Ivory-billed Woodpecker Trip Report, Ecological Notes and Discussion, Choctawhatchee River, FL - by Fred A. Virrazzi
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Ivory-billed Woodpecker Trip Report,
Ecological Notes and Discussion,
Choctawhatchee River, FL
by Fred A. Virrazzi
Painting by Janice Casper www.wallsofwonder.net
Table of Contents Brief Introduction and Highlights: pg 1 Trip Preparation: pg 1 Daily Log, 12/3/06 to 12/9/06 pg 4 Observations, Results, Discussion and Conclusions: pg 45 Methods: pg 45 General Habitat along the Choctawhatchee River: pg 45 Precautions When Visiting the River: pg 46 Forest Ecology: pg 47 Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foraging Ecology: pg 49 Ivory-billed Woodpecker Nesting Ecology: pg 50 Predator Community Composition: pg 54 Birds Found on the River: pg 56 Pileated Woodpecker Observations: pg 58 Putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker Observations: pg 59 Manifestation of Wariness in Species and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker: pg 61 Results/Conclusions: pg 64 Acknowledgements: pg 67 Proper Citation of this Work: pg 68 Reprint Information: pg 68 Bibliography: pg 68
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Trip Report, Ecological Notes and Discussion,
Choctawhatchee River
Brief Introduction and Highlights: A field trip to the Choctawhatchee River,
Florida occurred from 12/2-12/10/06. 12/3 to 12/9 was spent in the field looking and listening
for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers while noting the natural history of a continuous, 60 mile stretch of
the Choctawhatchee River (pronounced locally Choc-taw-HATchee) and its streams in the
panhandle of Florida. An additional 6 miles were hiked. An Auburn University (AU) team of
scientists/students reported suggestive evidence of Ivory-billeds gathered in 2005-06 along this
river. Local newspaper accounts (Anniston Star) also related reports prior to and completely
independent of AU.
6 ½ days were spent birding via canoe with hiking and camping near the river. All birds and
numbers were recorded except for vultures, most high soaring birds, American Robins (too
numerous) and some groups of small, silent passerines in the trees since none of these could be
large woodpeckers. Recording them would have lessoned the chances of seeing large
woodpeckers.
Upon my return the field trip notes, observations and literature review were combined to produce
this report.
Total woodpeckers 304
Ivory-billed Woodpecker 1 putative, not seen, one double rap heard
Pileated Woodpecker 49
Northern Flicker 87
Red-bellied Woodpecker 104
Downy Woodpecker 25
Hairy Woodpecker 3
Red-headed Woodpecker 2
Yellow-breasted Sapsucker 33
Other species of note:
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 (rare in Florida)
American Bittern 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 24
Barred Owl 27
Winter Wren 19
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
Blue-headed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 9
Belted Kingfisher 9
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Trip Preparation: Scores of eyewitness reports over the last few years of Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers in various southern US river systems had fostered a long standing desire to search
for this species since the Cuban discoveries of the 80’s.
1
In addition there have been dozens of first hand, reliable reports of people hearing intriguing
calls, putative calls and/or seemingly unique double knocking that may be Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers. Some of these sounds were recorded when heard by human ears and automated
systems recorded many more sounds, some that can be attributed to putative Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers. Richard Prum of Yale, an original doubter of at least the Arkansas video evidence
agreed after a presentation of recent Arkansas recordings that the audio evidence indicated a pair
of Ivory-billeds.
From this it seemed a more workman-like field trip could be planned with some minimal chance
that an Ivory-billed Woodpecker (IBWO) could be heard and/or seen. From 1986 to 2006 most
of the modern and older publications, literature, postings and the results of searches for the Ivory-
billed were read or reread.
Opinions were formed on the relative strength of different search methodologies based on the
observations, facts, assertions and success of others. Each of the four disjunct areas I have paid
particular attention to have different habitats, sizes, private property/access problems, hunting
seasons and seasonal fluctuations in water levels that influence selection of search areas and
certainly influence methodologies. In December 2006 I had several days available and even
though a suboptimal month for vocalizations in most or all Ivory-billed areas I was easily forced
into the field. Having only nine days influenced choosing a search area of some quality but not a
prohibitively expansive area.
Publications by Auburn University (AU) and my info gathering indicated that the
Choctawhatchee River had substantial public lands, no hunting in early Dec. and had not been
thoroughly surveyed for several reasons by AU except for a small, two square mile study area and
some unknown number of short visits to the rest of the river. A review of the occurrence of
certain key "indicator" species to qualitatively infer past birding pressure on the Choctawhatchee
was realized by reviewing the Florida Breeding Bird surveys. Swallow-tailed Kite, Broad-
winged Hawk, Mississippi Kite, Barred Owl, Kentucky Warbler and other species that should be
found in acceptable numbers in the drainage were found to be more lightly reported than would
be expected if the river was thoroughly covered.
Aerials concluded that the roughly N to S flowing river (except East River Island area) was in an
~ 2 to 3 mile wide corridor of riparian habitat bounded by some agricultural lands, roads, clear
cut areas, upland forests and pine plantations. This could confine individual pairs of Ivory-billeds
to a more linear and defined foraging area or territory in comparison to areas like the Big Woods,
the Pearl, Atchafalaya or Apalachicola that are much larger and complex ecosystems than the
Choctawhatchee. In addition any hypothetical territories could be conveniently and roughly
bisected by a survey line, that being the river. The water body would provide an open area to
possibly view a passing bird while at the same time providing a quiet and unobtrusive way of
doing an informal or formal breeding bird survey which is mostly done by ear. In the fall and
winter the noisy, dry leaves under foot are antithetical to observing this rare and wary species
forcing one to consider using waterways. The Choctawhatchee Ivory-billeds (sorry insert
putative before Ivory-billeds whenever its absence bothers you) were first located from the water
by AU.
So it would be the Florida panhandle. A few friends were asked at a late date to go but when they
insisted on hotel beds, 2 to 12 month notice, marital and parental blessing and guaranteed cell
phone access I quickly turned my time to trip logistics rather than pursuit of company. Besides
being alone would eliminate some of the problems with modern searches; too much movement,
2
noise and internal distractions. Note that a solo trip like this has it drawbacks and regardless of
advantages is not recommended for all searchers (see discussion section).
