9/27/09

After reading a bit more, I see mention of a Campephilus fossil woodpecker from west central Texas two million years ago. During pluvial times, pine forests were extensive in areas that are now desert. I would guess that the Edwards Plateau was one of those areas. Could those sightings a few decades ago in the Maderas del Carmen be another species of Campephilus; descended from the fossil C. dalquesti?

----- Original Message -----
From: vogelfreund at comcast.net
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 1:18:53 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] woodpecker book arrived



9/26/09

Well, after reading thru most of the book, I see that I was wrong about the efforts made in the Sierra Madre Occidental in searching for the Imperial Woodpecker. There has been heroic work done. It looks like a cultural thing done the Pitore?l wrong; i.e. the campensinos ?and their .22 rifles ?& shotguns, for the most part.


I noticed a ?remark by a Mexican that it also nested in large oaks. And one observation of one in a madronas tree. So maybe any survivors could be spread out into the Madrean forests of oaks, etc., at least part of the time.


Phil Hotlen
Bellingham, WA\

----- Original Message -----
From: vogelfreund at comcast.net
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 1:26:40 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: [Tweeters] woodpecker book arrived


9/24/09

That woodpecker book "The Travails of Two Woodpeckers" arrived, and I'm eagerly delving into it. But it is smaller than I expected, has less detective and expeditionary work on the Imperial than I wanted, and could have gone more into the evolutionary biogeography. But I've only read the introduction.

I notice the range map of the Imperial Woodpecker includes two locations about which I've read second and third hand reports, and I'm glad to see those included: Sierra del Carmen, opposite the Texas big bend; and the? Chiricahua area.

I just can't get enough of reading about these species! I've only seen them as? museum specimens in Europe.

Phil Hotlen; Bellingham, WA


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