No Ivorybills

The official word is out...searchers did not come up with any confirmed Ivory-billed Woodpecker sightings this year in Arkansas, despite spending over $1 million and thousands of hours in the field. Read the official Cornell statement here.

So, what does this mean? Only time will tell, but the polish is off the search for now. A riddle, inside a mystery, wrapped in the ghost of Elvis. One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now...no bird.

An AP story (here) highlights problems and discontent with the ivorybill search and recovery efforts. Hopefully, this whole episode will eventually help, rather than hinder, bird conservation efforts. But for now, things look a little hazy.