Pairs could have territories on one or more portions of the river and any initial trip should just
assess a good length of the river. On the final day of the trip or on a subsequent trip any areas
with scaling sign, sounds, vocalizations or sightings could be more thoroughly investigated on
foot or by canoe. AU would be given any important information gathered.
Pops made some minor touch ups on the canoe camo paint and seats. I prepared and laminated
the maps and gathered the various GPS, camping and camera equipment. "Bird" Casper shared
some pointers on his GPS unit and reminded me of the long list of things I allegedly have lost of
his over the years while on various excursions. ‘Turk” Meriney never provided the promised life
jacket. He must have based my swimming ability on the occasion when I impressively swam
back to the boat in the Hudson Canyon, 50 miles offshore. It was a hot day, a swim seemed
appropriate; no shark had been seen until I was a hundred feet from the boat.
The plan was to do the best 60 miles of the river in 6 to7 days with a completely provisioned
canoe that would be put in once and come out a week later, hopefully intact and downstream.
Field time would be sunrise to sunset. At various points hikes would be taken into select adjacent
areas along with canoeing up promising tributaries/streams. Entering the suspected AU study
area or streams would not occur.
The canoe was loaded on top and pointed S; some shuteye in NC was grabbed at some friends’
home after watching Rutger’s football lose in OT. Upon arrival, the terra firma around Morrison
Springs was birded, livery arranged; a local related that a reliable naturalist had reported a double
rap a few days before about 15 miles N of my desired put in spot on Route 90. Recalling that
there were some pockets of habitat and the WMA was up to 2 miles wide up there I choose to go
with this “hot” lead. I was put in at 7 AM on December 4 at Bakers Landing (Old Warehouse
ramp) on the west side about 12 miles via road and 15 miles via river N of Route 90. Realizing
that this change in plans may make the best habitat, East River Island, unreachable since it was to
be visited in the last few days of the "original" trip it was still the choice to make. A lead is a lead
and originally Prof. Geoff Hill of AU had been told by a local years ago that there were birds
even further N up the Choctawhatchee, perhaps in the Pea River, AL. That tip influenced him to
keep an open mind about the river's potential for this rare denizen.
Lists, notes and rough maps were produced but at times, necessary canoe maneuvers, map
reading, writing, waving the camera at fleeing Pileateds, packing gear, etc., precluded constantly
birding. Minimal pishing or scanning of winter feeding flocks was done since an increased
species list or numbers was not a goal. No recording gear, tapes or players were brought since
there was a plethora of audio data gathered already and the gear already being brought was a bit
excessive for a minimalist like me. More importantly the use of tapes to attract such a rare bird
seems unethical and potentially disruptive.
Friends sympathetic to the woodpecker’s existence mildly scoffed at any chance of seeing such a
rare bird but I half-jokingly said there were 14 sightings in about 300 field days by AU, 1
sighting/21 days and I would be there 7 days giving me a 33% chance of seeing the bird!
Naturally my chances were much less since AU increased their sightings by searching an area
where prior success had materialized. Finding “their birds” was not a goal of this trip but finding
a new populated area adding to location data on the species was.
3
Chances of hearing the bird seemed far from impossible with perhaps 100 people claiming a kent
or a double knock recently with on average something being heard for a good portion of the
people who had spent significant time in specific areas of AR, LA/MS or FL. Roger Tory
Peterson’s writings related that one should expect to hear ten Kentucky Warblers for every one
seen. Wary seems to roughly describe the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and Kentucky Warbler so it
was thought that the chances of hearing a bird were a magnitude greater than seeing one.
Daily Log: (expanded from original field notes)
December 3rd, Sunday, Took some shortcuts through SW Georgia off I 20 and took a minor
detour of a few miles to see a bit of Alabama. There were some large forested areas near an
assumed fish farm where many egrets and herons congregated. Various headwater streams of the
Apalachicola River originate here and after entering Florida, a minute stream was marked,
Chipola. The stream grows into another impressive river flowing with Ivory-billed rumors like
the Apalachicola.
While birding a few hours around Morrison Springs, livery was arranged. There was a medium
aged Bald Cypress stand there and later I ground-truthed that it may extend right to the river’s
edge about 1 mile to the east. Because of a recent woodpecker report I decided to start the next
AM ~ 15 river miles N from where originally planned.
On the west side of the riparian corridor were scattered farms. Many border areas had extensive
plantations of pine..
4
Morrison Springs is 300 feet deep and visited by divers; Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) is
dominant.
December 4th Monday, in the river at 7 AM with Bill's help; it was 48 deg. A few hikes and a
good pace eventually left 9 miles of river behind me. Two Anhingas gave the old name of Water
Turkey some merit by flying low across the river with spread tails.
5
Choctawhatchee River, this trip’s starting point, not all that far from Alabama.
-
The canoe finally hits the water. The river was only 75 feet wide here and the woods
immature in places.
6
There was a house boat every few miles.
A patch of holly trees was filled with American Robins and other birds.
7
The Blue River Spring is a short run of 100 feet from the west side of the river ~ 2 1/2 miles
south of this trips input.
This appears to be the entrance to BlueRiver Spring.
The warmer spring water, ~65 degrees, in comparison to the river’s low 50s, provided a
microhabitat for insects, which in turn attracted birds. Here were numerous kinglets, 2 Pine
Warblers and the trip’s first Black-and-white Warbler. Winter Wrens were common along the
main river with their treble notes easily recognizable. One or two were found each mile.
Evidently they detected the camouflaged canoe and the few attempts at a photo failed. During a
forest hike the GPS was tested while a foraging Orange-crowned and Yellow-throated Warbler
were at a west landing in a large secondary patch. Most of the best habitat was found in the 4
miles just north of Route 90. Large stretches of the river above Route 90 were bordered by only a
hundred to two hundred yards of deciduous forest, appearing to be 30-80 years old with fields or
lumbered areas beyond that.
8The warmer percolating water attracted insects and birds.
9Looking east while leaving the short run to the spring.
Back on the river.
