David Luneau monitoring a remote camera in the Big Woods of Arkansas
Photo © Mark Godfrey/TNC
Photo of a barred owl (highlighted area) taken by a remote camera
Photo © David Luneau
Introduction to David Luneau
Author: David Luneau
Date: January 2006
Location: Big Woods of Arkansas
Let me introduce myself: I'm David Luneau, an ivory-billed woodpecker enthusiast — not a nut, an enthusiast.
I was casually interested in the bird before 2000, but it was the report of David Kulivan's 1999 Louisiana sighting that pushed me to start actively searching for this woodpecker.
On March 1, 2004, I got a call from my friend Bill Shepherd that an ivory-billed woodpecker had been seen right here in Arkansas! Being an “enthusiast,” I dropped all my spare-time projects and headed for the swamps.
Right now, I am concentrating on remote cameras. I have nine remote cameras that I aim at trees with fresh bark peeling (scaling) or with interesting cavities that might have been created by an ivory-bill.
Since March of 2000, when I first put remote cameras out in the swamp, I have gotten some interesting pictures. One recent picture is of a barred owl. The picture was taken at dusk, and the infrared flash lit up the bird’s eyes. I've donated a lot of blood to mosquitoes while servicing this particular camera, but with cooler weather the insects are gone and the swamp is a wonderful place to spend time.
Luneau (and some of his gear) in the Big Woods of Arkansas
The technology behind the search
Author: David Luneau
Date: January 2006
Location: Big Woods of Arkansas
In this second note, I’ll give you an idea of the gear I take with me into the field.
I take more stuff than the average searcher, mostly because I deploy and retrieve remote cameras. That requires not only carrying the remote cameras, but also batteries, rope ratchets, cables for locking the cameras to trees, a laser pointer for aiming the cameras, and so on.
One of the most important pieces of equipment I carry is my GPS unit. GPS makes it hard to get lost in the Big Woods. I mark where I parked the car so I can find my way back. I also use it to mark where I find interesting cavities and bark scaling. I keep spare batteries for the GPS, especially for cold days when batteries run down faster.
I never go searching without a video camera. I have forgotten my binoculars before, but I always take my video camera. I also take enough battery power to last all day. If I’m in a boat, I have a DC-DC converter that powers the camera off of a trolling motor battery. If I’m walking, I take a long-life camcorder battery and a couple of spares.
I turn the camera on, and it records continuously except for the two minutes it takes to rewind a tape or occasionally when I switch it to "still shot" mode to take a picture or two.
If that’s not already enough gear, I also carry a waterproof field book for noting start time, any interesting birds or wildlife I encounter, any bark scaling I find, etc. Add to that a digital caliper for measuring scaling or cavities, mosquito repellent (in season), and a small first aid kit, and there’s not much room for much else in my backpack. But, there’s always room for food and water.
With all the batteries charged and the gear packed, it’s off to the swamp…
The Big Woods at Bayou DeView
Photo © Gene Sparling
Gene's first trip on Bayou DeView
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