River of Biodiversity : John Dennis - Tribute, 35 Page Unpublished "Monograph", Cuban Rediscovery; Obituary

John Dennis is one of the most prolific Ivory-billed Woodpecker researchers in the post 1944 era. He is fortunate to have seen both the North American and Cuban Ivory-bills well. He also had detections of the bird in Texas, Florida and South Carolina. It is likely that he detected more different Ivory-bills than any person after 1944 although George Lamb must be close.

In 1967, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he reported sightings of ivory-billed woodpeckers in East Texas along the Neches River. Previously, Dennis had rediscovered the Cuban species in 1948.

With Crompton they had only been on good habitat for a few days, with no detections. A local lumberman insisted that there was spot across the valley where he had encountered the birds consistently. It was hours from the spot they were at, but an Ivory-billed lead must be followed up on----it's basically a birder's golden rule on rare birds.

The two agreed to go; naturally it was a hot, steamy day, and the steep hills rough and trails nothing more than a rocky rut.

After an executive decision they staged their gear lower down and moved sprightlier up to an unexpected life's highlight.

They laid down for a needed break under some pine trees for a siesta. Dennis was awakened by a noise-----it was the working knocks of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, on a tree only about 30 feet away.

He tried to get Crompton's attention; who had wandered off. Crompton had been led by sounds to another Ivory-billed and their cavity.

Amazingly Dennis then realized with disgust the camera was down the mountain; this is typical of Lord God bird luck. Rushing down, he was back in an apprehensive hour and snapped some of the often seen Ivory-billed pictures that will linger for centuries (see below).

From Texas Dennis saw a bird well and procured an audio recording of kent calls that were found to be a good match to ivory-billed woodpecker calls, but possibly, also compatible with blue jays.

At least 20 people reported sightings of one or more ivory-billed woodpeckers in the same area in the late 1960s, and several photographs, ostensibly showing an ivory-billed woodpecker in a roost, were produced by Neil Wright. Copies of two of his photographs were given to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. These events helped create the Big Thicket National Preserve.

One of Neil Wright's pictures East Texas

Here is gathered some harder to find details and writings about and by John Dennis. Specially intriguing, with excellent references and rare information that was in government files, is his 35-page "monograph" on the species.

A Last Remnant of Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Cuba