10After viewing a large stretch of the watershed and relative habitat quality it would be surprising if
any Ivory-billeds are nesting in the 15-mile stint above 90. The lane could be non-breeding
habitat, feeding area of secondary importance at best and/or an outbreeding dispersal corridor
allowing birds to move up and down the large watershed. The tip did not pan out.
Setting up late on a 2-acre sandbar, which this river is famous for in canoeing circles, a fire was
kindled and a Corona enjoyed but fatigue prevented searching for the lime. The food bag was
tied up but certainly wasn't bear proof. A fight to the death was in order if any animal came
around thinking I should live off my fat and wildberries for the upcoming week. Besides it was
unethical to compete with Ivory-billeds.
Landing for first night’s camping on a sandbar that this river is famous for. Killdeers and a
Spotted Sandpiper tolerated my presence.
Barred Owls were about and the nearby, less than emphatic, oft repeated 3 or 4 toots in the early
AM revealed a Northern Saw-whet Owl, certainly very rare for Florida. A fellow Fred from New
Jersey, claims the first Florida record and specimen from years back from St. Augustine. The
Saw-whet’s presence indicated the severity of the lingering cold front but I made no connection at
the time. There were various vine tangles, hedgerows, a few pines, and low secondary growth
making the location acceptable for a Saw-whet unsuccessfully fleeing a record chill.
December 5th Tuesday, 6 AM 24 degrees. "Louis had a bad night. Once I thought he’d
died" (Deliverance). It was unexpectedly much colder than the average low I had researched for
early December. There was ice on everything and the Frosted Cheerios really were. Upward
spiraling fog floated from the relatively warm river surface. It was a good picture, but the
opportunity was initially passed as it would of required movement of my body that felt 20 years
older than yesterday.
11The dark brown wood of the canoe is white with glaze. Loading back up to leave and preparing to
hide all that color from wary eyes.
Focusing back on the task while jogging in place I thought that certainly they must eat more fruit
and berries in the winter since Cerambycid and Buprestid larvae must burrow deep in the wood at
this time of year. Ivory-bills may have a larger winter territory than they have in times of
invertebrate activity and seasonal food resource abundance.
Woodcocks lifted off like small dirigibles from the willow tangle as a bit of wood to thaw out was
gathered; a Spotted Sandpiper with its mesmerizing flight went downstream followed soon after
by my ice glazed paddle. The first Pileated of the trip sounded off but could not be located for a
picture-taking, dry run. The camera battery had drained down to nothing; another was loaded in
and the auto power off delay was changed from 4 minutes to 1. One battery gone in a day, two
batteries to go for six more days...hmm.
The fourth or fifth Pileated was the first to allow binning for a second through trees but still no
picture of any birds yet. It was hard to contemplate how even one experienced person could
mistake this for a “definite” Ivory-billed and left those elaborate plots involving multiple-cross
eyed conspirators to Oliver Stone fans.
Here in one of the last detailed historical accounts of an Ivory-billed from 1942 certain dramatic
differences in the species from a Pileated are noted: “Breathlessly we stalked the insistent toots,
stepping carefully, stealthily, so that no twig would crack. With our hearts pounding we tried to
keep cool, hardly daring to believe that this was it -- that this was what we had come fifteen
hundred miles to see. Straining our eyes, we discovered the first bird, half hidden by the leafage,
and in a moment it leaped upward into the full sunlight. This was no puny pileated; this was a
whacking big bird, with great white patches on its wings and a gleaming white bill. By its long
12recurved crest of blackish jet we knew it was a female. Tossing its hammer-like head to right and
left, it tested the diseased trunk with a whack or two as it jerked upward. Lurching out to the end
of a broken-off branch, it pitched off on a straight line, like a duck, its wings making a wooden
sound." (Roger Tory Peterson).
This account from the Singer Tract where some birds had been acclimated to approach, a’ la
Mountain Gorilla, by the caretaker J.J. Kuhn, emphasizes the great size disparity between these
species. In addition RTP had seen a female which are thought to be ~ 5% smaller than males.
The Ivory-billed subspecies of the US is ~ 18% longer than the smaller subspecies of the Pileated
found in the South. Even more distinguishing than simple length, an Ivory-billed is ~ 60% larger
in weight and assumed volume, with a disproportionate amount of the increased girth being
concentrated in the “shoulders and first ribs” of this specie’s torso.
Size is a field mark that some observers are better able to decipher than others. And using size
when the two or more pertinent species are not in the same field of view, which is often the case,
is of decreasing value in direct proportion with the distance of the bird from the viewer. Certainly
the field notes from certain modern observers of Ivory-billeds may have been less ambiguous or
vague in the use of “large”.
However, to suggest that experienced birders would confuse the two species, even in flight, at a
distance of 30 to 100 yards, based on size and jiz alone, is to negate what experienced birders do
in the field every day. They view one, two or more distinguishing, unmistakable field marks and
the size of a bird and correctly call out the ID between even two congenerics. Here we have
species of different genera, jiz, size, flight characteristics and several plumage characteristics.
If we are to portray the field identification problem by comparing the difference in a yardstick
(Pileated) to a meter stick (Ivory-billed) it is not only substantially wrong in overall length and
relative length differences but also that should be one comparatively, wider, plumper, uniquely
shaped and mostly white meter stick for the Ivory-billed.
Comparing a flying plump, barrel bodied, 20 inch long, 75% white winged model plane with a
17 inch long slim bodied , 25% white winged model plane would be more appropriate. After
seeing the smaller, slimmer and darker model ~500-2,000 times in your life, postulations whether
you could easily tell these two flying models apart at 25 yards, 50 yards, 100 yards, etc. are left to
the reader.
The habitat between Routes 90 and I 10 was scenic and dense, but not nearly cathedral-like. But
still the habitat was noticeably improving. The first person sighted on the journey was a
fisherman happily proclaiming eight catfish in a few hours. He had no motor and when asked in a
contrived southern accent what he was using he said, “They’re hittin’ stink bait”. I nodded my
approval as if I knew what stink bait was. Certainly it must smell bad but not to muddogs.
Wanting to ask him about local birds I paused, afraid his detection of either my bad southern
accent or Jersey accent would cause some resurrection of long past battles perhaps leading to a
more intimate introduction to stink bait.
