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 > > >______________________________________________________________________ > >Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. >Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. >Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at >www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > >You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: >http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS >Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]