Ivory-billed Woodpecker

I just want to pass along some information and a thought for you to consider. Primarily, since the Ivory Billed Woodpecker was at one time thought to be extinct (according to a bird book I once had), and the fact that it no longer seems to be the case, I suggest that those who are collecting information and researching the issue not be too narrow-minded in reported sightings. I understand that it's necessary to determine legitimate sightings from erroneous ones but perhaps after you read my story you will understand.

Back in the early to mid nineties, I am certain that I saw an Ivory Billed Woodpecker, two actually. They were perched quite low in an old near-dead tree in a field near my house. What struck me first was their size; they were huge. I thought they were nearly the size of a wild turkey (plenty of which I have seen in my life). Then I began to look for identifying markings so I could find out what kind of bird it was. There was some shadowing from the tree but there was a large and very,very bright white wing band on it's outer wing; they were at rest and I focused on the one nearest me as couldn't see the other very well.

So I went to a small pocket bird guide that one of my kids had and determined it to be an Ivory Billed Woodpecker. Although the book said it was either extinct or nearly so (I honestly don't remember after all these years); I knew what I saw. I base my opinion on two facts only:
1) It was very large
2) It had a thick(ish), very distinctive bright white band on it's outer wings (either a wing bar or it's secondaries) visible while it was at rest.
I cannot comment on the color of it's bill and although I am fairly certain that it had a crest upon it's head, this was a long time ago, and my memory has focused through the years on it's wing markings.

I wanted to report it at the time but didn't know where to do that (and the internet then, wasn't what it is today). Also, this incident prompted me to become a novice bird watcher. Then I began to hear stories on the news about other sightings and that this bird was no longer thought to be extinct.

HERE is the part that you may find difficult to believe: this took place in Negaunee, Michigan (which is in the upper peninsula). It was NOT a Pileated Woodpecker. Although I never saw it's bill, I clearly saw the white wing bar; and since then I have seen a Pileated Woodpecker which to me was not nearly as large as the birds I saw.

Is it possible that the habitat of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has changed; broadened to assist in it's survival? Would it be so hard to believe that these birds may have 'relocated'? Could that be one reason that there haven't been more sightings reported? I believe other birds have done so as have other typed of wildlife. In fact recently I heard on public radio of a certain type of tropical(?) hummingbird found in the northern US (possibly Minnesota or Wisconsin). I believe the report said (or certainly it implied) that this was documented, substantiated by numerous witnesses, or somehow verified by some other means. The story said that it is believed that the poor little bird's gyroscope malfunctioned.

Anyway, when I tried to report my sighting recently, it seems that the only sightings anyone is interested in is from Louisiana, Arkansas and possibly Florida. This seems rather narrow-minded if people are serious about locating this bird and taking any care about it's future. How much scientific data about it's habits, abilities, etc is really known. This is just something to think about. I will never forget that sighting, and no matter what anyone else says or thinks, I know what I saw.
I would be curious though, to know if there have been other sightings out of their 'range'.