Below I 10 the habitat again improved slightly; a wilderness hike beckoned. There was modest
dead wood in the 100 acres explored with the forest consisting of 60- 80' deciduous trees. The
numerous, mostly dried sloughs and holes were a trap waiting to claim the recently desk ridden.
Carefully crossing a V shaped slough my boots slid and my feet raced from under me.....my
hands unconsciously opened in surprise flinging the camera and long lens up and then the
13equipment met gravity..... recovering in mid fall I reached out recapturing it before it met the
ground. I took the expected resounding thump to the shoulder and head, areas generally difficult
to damage on me. Getting up I inspected the camera then examined the slough mud looking to
blame the crack in the sidewalk for the slapstick fall. The mud did possess an exceptionally
frictionless quality. Scores of visits to the glades, Tortugas, Fakahatchee Strand, Okeefenokee
Swamp, Big Cypress, Loop Trail, etc. but still northern swamp boy meets new enemy………. and
will remember.
Interstate 10.
14The second person of the trip.
December 6th Wednesday, Up at 5 AM, in the water at 6 with numerous Pileateds in this
stretch and several Red-shouldered Hawks. Woodpecker numbers and diversity are increasing
and soon every species expected inclusive of Red-headed was found. A Pileated single knocked
in need of territorial security…....sounded similar to what’s been heard for thirty years.
The location of a large holly tree stand that attracted good numbers of birds of a handful of
species was noted. Ivory-billed may be more dependant on vegetable matter (nuts, berries, acorns
and fruits) in the fall when beetle life cycles make larvae more difficult to find. Larval biomass
may be at its lowest in fall and winter when many species are overwintering in the adult or egg
stage. Cooler weather may force some larvae deeper into the food substrate and the feeding rate
of the beetles may slow. Woodpeckers that hear, detect feeding vibrations or smell grubs may
have more difficulty in locating and reaching prey at this time of year.
Certain large Coleopteran species can take two or even three years to mature but these species are
certainly rarer now with the old growth forests a thing of the past. Dispersal of phototactic insects
via moonlight certainly has been disrupted by lights not engineered for biodiversity friendliness.
Modern mid-successional forests may be dominated by beetle species that are smaller in size and
multivoltine or complete one life cycle a year. Foraging regimes for the “modern” Ivory-billed
may include the taking of more larvae per time period with the average larvae being smaller than
an Ivory-billed took in old growth habitats of the past.
A few Blue Jays were in this stretch. Eastern Phoebes were numerous and certainly southern
rivers like the Choctawhatchee are important wintering areas for this short distance migrant
flycatcher. The journey was running a bit late as far as downriver progress; the fluid lane
swerving back and forth like Lombardi Street more than was appreciated during the hectic, trip
planning process. Canoeing upstream to Morrison Springs might have to be skipped.
Expecting to recognize Morrison Springs outflow stream's junction with the river by the incoming
flow of clearer spring water, you actually come across a fork to the west, also flowing southish.
This turn to the west must lead you to the incoming Morrison Springs stream. The fork is
recognizable by the abrupt tree community change to cypress, to the west, right about there. A
good map is needed for the river which has many switchbacks and certainly the channel has
changed many times in the past. Older resacas and oxbows pop up here and there and even a map
and patience can’t always tell you where the heck you are. It reminded me of some of the dense
lowland jungle rivers in the Osa peninsula of Costa Rica where we searched unsuccessfully for
Harpy Eagles many moons ago and were forced to walk in the river with crocodiles to make
camp before dark. We did see a tapir and many nice birds.
The Morrison Springs area is dominated by Taxodium. Since nothing gleamed from the recent
literature on encounters indicated that the Ivory-billed is an obligate forager in cypress stands the
side trip was skipped for the more diverse tree community and the associated myriad of feeding
opportunities found along the main branch. Bald Cypress has a natural oil, Cypressene, that gives
even dead wood some resistance to various fungi and insects and therefore Picidae foraging
opportunities are not substantial.
Continuing briskly down the river several Red-shouldered Hawks were very vocal; the majority
were reacting to my presence effectively warning all animals within a large area that an intruder
15was present. Only one out of the score heard on the trip were actually scolding before the canoe
was within a few hundred yards of their assumed position. They were also close to impossible to
view well as they loudly skulked along the entire length of the river although by far they reached
their greatest numbers in this section which had some islands and some 90' trees. This section
had some Ivory-billed potential assuming these forest buteos aren't a predation problem or a
perceived predation problem by one of the largest flying woodpecker meals in the world, causing
them to avoid the area at least for nest selection.
The float had some straight stretches; with the usual 2 mile an hour flow on the 250-foot wide
river there was plenty of opportunity to think while looking perpendicularly into the woods. The
best habitat stretches with the highest number of large trees, roosting holes, nesting holes,
standing dead wood and food availability also seemed to have the highest density of Barred Owls,
Red-shouldered Hawks and perhaps other arboreal predators. Since Ivory-billeds nest a bit earlier
than other Picidaes, late winter/early spring predator demographics should be important to any
predictive model for IBWOs.
Ivory-billed nest hole selection may be influenced by multi-variate factors with forest
characteristics beyond tree diameter at breast height (dbh, DBH), canopy height, immediate tree
community composition and standing dead wood concentration also important. Predation
pressure is discussed in the results section of this report.
Barred Owls were numerous.
On the east somewhere was a lake according to the map and a small stream gave it’s outflow
away. Sliding the canoe into a still slough, the sloped sides covered with that innocuously
appearing mud, the bank was carefully scaled displaying that a new norm of reaction had
developed within me in minutes. Entering the woods; the hideous crunching of the dry leaves
16impeded the approach to this isolated, tropical looking lake that had leaning dead timber on it’s
shores.
Finding it impossible to be quiet an odd number of irregular steps was taken on my toes followed
by stopping; the process was then repeated, imitating a browsing deer rather than a potentially
deadly, two-legged predator. An Anhinga and Wood Duck seemed confused when they finally
saw me and the ducks never took flight. Numerous dead trees were in the area and finally some
older roost holes of large woodpeckers were found. Various woodpeckers were about and as a
soft Barred Owl call was produced, a Hairy Woodpecker and some sapsuckers balked.
