red crest. No one in my family
had any preconceived ideas of what this bird was. We did not know what an
Ivory-billed Woodpecker was, nor did we even know what a Pileated Woodpecker
was. My mother got out the bird field guide and we located the bird in
question on page 181. The field guide we used was
“A Guide to Field Identification Birds of North America ©1966, Robbins, Bruun,
Zim, Singer”. There were pictures of both an Ivory-billed and a
Pileated side by side and we were all unanimous in that
the bird we were still looking at outside the window was an Ivory-bill.
None of us identified that bird as a Pileated. We saw the text
for both birds listed on page 180 but did not bother to read it since we were so
unfamiliar with the bird. We also looked at the range map on page 180 for the
Pileated. Since a range map was not included for the Ivory-bill, we incorrectly
assumed that the range map applied to both birds. I looked at the bird very
closely through the window, I must have watched it for over 5 minutes. I was so
taken with the appearance of the bird that I tried to memorize its features.
Shortly after the sighting, my brother Ben and I went out to investigate the
stump, the insects proved to be red ants (which were still swarming after the
disturbance) and ant larvae. The above incident is what has given me a
lifelong interest in birds and bird watching. Refer to page 4 of my
following PDF notes (at the bottom of this web page) for additional details and illustrations.
The 1978 notes have been created from
actual field notes written/illustrated by me within 20 to 30 minutes of seeing
this bird. After the 1970 sighting I was rather surprised that I
did not see more of these birds (I was seeing a fair number of Pileateds). I
later read the text in the above listed field guide, only to find that the
Ivory-billed was “On verge of extinction”. When I saw the bird in the 1978
sighting, I knew exactly what I was looking at. I was determined to get
a picture of this bird or, failing that, at least very detailed notes. This
explains the detailed notes that were recorded within 20 to 30 minutes of this
sighting. I deliberately memorized as much as I could while watching this bird.
I also deliberately did not refer to a field guide while creating my original
1978 notes for fear it would “taint” them. The details of this sighting are as
follows. I first saw this bird flying toward me from my left at an estimated
distance of over 100 yards. My first impression was that it was a Pileated, I
could see the red crest, but not yet any significant details. As this bird drew
closer, I began to get “odd flashes” of white where I did not expect to see any.
With the bird continuing to draw closer, it altered its course slightly away
from me and also turned its head very slightly in my direction. I am sure it
saw me, but it remained rather unconcerned as it continued on at a leisurely
pace. At this point in time it was now only an estimated 50 feet away from me. I
had originally guessed this distance to be closer to 70 feet, but actual
measurements taken in April 2005 proved it had been much closer. This minor
course alteration brought the bird into direct profile view with my line of
vision. At this point in time, there was absolutely no doubt I was looking
at an Ivory-billed and not a Pileated. The bird began flying away from
me at a quartering angle, showing obvious all white secondaries on the top side
of it’s trailing wing edges, with the black of the body contrasting against the
white wing pattern. When an estimated 70 feet away me, the bird landed with a
very steep upward swoop on a tree. The bird was now 8 to 15 feet (probably
closer to 12 feet) above the ground. The bird took three very jerky hitches
upward and slightly away from me then stopped, with its head facing away from
me. At this point in time, I decided to dash home (300 yards away) to try to
find a camera to get a picture of this bird. Upon my return, the bird was no
where to be found. The bird’s flight path had it flying from 10 to 20 feet
(estimated) above ground level, depending on the rolling topography of the
woods. I regret that despite my detailed notes, I was never able to clearly make
out the underside pattern of the far wing. Refer to page 5 of my following PDF
notes for additional details and illustrations.
I originally indicated in my notes that I had contacted National Birds and Roger
Tory Peterson regarding my sightings. National Birds was actually a
typographical error and should have read American Birds. I did not have access
to the original files on these contacts when I created my digital files. I had
gone through a residence move and believed these files to be lost forever in the
move. To my absolute amazement, on Saturday 5/21/05, I found my largely complete
records relating to my letters contacting the above parties. The results of my
old letters are posted below. The efforts made to contact the various parties
below are in response to the wooded area where the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers were
seen being logged beginning in 1982. The time span of these letters were from
December 12, 1982 to February 24, 1983.
Contacted were:
American Birds, Robert Arbib, Editor.
Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife, Ed Guljas, District Wildlife Biologist
Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife, Chris Iverson, Nongame Biologist
National Audubon Society, blind letter sent, contact name not recorded (first
letter mailed in December 1982)
National Wildlife Federation, Rod Cupka, Wildlife Resource Specialist (first
letter mailed in December 1982)
Roger Tory Peterson (first letter mailed on January 31, 1983)
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (date of first letter December 1982 or January
1983, records lost)
If any others were contacted, I show no record of it in my old notes.
Listed here is a brief description of the content of the letters.
12/12/82_Letter sent to the National Audubon Society regarding my sighting
(blind letter, no contact name recorded)
No record of receiving a response back from the National
Audubon Society
December 1982_Letter sent to the National Wildlife Federation regarding my
sighting (exact date not recorded)
See details to this letter on the return dates of 1/06/83
and 1/21/83.
12/22/82_Letter received from American Birds, Robert Arbib, Editor. (I failed to
keep a copy of the letter sent to American Birds, nor did I record the exact
date of my letter other than it was sent in December 1982).
Robert Arbib’s reply was “In spite of your close
study, we are confident that you were seeing Pileateds”.
December 1982 or January 1983_U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (records for this
letter lost)
No record of receiving a response back from U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
01/06/83_Letter received from the National Wildlife Federation, Rod Cupka,
Wildlife Resource Specialist
Rod Cupka’s reply was “I can not say you did not see what
you claim to have.” Mr. Cupka was at least open minded enough to suggest I
attempt to get photographs if I were ever to see these birds again.
01/21/83_Letter received from the National Wildlife Federation, Rod Cupka,
Wildlife Resource Specialist
Requested information supplied from National Wildlife
Federation to Steve Sheridan
01/31/83_Letter sent to Roger Tory Peterson
This letter outlines some of the details of my sightings,
In my original letter to Mr. Peterson I mentioned that from 1969 to 1978, I had
seen possibly 5 Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. (Steve Sheridan’s web page footnote, I
have since totally excluded three of these sightings because they were of very
fast high flying birds under very poor light conditions at extreme distances.
Due to the conditions, I could not rule out the possibility of Pileateds
specifically in regards to these three sightings). The original letter to Mr.
Peterson also included a typo., which shows as being pencil corrected on my
typed copy. The typo. states “The birds were of slim build and did not appear to
have a shaggy look about them”. The word “not” was marked out with pencil on my
old copy, so it actually read the birds did have a “shaggy” look (Steve
Sheridan’s web footnote, shaggy is in reference to the feathering in the throat
region). Amazingly enough, there is also a mention in this letter to Mr.
Peterson of my father, Patrick Sheridan (now deceased) stating to have seen an
Ivory-billed in this area as late as May of 1982 (I, Steve Sheridan, did not see
that bird).
02/11/83_Letter received from American Birds, Robert Arbib, Editor. (I failed to
keep a copy of the letter sent to American Birds, nor did I record the date of
this letter).
Robert Arbib’s reply was “While your drawing does suggest
an Ivory-billed, we find it impossible to believe that this species,
which is probably extinct, and if not, confined to southern swamp woodlands,
inhabits......” (the state the sighting occurred in has been omitted
from this web page by Steve Sheridan, the state is mentioned later in detail in
my notes).
02/14/83_Letter received from Roger Tory Peterson
Roger Tory Peterson writes (in summary), I have received
your letter and am intrigued. I have received perhaps a dozen letters similar to
yours. I think it would be wise to let one of the top birders in your area of
(state omitted, mentioned in detail later) know about your sightings and alert
them so that your record, if valid, may be confirmed. If the forest is being
logged there is scarcely anything that can be done. However, ivory-bills have
the potential of moving considerable distances. Because of their special needs
ivory-bills seem to be great rovers and not as sedentary as the pileated
woodpecker. I am forwarding your letter to the editors of American Birds who can
put you in touch with their regional editors for the (state omitted, mentioned
in detail later) area.
02/24/83_Letter received from Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife, Ed Guljas,
District Wildlife Biologist.
This letter actually detailed a conversation regarding San
Juan rabbits (a feral “gone wild” type of domestic rabbit) and cottontail
rabbits. I (Steve Sheridan) had made mention of Ivory-bills in this letter and
to that Ed Guljas responded “I am also forwarding your letter to: Chris Iverson,
Nongame Biologist because of your mention of the ivory-billed woodpecker. If he
needs more information reference that (then) he will contact you”.
