So no military death ray?  Darn, the coast to coast nuts at work are going to be so disapointed. ;-D

Thanks for posting.  I am going to print it out and leave in strategic places amongst the shop.

Steve

"Linda Sekura" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Jan 4 "Audubonmagagine.org" article (fwd from CT listserve --> PA-BIRDS
>listserve).  Link in forwarded email. Excerpts:
>
>Illegal Fireworks Likely Cause of Massive Arkansas Blackbird Deaths 
>
>The loud noises, combined with birds’ poor night vision and large
>winter gathering...  led birds to crash to their deaths.  That’s the
>Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's “strong working hypothesis.”  
>
>(On New Year's Eve) At 10 p.m., residents heard several extremely loud,
>“window-shaking” noises that are believed to have come from
>professional-grade fireworks, which no one had permission to set off.
>The blasts came from an area near the birds’ winter roost.  ~15 minutes
>later several folks went outside when they heard the whooshing wings of
>a blackbird flock flying at its normal fast speed. “But instead of the
>birds being above treetop level, like they usually are, they were at
>rooftop level...  They crashed into houses, cars, trees, mailboxes,
>shrubbery. Everything around.”
>
>Blackbirds don’t usually fly at night. The big booms apparently flushed
>the birds from their roost, and then poor eyesight and disorientation
>stymied them from making it back safely. “Necropsy report shows trauma
>primarily to the chest...  Hemorrhaging in the body cavity, bruised
>skulls, blood clots in brain. It’s consistent with crashing into
>something rather than falling.”  The death toll is difficult to
>estimate because feral cats, raccoons, and other scavengers likely made
>a meal out of the fallen creatures.
>
>It appears that similarly mysterious bird deaths in Louisiana around
>the same time are unrelated. “Initial findings indicate that these are
>isolated incidents that were probably caused by disturbance and
>disorientation,” says Greg Butcher, Audubon's director of bird
>conservation. 
>
>FULL ARTICLE, BELOW.
>
>Linda
>216-598-0113
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Wiltraut, Richard E <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Sent: Fri, Jan 7, 2011 9:11 am
>Subject: [PABIRDS] Bird deaths
>
>
>From the Connecticut list serve
>Subject: Probable Cause of Death of Arkansas Birds
>rom: Frank Mantlik <mantlik AT sbcglobal.net>
>ate: Thu, 6 Jan 2011 18:37:28 -0800 (PST)
>ere's National Audubon's analysis of the cause of death:
>
>ttp://magblog.audubon.org/illegal-fireworks-likely-cause-massive-arkansas-blackbird-deaths
>
>
>rank Mantlik
>______________________________________________
>his list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association
>(COA) for
>he discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
>For subscription information visit
>ttp://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org
>
>Rick Wiltraut
>acobsburg Environmental Education Center
>35 Jacobsburg Road
>ind Gap, PA 18091
>
>
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