Back down river a crystal clear stream borne from a spring flowed into the main channel. Verdant
vegetation on the steep, exposed banks beckoned me in as if an emerald gate. It seemed and was
a special place and the deciduous forest with oaks of southern persuasion, tupelo and hickory
soon gave way to mostly young cypress.
A stream entered the bottomlands.
A somewhat odd shaped beaver head paddled with the current towards me from a distance. The
odd cranium belonged to a North American River Otter; it swam within twenty feet then dove and
submarined underneath the canoe never to be seen again.
17-
18While still grinning over this, a rufous American Bittern was surprised while lounging or fishing
15 feet from me completely in the open on the edge of the crystal stream. It waddled away over
the bank leaving only its upper torso in view and sky-pointed while keeping an eye on me from
behind a rise. I moved on to convince it that this cryptic technique was effective and to preserve
its self esteem if it had anything like that.
19American Bittern.
The stage seemed set for something spectacular to appear and my awareness was heightened. I
did a soft Barred Owl call and a large, silent woodpecker flew through my peripheral vision in
from the left and landed on the back of a 90-foot tall tree directly upstream. It called and gave
itself away; it was the only Pileated of scores encountered that posed long enough for a photo on
the entire trip. The male hammered away at the bark in a peculiar way, with single exaggerated
blows a few seconds apart. They were more like territorial knocks but I wasn’t sure what he
expected me to do.
Both Pileateds and Ivory-billeds have been hunted in at least Florida by a subset of the hungry
locals who swear to their tastiness; neither species should be expected to be easily captured on
film in parts of the South. A local enforcement agent confirmed that Pileateds have been eaten in
20the area and there is that 1950s report of an Ivory-billed being served up in Florida for dinner
(Miller, circa 2000). This recent hunting was preceded by southern Indian tribes trading the bird's
bills with northern cousins who valued them for chieftain coronets (Catesby, 1731). When the
native Indian tribes received guns from the settlers there was increased hunting pressure on any
animal whose odds of killing could be improved with the use of gunpowder. Of course Native
American populations also rapidly plummeted due to diseases which they had little immunity to.
Male Pileated Woodpecker from a good distance.
Soon the stream split into shallow fingers that massaged their way into the cypress wood and
disappeared; it was time to turn around and flow with the current back to the main course hoping
the same characters and perhaps some new players would be seen.
21Upon returning to the wider and less intense river the birds that had warned the local menagerie
of my presence as I purportedly moved inland with silence and camouflage were jotted down.
First within 50 feet of the mouth, a pair of Wood Ducks noisily took flight, their wings whistling.
At least they didn't whine their squeal. Then a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker kerred away at me
immediately followed by the even louder kerring of a Red-shouldered Hawk. A hundred yards in
the assumed same Wood Ducks had enough of me and this time squealing was in order, since not
squealing hadn't stopped me earlier. A group of Wild Turkeys scampered into the Taxodium and
Sweet Gum stand. Finally a Hairy complained. So much for surprising a Southern Giant
Woodpecker on the noiseless water.
On some sweeping 90-180-degree river turns the undercutting of the sand banks was severe.
Here like in many portions of the dynamic river edge, tree roots were exposed causing stress and
mortality. A string of ~ 80' tall planted pine trees that had died in the last few years were
noticed. The bark scaling was excessive on a few from base to crown. Subsequently on my drive
through wooded Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas I couldn't find any recently deceased tree
with even 10% of this surface scaling. This was possible Ivory-billed work right in front of me
(see pictures). Unfortunately the steep bank, littered with trunks, negated closer investigation
with my eyes, caliper or camera.
-
Two views of the same tree.
22-
Still the same tree showing scaling.
- -
23Beetles on earth for 330 million years, can detect chemicals from stressed trees.
24The dynamic bank has caused tree stress and mortality for some time.
-
More scaled trees in the same general area.
25-
A
Thick tangle along the bank showing years of accumulated trees.
26At the next boat ramp was my first encounter with assumed bird watchers some 35 miles down
trip. One yelled some questions to me, asking where my put in was and where my destination
was................the three days of solitude had caused me to forget how to speak and I mumbled out
some vague words to these strangers who were probably seeking the same answers as me. The
water level was down for December and the steep, undercut outer bends of the river exposed 10’
high, unlandable, tangled root walls. The inner bends with their lower elevation and sand
deposition supported more obligate wetland species such as willows and this was the only
camping choice available at sunset. If you were in Grizzly Bear country this was an area you
would never hike in let alone offer up a prone body while camping.
The inner bends of southern rivers with their sandy soil, periodic flooding, low willow tangles
and herbaceous understory comprise an important wintering microhabitat for North American
birds. These areas have the thickest understory since the Salix sp. adapted to these soil and
hydrologic conditions grow no more than 20 feet tall allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor.
The river forest in comparison had a relatively unbroken canopy succeeding towards a gallery
forest allowing limited sunlight.
The tepid oasis caused the eddying water near the bank to support an increased metamorphic rate
for Dipterans (e.g., flies and mosquitoes). Somewhat shielded from winds and exposed to winter
rays the relatively higher ambient temperature in the willow bends congregate insects in fall and
winter. The insects provide needed sustenance for birds which in approximate order of
abundance here were Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers,
Carolina Wrens, White-throated Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes, Northern Flickers, Winter Wrens,
Swamp Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, Common Yellowthroats, Song Sparrows, Blue-headed
Vireos and Gray Catbirds. Wood Ducks were abundant in the cover provided by the willows
along with the occasional Mallard and Great Blue Heron.
27As darkness fell a deer snorted out its breathy warning bark at me and a raccoon rambling on his
route was surprised to find a tent in it’s way. A massive beaver slapped his tail on the surface.
An ostrich egg-shaped woodcock dropped in like a lobbed football and landed in the tangle 30
feet away. A Barred Owl silently glided in and perched less than 50 feet away while hooting a
few protests to my squatting. Thick understory and a slight drizzle prevented a fire so cooking
some soup on a sterno was a trip first while suffering the only mosquito bites of the expedition.
A large moon rose casting subtle shadows on the tent that emphasized the wilderness of the river
basin.