02/24/83_Letter (via Ed Guljas) forwarded to Indiana Division of Fish and
Wildlife, Chris Iverson, Nongame Biologist
No record of receiving a response back from Indiana
Division of Fish and Wildlife, Chris Iverson, Nongame Biologist.
Due to an overall lack of response to, or belief of, my sightings I was quite
unhappy with the outcome. I felt as though I had been telling people I had just
seen the Loch Ness Monster, rather than a real bird that is truly known to have
existed. As a result of the above information and my young age, I kept my mouth
shut regarding my sightings until 2003.
It really seemed that many people could not accept the fact that I had actually
seen Ivory-bills, since they had not seen these birds themselves.
At that point in my life (2003), I again decided to come forward with my
sightings, despite the ridicule that I knew would follow. I was no longer going
to keep my mouth shut on this topic and I was/am fully prepared for the results
of my actions. I know I have truly seen these birds and I am not mistaken with
Pileateds.
My first new contact (2/05/03) was in an email to National Geographic,
addressed rather blindly to “Hillary Mayell or whom it may concern”. This email
received absolutely no response. After this total lack of response, I decided I
needed something to really get people’s attention regarding my sightings, so
what could be better than recreating my actual notes in digital format. Once
this was accomplished, I could send my actual notes and images to people via
email. Besides, my original pencil notes were in extremely bad shape from years
of handling (and coffee spills). I began in earnest on my digital files in the
fall of 2004, my second email was sent out in 9/22/04, the first digital files
emailed on 12/03/04 and I have been emailing these files ever since, up to the
current date. Recipients of that first digital emailing were
Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s David Bonter and Anne
Marie Johnson. Files were also sent
to Chester Moore on this date. Following this web write up are the digital pages
of my notes.
I would like to thank my wife, Gretchen and my good friend Lesley Bowen for
the time they have taken in proofing my poor grammer (oops, grammar) and
correcting many of my run-on sentences. I would also like to give special thanks
to Guy Luneau and Mary Scott for their positive ideas regarding the setup and
layout of this webpage.
This web page is dedicated to my daughter, Elizabeth Mera Sheridan. I
truly hope that one day Elizabeth will have the same opportunity that I
did................a firsthand sighting of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the
wild.
Addendum
added 8/24/05
I have decided to enlarge on some data from
my sightings that I originally did not feel was significant. Briefs of some of
this data are mentioned on this website/pdf files. Some of this data has only
been previously discussed in phone conversations or with family members.
The illustration originally sent with the letter to Roger Tory Peterson
(dated 1/31/83) was drawn to conform to the Ivory-bill illustrated on page 181
of the field guide below.
“A Guide to Field Identification Birds of North America
©1966, Robbins, Bruun, Zim, Singer”
The original illustration for R.T.P.s letter was deliberately not made to match
the actual birds of my sightings because who (back then) would have believed a
sighting of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker with a bill that was not ivory colored!
The actual birds of my sightings also had the white facial mark just behind the
eye (as illustrated in my PDF files), not all the way up to and touching the
bill as the above field guide has shown it.
1970
sighting- This bird was very “high energy” in
its movements. Although it was watched for several minutes, at no time was it
truly still as it moved around the stump. When this bird put its head down to
strike the stump, it lowered its crest somewhat. When this bird raised its head
to look around (as it did very frequently), it would raise its crest quite high
while flaring its throat feathers. The flaring of the throat feathers is what
produced the "shaggy" appearance under the throat. The white feathering at the
base of the crest was noticeable only when the crest was fully extended forward.
The forward/upward crest curvature was most noticeable when the crest was
lowered and least noticeable (but still present) when the crest was raised.
The bird’s general behavior was one of nervousness and high energy. It
continually stopped its feeding to survey the surrounding area. The bird’s
overall movements were very jerky to the extreme. I was asked by Bobby Harrison
if I remembered the manner that this bird struck the stump. Other than seeming
to remember that the bird struck the stump with glancing blows (I could be wrong
on this remembered point) rather than directly, I cannot recall more details of
the stump striking. I do remember that the woodpecker did dislodge large chips
of wood with each strike.