December 7th Thursday, It was pleasant sleeping conditions in the 40’s and the paddling
began on the river by 7 AM. Almost immediately a scenic stream leading east into an area of a
few square miles of good habitat was reached. There were a few dangerous cuts and turns here to
enter a small, tree enshrined delta with many submerged logs and invisible knees. While gliding
silently into the narrow, natural boulevard lined with 60' cypress a distant shot rang out. This
caused someone unseen 100 feet inland from me to yell out "hello, don't shoot" thinking I may
also be a hunter. It was the birders from yesterday and we exchanged hellos and shared a few
comments on Ivory-billed news and politics. They had on waders up to their ears which I thought
was strange since there were few streams that were impassable or even flowing this dry fall.
Perhaps this stream was their main search area.
There was substantial stands of forest along the river.
Continuing about 3/8 of a mile up this stream brought me through the territories of numerous
woodpeckers and an always nervous Belted Kingfisher. Perhaps being the first intruder these
animals had seen in weeks, they all vocalized. A Barred Owl was found with drooping eyelids in
a large hole in a cypress. When logs blocked the stream the exploring continued further upstream
on foot where numerous standing and fallen deadwood rotted. Young and older cypress trees of
28multiple generations lived there (see pictures).
There was an abundance of loose, standing bark with a surprising minority of it missing from the
mostly, long ago dead trees. Deciding to pull off a few square feet of bark to record what
invertebrates where there caused surprise when the first piece had 5 huddled Brown Anoles, an
introduced lizard species, under it.
During the trip ~ 6 square feet of fairly loose bark was examined yielding 5 Brown Anoles, one
30 mm centipede, one Carabid ground beetle and one 10 mm spider. Most of the bark pieces
were replaced.
-
Beetle larvae left their mark.
29Large cypress trees were spread out in the river basin, but were not found during every hike.
There were groups of these trees in several places visited.
30Three foot high pneumataphores allow cypress root oxygen exchange during high water.
Continuing the journey back on the main river I began scouting for both an area with optimal
mature habitat that could also serve as a campsite if the hike lasted longer than anticipated. Bank
conditions were difficult but a pullout was picked.
A nice loop hike to the NW for over 2 hours produced a good list of birds but nothing
extraordinary. Canoed a few miles downstream and picked a campsite that could also provide
some good hiking the next morning. It was apparent at this stage that the pace would have to be
hastened if the 120’plus trees in the East River Island area were to be gazed upwards at. That
area could be some of the best habitat left in Florida.
Throughout the day the habitat was acceptable with a relatively complex forest community
consisting of a mainly 60’ to 80’ trees with a few reaching above the canopy per acre on average.
It wasn’t a coarse canopy but still seemed very livable if you were a Campephilus (grub lover).
December 8th Friday, It was quite a cold night..... again in the low twenties, as usual a great
vacation spot had been chosen for relaxation. Every piece of clothing was put on. That
inadvertently increased my girth to proportions that prohibited the zippering of the sleeping bag.
Shaped like an anaconda that had swallowed a Capybara, several hours of sleep were squeezed
from the night.
A loop hike was planned in an area of decent canopy, 60 -90' with a diversity of trees that turned
out to have linear corridors of cypress and sizable natural pine stands. DBH of the majority of
trees was 18”-24" with some cypress up to 6'. Tree density varied from ~100 to 200/acre.
31Standing and fallen deadwood was average with a few to several standing dead trees per acre.
Bark scaling was minimal but long dead trees showed plenty of woodpecker work. Large tree
holes in this area as elsewhere in the basin were very scarce which may be an indication that the
Pileateds were able to find enough food negating the need to excavate time-consuming holes.
Regardless my observations were rather informal in these data sets and any inferences are not
empirically based.
Leaf crunching again was irritating and I couldn't imagine getting close to any animal unless it
wanted to see me. Walking in a deer-like pattern with frequent stops was a slow way to cover the
few miles I wanted to see and soon Homo habilis was plodding through the woods. Woodpeckers
were in good numbers including a few Pileateds. The habitat looked acceptable for an Ivory-
billed and 5% of the area consisted of patches of trees less than 30' in height these being willows
that naturally have an unimpressive maximum height; the other 95 % was secondary forest of
moderate height. The area, like much of the Choctawhatchee had ground cover of Saw
Palmettos. Another plant with berries was photographed (see pictures).
The perimeter of a bit less than a square mile was covered. The area seemed relatively diverse
for the basin with different plant communities every few hundred yards. The final turn back to
the campsite at about 10:00 was along a drying streambed, with intermittent pools of dark water
and some large diameter cypress trees. Their straight, lower trunks reminded me of the trees in
the John Dennis and Lowery Ivory-billed pictures and with the hike soon to end I decided to go
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
At this location a strong and powerful, woody and vibrant double knock hit me fully as I directly
faced the source direction.
I was a bit shocked at my luck rather than by what was happening and was partially paralyzed for
a few seconds but calm. The knock came in from an ~ 5 degree angle above horizontal indicating
it was produced from some noticeable height above grade from my position. The topography in
the direction of the knocks was later found to be level. The first knock was much heavier than
anything a person could easily produce with the second note a mere echo of the first, perhaps one-
half the volume, coming much less than a fifth of a second after the first knock had started. The
first knock blended into the second knock since the vibrations weren’t completely done from the
first knock after the second knock began. A unique quality of the knocks was the vibrations felt
on my chest which was not dissimilar to how a Ruffed Grouse’s drumming can sometimes be felt
in your chest whether the drumming is silent or not to your ears.
The bird was to the NNW and the wind was ~ 5-7 mph N but minimal on the forest floor. The
estimated distance was 1/8 to 3/16 of a mile away. I have minimal familariaty with the
quantitative influence of wind on sound perception.
Keeping still and looking N through the forest for several minutes produced no more clues to the
bird’s location or presence. While taking some steps a low volume plaintive, creak-like eehhh, of
less than a half of a second was heard. This froze me; my pulse quickened. Staying still the soft,
quick eeeehhh was heard again a few minutes later but the angle was ~25 degrees above grade
meaning if a bird it had to be within ~350 feet of me. I saw nothing and attributed this to tree
creaking. Upon returning home I was a bit shocked to discover that the Auburn kent calls where
quite a bit more mellow and unassuming than the ten minute accumulated collection of kents and
calls from the Singer Tract. And to me the AU sounds had no “k” in the calls making them more
like what I had heard in the Choctawhatchee. Indeed the Singer recordings are known to be only
a partial collection of the vocalizations an Ivory-billed can do.
32Had the bird approached closer after the double knock? Tropical Campephilus sps. are known to
flyover human intruders and then settle back at a distance to observe any perceived predators.
Regardless the moment had long past and my chance to investigate the source was gone. A
cautionary word to those searching is to listen to both the Macaulay Library and the Auburn U.
tapes before hitting the woods. Each has quite different calls.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/MacaulayLibrary/
http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss3/art2/ (hear appendices 7-10)
Blue black berries (hard to see) on this
understory plant could be elderberry, Sambucus sp, or Viburnum,
perhaps V. acerifolium; possibly a type of Greenbriar, Smilax sp.
Your average 7 foot dbh cypress. The bins are about 7 inches long.
The tree creaking kept me in the area for at least a half hour after the knocks. No Pileateds were
heard for ~ 30 minutes before the event or after. There had been a few Pileateds calling earlier in
the day but no other knocks were heard of any type of large woodpecker. I returned to the
33campsite, which was only four hundred yards away. After a two minute lunch, a brisk hike to the
possible area of the knocks and some circling did not reveal any large woodpeckers. Staying out
about another hour must have put me within a few hundred yards of where the double knock
emanated from. There were several candidate 90’ trees of a few species that could have been the
substrate.
Staying in this neck of the woods for an extra day was a possibility but there were still some
hopefully excellent areas to inspect and still chances to see or hear another bird. Optimism was in
the air. There was quite a distance to go by late Saturday to reach the agreed pull out point and I
would break down camp while listening for any calls or knocks.
Being quite familiar with Pileated Woodpecker knocks from several states and Canada the subject
first knock almost dwarfed those knocks in volume and had a higher vibrant quality. I have also
heard double knocks from Pileateds a few times but these were always associated with sounding
for food or were part of a series of knocks that included mainly single knocks and/or calls. Again
the strength of the subject knock was greater than what I have ever heard from a Pileated in any
context. But considering variance in substrates how important is that statement?
Regardless of substrate each species has a physiological limit to its strength and it has been oft
reported that the Ivory-billed has a heavier knock than the Pileated. Never having heard a
Pileated knock with this power regardless of the substrate, with strength measured not only in
volume but in the resultant vibrations, made me feel quite suspicious of it being produced by a
Pileated.
The blows were probably not related to feeding or sounding knocks but a territorial expression.
The knocks were a well structured action by the producing woodpecker and was apparently not
part of a longer series, interrupted knock sequence or aberrant knocks as far as could be
discerned. The sounds produced were different than a late '05 pair of congeneric, Pale-billed
Woodpeckers we viewed from 75 feet away in Costa Rica doing a long series, lasting minutes, of
double knocks in that their second note more closely approached the volume of the first note and
there was a series of well spaced double knocks. In addition the volume and power of the Pale-
billed knocks did not approach the power of the first knock of this day’s event.
34Campsite along the river. Several hundred feet away a double knock occurred.
3536
The spot where the double knock was heard from but looking northeast.
Upon my return all recently recorded double knocks from Arkansas and Florida and Pileated
knocks from the CLO and AU sites were reviewed. There are no known recordings of double
knocks from an Ivory-billed only the aforementioned putative double knocks recorded from
~2004 to 2006 by CLO and AU. The double knock sounded very much like the audio in
Appendix 4 of the Auburn U. paper (J. Hill et al. 2006) found here http://www.ace-
eco.org/vol1/iss3/art2/ . I am willing to listen to any tapes or read any description of Pileated
knocks that may support or refute the Ivory-billed Woodpecker hypothesis. I am especially
interested in any double knock audio on Pileateds that anyone could put me on.
Even knowing the extreme rarity of the species I would have to say that an Ivory-billed double
knock was heard rather than any unusual or rare type of Pileated Woodpecker knock. If I had
heard this knock and not known of the putative claims of AU for this river drainage I still would
be discussing this knock as being produced by a possible Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
This knock must stand on its own for appraisal but it is common practice for “surveyors” to be
aware of other unknown or unusual audio happenings being reported by others in the area they
are surveying. There are many reports of double-knocks from several human sources coming
from the Choctawhatchee. Any scientific hypothesis must closely fit the data and at this point the
data indicates an Ivory-billed Woodpecker or at least a putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker was
present on 12/8. However, I will continue to review descriptions of Pileated knocks and their
context and remain open minded.
After now being in the field for several days a bit of rejuvenation had occurred as the loading up
the canoe and sailing S towards the gulf continued. The bottomlands lay on both sides and
37continued diverse habitat was found. Species continued to be counted and woodpeckers
represented a large percentage of the avian biomass in the watershed. Ahead lie a choice of
routes, with one a slight favorite over the other in relation to potential woodpecker habitat. As
the hairpin turn to pass through was reached the narrow passageway was found to be strewn with
logjams that could be even worse around a sweeping blind turn. Fierce back paddling resulted in
a hang-up on a log that was timely in allowing time to reassess the situation and seeming
obsolescence of the map.
Deciding to skip this blind curve, a route into an area of unknown character was chosen. Soon
the topography leveled and the downward slope of the river, which had been noticeable at times,
settled into a wide forested floodplain. A backwater swamp with a large patch of flooded
cypress trees formed where birds seemed to just stay out of sight a few trunks in from the dark
band of water in the main channel.
A Barred Owl perched 70 feet up in the V of a bald cypress took flight as approached, setting off
the calls of an unseen Pileated Woodpecker that in turn caused another woodpecker to chatter.
The glacially flowing murky liquid extended well into the swamp, its movement, if any,
imperceptible. Every downstream inch had to be generated by the paddle. The great straight
trunks of the cypress looked like something went awry as they split into several leafless
disfigured arms that Poe would have been proud off. Snapping the whip, the oar pace picked up
for several minutes when unexpectedly the canoe bow rose from the water and tilted the canoe
heavily to one side as an ancient, elephant sized knee grabbed the bottom of the canoe.