1978
sighting- This is the bird that I originally thought was a Pileated
as it flew toward me from over 100 yards away. The first impression I had of
this bird was that it looked mostly black from a far distance as it flew almost
directly towards me. Even at a far distance, I could see a small amount of red
from the crest. This red turned out to be from the upward turned TIP of the
crest, not the front part of the crest, which was black. I have seen both male
and female Pileateds fly toward me from similar distances and have not noticed
the described feature. The large areas of white secondaries on the upper
trailing edge of the wings were what actually first tipped me off that this bird
was an Ivory-billed and not a Pileated. I did not consciously notice the
significance of the head details until I had first seen the large areas of white
on the wings.
The following is a comparison of Pileateds to the 1978 Ivory-bill woodpecker
sighting in regard to frontal flight crest appearance. When comparing female
Pileateds in frontal flight, I have noticed the black frontal area of the crest,
but have never noticed the red area immediately behind the black when the birds
were at a distance. The red area of the crest is prone to laying flat when the
crest is lowered, so I have not been able to notice it from the frontal angle.
With male Pileateds, I have seen the red, but of course it touches the bill
because no frontal black is present.
When this 1978 Ivory-bill was flying parallel to me in flight, I mentioned that
it turned its head slightly in my direction. More details are as follows. When
this bird turned its head toward me, it also flared its tail and lower throat
feathers (again producing the “shaggy” throat appearance). I have never noticed Pileateds raising their throat feathers to produce this “shaggy” appearance. I
am not saying Pileateds never do this, I have just never noticed it in Pileateds.
During the tail/throat feather flaring, its flight slowed slightly. The flight
path at this point turned very slightly away from me, to the birds left, but not
a major flight deviation by any means. The illustration of the 1978 bird in
flight shows the tail in the “flared” position, making the downward turn to the
tail feathers more noticeable than when the tail was not flared. Although I have
seen illustrations of Ivory-bills showing a small amount of white on the tail,
at no time did I notice any white on this birds tail.
General comparisons between these two Ivory-bill
woodpeckers and the Pileated woodpeckers specific to the Corydon, southern
Indiana area.
Larger size-Both these Ivory-bills were very large, I think the size of
18 inches from bill tip to tail tip is probably accurate for the 1978 bird. The
22 inch size of the 1970 bird is an estimate based on my memory and family
discussions and I do acknowledge it may not be accurate. I would guess the local
Pileateds to measure between 15 to 17 inches from bill tip to tail tip.
Massive bill- The bills of these two Ivory-bills were much longer,
heavier, and more massive than a Pileateds. If the two species were of equal
size, the Ivory-bills bill would still be much more massive. The bird of the
first sighting had a noticeably blunt tip to the bill, not pointed.
Eye
color- The eye color of these two Ivory-bills were very noticeably pale
and contrasting against the black feathers. The eyes contrasted far more than
the eye color of any Pileateds I have seen.
Forward/Upward crest curvature- The crests of both Ivory-bills were very
noticeably forward/upward curving. I have not noticed this degree of curvature
in any Pileated crests.
Neck length- Both Ivory-bills had longer necks “in proportion to their
size” than what I have seen on any Pileateds.
Tail and wing length- My impression was that both the tail and wings of
the 1978 bird may have been longer in proportion to size than those features on
a Pileated. This was just a general vague impression, not a definite. I don’t
specifically remember this in regard to the 1970 sighting.
Slim build- I would describe the 1978 Ivory-bill as being slimmer than a
Pileated, despite the larger size.
Coloring- Although both the Pileated and Ivory-bill are black and white,
I have noticed the following differences. The color of both Ivory-bills was jet
black and snow white. On local Pileateds I have noticed that the black is not
always as dark as the Ivory-bill black. The Pileateds seem to sometimes show a
dulled black or lacing pattern on their lower sides that these Ivory-bills did
not show.
If I were asked to give a percentage of error at identifying these two birds, I
would say without a doubt that I am 100% accurate in my identification. I may
not recall some of the details exactly, but there is no doubt whatsoever that
both these birds were Ivory-bills. I have not even the slightest 1% of doubt, if
I did, I would never have put this much effort into recording my sightings.
Very sincerely, Steve W. P. Sheridan
Addendum
added 1/19/06 (Ivory-billed
sighting data listed here with permission of Mr. Robert Creviston)
The following is an account of two sightings of a male Ivory-billed Woodpecker
in Southern Indiana in 1970 by Mr. Robert Creviston. Mr. Creviston does not/did
not live in the area of these sightings. These two sightings (probably the
same bird) occurred in July or August of 1970 near Derby, Indiana.
This
location is very significant for the following reasons;
First - it is within roughly 20 miles (southwest,
by straight line) of the location of the
Sheridan sightings.