Shifting my weight to one side to prevent a spill, the canoe pivoted 180 degrees and then
pendulummed back and forth before coming to a stop with the canoe turned completely around.
In an awkward and backward, listing position I sank to the bottom of the canoe for stability and
the orange life jacket, well hidden as repulsive to any respected extinct species, was located and
actually put on. Being some place south of nowhere, it was not the time to go swimming and the
moss laden, vertical trunks of these old cypress trees didn’t seem to invite a needy and clingy
person. The unstable canoe was eased off the point with slow body lurching. A line further from
the trees was adhered to and the electric life jacket was again banished below.
38The river had spread into a slow moving, wide aqueduct with broad turns; Pied-billed Grebes
were fishing in the eddies and the crepuscular owls hooted from all directions. The turns in the
map were not lining up with the arcs the boat was navigating; regardless the sun’s position
indicated an encampment was needed. An inner bend supported a willow patch that had
accumulated a lot of wood from long gone floods. To signal this was a good spot the usual
beaver tail slap on the surface of the water chorused in. Two deer snorted and bounded N from
the peninsula tip.
There were large areas of cypress in various sections of the bottomlands.
With some effort a fire was roaring and with this being the probable last camp the food provisions
were hit hard. A double helping of soup was followed by some fragmented chips. The long lost
Jiffy Pop was found and the hair on one hand was burned off as the bulbous mass of tinfoil was
whirled into a whooping fifty popped kernels…..and a bulbous mass of warm tinfoil. The bark of
a birch tree accidentally catching fire from a fallen candle and quickly spreading interrupted the
stillness of the night.
To prepare for my re-entry into society water filled bottles were placed upright near the coals. In
the 30-degree breeze, a standup shower complete with a half gallon of warm water was suffered
through for the sake of others. Obtaining this minimal level of hygiene was painful. The dirtiest
clothes burned well.
Despite being a little uneasy about not knowing exactly where the campsite was in relation to the
rest of world, sleep came quickly.
39A Barred Owl, photoshopped.
The last campsite, a bit inland from a thin willow tangle with the river barely visible.
40December 9th, Saturday, 6:30, 32 degrees. It was again subfreezing but the sun broke the
chill and I took a hike on the inner bend of the peninsula that is surely submerged during wet
seasons. Hunting had just started but no locals were nearby since not a boats murmur had been
heard after 5 AM. After a bit a small sleek missile of a ship broke the silence and they zipped by
not noticing me in my camo, one hundred feet away. I broke camp and the water easily suffered
my small wake. A large appendix of the channel reached back north, into the bottomlands with
70-foot tall cypress trees standing watch. A short loop into this area was partly to get respite
from the wind that was making the canoe zag. Pileateds were found and a few Red-shouldered
Hawks but the breeze made vocalizations of many species difficult to discern.
Soon river branches, Holmes Creek and swamps joined at a series of turns and junctions and the
river gained a Mississippian-like width of 300 to 500 feet. Being forced tight to one side as a
windbreak made it hard to tick off vocal birds from the far shoreline. This area could easily be
part of a territory for a pair or two with several square miles of decent forest with a labyrinth of
creeks. Birds would have to cross channels and the river to make a decent living and sooner or
later they would be seen or heard in this area if indeed present. Canopy tree height varied from
70-90 feet of mixed deciduous species. A pair of Pileateds slowly flapped, high across the river,
1/8 of a mile ahead in rather deliberate strokes of no more than 4 flaps/second. A minute later
one crossed back with the same odd, slow pace. Prior Pileateds had seemed a bit more rushed.
Perhaps there was some sort of display value to this slow flapping.
41A few houses started to appear with the distant din of Route 20 traffic. The habitat narrowed
between an upland ridge to the east where a major road coursed and pine plantations a further
mile to the west from where the riparian bottomland ended. There was a habitat funnel here that
connected the WMA with the large East River Island habitat block. A mile N of 20 there was a
large holly tree patch with 90’ trees and numerous Robins, Carolina Wrens and a few Pileateds.
It wasn’t a bad stake out location for the perhaps mainly, frugivorous Ivory-billed so I lingered in
a large eddy. As I approached Rt. 20 the northern tip of East River Island beckoned but a quick
glance at any map will certainly show that this impressive area deserves a week or more itself just
to proclaim a visit but not a biological survey. The river was of Herculean width here so it was
time to pull over on the ramp and plan the last hours of the journey, one that I was not willing to
end yet.
While sitting there an authoritarian but friendly and well connected local approached; we
exchanged thoughts about the river, my adventure and the Ivory-billed with each asking questions
of escalating interest. He explained that he was up and down the river for many years but never
even thought of looking at the Pileateds since it was told in books that the Ivory-billed was
extinct for many years. I conceded his point with a “join the club” and then pressed ahead with
my double knock epic and questions about what trusted locals had seen and said about the
supposed King of the Woodpeckers being in the area. Three locals had assured him that there
were two types of Log Birds on the river and they and the birds had been hanging around for
many years. He believed them and I him.
After a call my car was delivered and now knowing each other for more than 30 minutes he
intimated that there was an area of winding creeks and tall forest on the river that perhaps I
should see. The Choctawhatchee had been part of his life and there seemed a slight
disappointment that individuals not known to him had found the big bird. His knowledge of the
42area was innate and he was proud of the river and I could do nothing to counter his opinion as I
freely related he was lucky to be near such a fantastic, gem of a place.
He drew a map in the fine, dry river sand and after loading up the canoe the trailhead was found;
there as promised was a majestic mixture of forested wetlands and a maze of creek beds. There
were healthy patches of pine and mature patches of oak, tupelo and hickory, some 100 feet tall.
It was a beautiful, peaceful and impressive place; Pileateds sounded off near a towering but
lonely Bald Cypress. I sat in a position purposely fixing it in the landscape hoping that a long lost
bird like the one heard double rapping the day before would appear for a repeat performance.
The sun dipped below the lower half of the trees and a calm, satisfied feeling was pervasive
during the final long, dusky walk through the protective wood. I had hoped to learn a bit more
about the southern bottomlands and especially the Ivory-billed and it had happened.
An area containing winding streams and impressive deciduous trees was hiked.
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