Second - it is within a marshy area located almost on the Ohio River and in the
Hoosier National Forest.
Third - there is the very strong likelihood that the male Ivory-bill from this
sighting could be the very same bird that was seen by the Sheridan family 20
miles northeast of this location in the late spring/early summer of 1970.
I (Steve Sheridan) was first contacted on 12/09/05 via email by Robert Creviston,
the person who saw this bird(s). Robert had read the information on this web
page and it prompted his response.
Here are the details of his sightings
The first sighting occurred as Mr. Creviston was driving to a church campground
(Glenwood Hills Church Campground) three to four miles southwest of Derby, Indiana. Mr. Creviston first saw this
bird in flight at a distance of 50 to 60 feet and a height of 12 feet above the
ground. The bird was flying over an open marshy area.
Observed were huge size, a very noticeable red crest, very prominent all white
secondary wing feathers with the white occurring on the top side of the trailing
edges. The bird flew across the marshy field and landed about 100 yards away,
the white was still very noticeable on the folded wings after the bird had
landed. Mr. Creviston stopped his vehicle to observe this bird and described the
sighting as an excellent sighting. He reported this to his uncle (a high school
biology teacher at the time), who immediately informed him he had "probably seen
a Pileated, since Ivorybills have been extinct for several years."
The second sighting occurred one week later as Mr. Creviston drove back to the
area specifically looking for this bird, but never expecting to see it again. The reason for the second search was because Mr. Creviston positively knew he
had not seen a Pileated, but had seen an Ivorybill. After searching the area for
over one hour, Mr. Creviston again located the bird. Mr. Creviston's second
sighting was again of this bird in flight at a distance of roughly 150 feet away
and at a height of 10 to 15 feet above the ground.
The bird was again flying over an open marshy area, but this time flew out of
sight into a wooded area without stopping or landing in view.
Again observed were huge size, a very noticeable red crest, very prominent all
white secondary wing feathers with the white occurring on the top side of the
trailing edges and a pale colored bill. Mr. Creviston did not recall if the bill
was white, ivory or very pale grey, just that it was definitely light colored.
Mr. Creviston described the flight of both sightings as slow (unhurried), very strong with
significant lift occurring in the region of the shoulders with each down stroke. The flight was definitely not straight.
This flight pattern is very consistent with the 1978 flight pattern described by
Steve Sheridan.
After interviewing Mr. Creviston at length by phone on 12/31/05, I am convinced
that he did indeed see an Ivory-bill. I found his detailed description of the
flight pattern to be especially convincing.
Sincerely, Steve Sheridan
Addendum
to the Derby, Indiana data added 3/18/06
On 2/18/06, I (Steve Sheridan) made a trip to Derby, Indiana (Rob Creviston was
unable to accompany me on this trip). I arrived in Derby around 3:00 p.m., I had
a late start this day due to inclement weather (snowy roads at my home in
Cynthiana, KY). The temperature upon my arrival was 16 degrees with patches of
snow to 3 inches in depth, but otherwise very sunny conditions. On the maps,
Derby appeared to be 18 to 20 miles from Corydon. By road, taking old 62
(traveling west) from Corydon to 66 (traveling straight south), the actual
driving distance was 43 miles. The actual location of the sightings was roughly
2 to 5 miles north/northeast of Derby, per a map supplied to me by Rob C. on
2/22/06.
For those interested, Corydon is located in Harrison County. Derby is located just inside Perry County/Hoosier National Forest (the southeastern edge), which is one county to the west of Crawford County. Crawford County is touching the western side of Harrison County. The Harrison-Crawford Forest occurs within both counties named.
The very small town of Derby is located right on the Indiana side of the Ohio River and surrounded by extensive woodlands. The area around Derby consists of upland hardwoods and low lying areas. I specifically saw a lot of red/white oaks, white pine and the low lying areas were/are prone to flooding. There were many rivers, creeks and small streams in this area that would contribute to extensive seasonal flooding. I also noticed a few "boggy" areas near some of the small streams. I would not refer to these areas as swampy. Although no Bald Cypress trees were growing naturally in this area, Bald Cypress that had been planted by a local resident was thriving and doing very well in this environment. This area also looked like a deer hunters paradise.
The woodlands were quite extensive, the lowlands were randomly interspersed with agricultural fields. Trees varied in size from small and scrubby to very large (in excess of 36 inches diameter, 100 feet in height). I also noticed a great many dead trees in some of the low lying areas and have no doubt these were flood killed trees. Dead trees were both standing and downed. There is no doubt that this area has the capability to supply extensive food resources to various woodpecker species.
In regard to bird species seen, the following woodpeckers were seen (5 to 10 birds per species), Red-Bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus, Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus and a single Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus was heard but not seen. Other woodpecker species normally native to this area that WERE NOT SEEN include Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens, Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus, Red-headed Woodpecker - Melanerpes erythrocephalus and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus varius.
Other bird species seen included a possible Marsh Harrier sighting and a positive sighting of a Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus. Robins and oddly, cardinals occurred in huge numbers. The large robin numbers (in excess of 200 birds) were undoubtedly due to unseasonably warm weather just prior to a cold snap. The cardinals occurred in flocks of 8 to 15, with a total count exceeding over 50 in an 8 mile stretch. Eastern Bluebirds were seen in large numbers, probably 20 plus birds. Slate-colored Juncos were also seen in very high numbers, with several flocks of 10 to 20 seen. The total Junco count probably exceeded 100 birds over an 8 mile distance. Also observed, quite unexpectedly for this time of year, was a very probable sighting of a Brown Thrasher - Toxostoma rufum. Various species of waterfowl (ducks and geese) were surprisingly completely absent.
In speaking with a local couple that lived and bird watched frequently in this area, I found that the following species also frequented this area. Bald Eagles - Haliaeetus leucocephalus were sometimes seen (not unusual for this area of Indiana). Great Egrets - Ardea alba, were sometimes seen uncommonly in the summer months, mixed with large flocks of Great Blue Herons - Ardea herodias. Great Egrets are typically a more southern species not commonly found in many areas of Indiana, their presence here indicates a possible predisposition to a potentially more swamp-like habitat than is the norm for Indiana. I spoke with the local couple regarding Pileateds, they were familiar with them and said many frequented the area. I asked if they had ever seen unusually colored Pileateds, they had not. We later discussed Ivory-bills at length, but with no significant information forthcoming from that discussion.
Sincerely, Steve Sheridan
Please direct any questions, concerns or comments to:
Steve W. P. Sheridan
Phone (859) 588-3661 (cell)
steve@sheridanzoo.com
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Other interesting sites you should check out....
Mary Scott's Webpage, with a wealth of Ivory-bill information/links and
details of Mary's own Ivory-bill sighting. I would recommend
checking this site frequently, as new links/data appear from time to time.
http://www.birdingamerica.com/Ivorybill/ivorybilledwoodpecker.htm
web logos/links shown here used with verbal or written
permission of respective owners
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Conservation Stamp Print Program and outstanding art/paintings by artist Larry Chandler. Regretfully, Larry Chandler passed away on March 17th., 2007 of pneumonia complications. Larry and his pleasant outgoing nature will be sorely missed. http://www.ivory-bill-woodpecker.com/ web logos/links shown here used with verbal or written permission of respective owners
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this includes various data and links regarding
Ivory-bills.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/index.html
web logos/links shown here used with verbal or written permission
of respective owners
Big Woods Bird, a children's book that I recommend. This book is now
available in hard cover as well. My daughter enjoys this book, especially the
large colorful pictures of different animals living in the swamp. This site also has the Luneau video
available for purchase.
http://www.ibwo.org/kurylane.html
web logos/links shown here used with verbal or written permission
of respective owners
Check out Laura Erickson's excellent website on birds at this link.
http://www.lauraerickson.com/
Also, I would strongly recommend checking out Laura's book, "101 Ways to Help Birds" at this link. http://www.lauraerickson.com/101.html
This book discusses not only birds, but many environmental issues current to what is going on in the world today. An outstanding read and very educational! Whether you are interested in birding or not, I highly recommend this book and give it top ratings. web logos/links shown here used with verbal or written permission of respective owners
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Researchers Forum is another website of interest. This site has active discussions on all data related to searching for Ivorybills, with much analysis of data. I highly recommend checking out this website located at the following link. http://www.ibwo.net/forum/ web logos/links shown here used with verbal or written permission of respective owners
The Ivory-bills LIVE website is definitely worth a checkout. This site is
usually updated on a daily basis and contains many links, updates and new
information. The Ivory-bills LIVE website can be located at this link.
http://ivorybills.blogspot.com/
web logos/links shown here used with verbal or written permission
of respective owners
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