More Than 1,000 Dead Birds Fall From Arkansas Sky

[Missizzy]

I lived in Sonoma County for seven years and Geyserville is a tiny town north of Santa Rosa. Interesting, also, is that it is not far from the Bohemian Grove where presidents and the powerful get together......probably 12 miles or so as the crow flies (or doesn't, I guess).

Geyserville is also smack dab in the middle of the Emerald Triangle, however, and something could have gone haywire with someone spraying something other than neem oil on their plants.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110111...jA3luX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDbW9yZXRoYW4xMDBk

More than 100 dead birds found off Calif. highway

GEYSERVILLE ~California wildlife officials are trying to figure out what caused the death of more than 100 birds found clustered together just off Highway 101.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that California Highway Patrol officers found the dead birds near the roadway on Saturday and called in the state Department of Fish and Game to investigate. The officers who found the birds described them as small with brown and black feathers. They were intact and had not been shot...."

more at link


The Press Democrat article with a photo:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110111/articles/110119965&tc=yahoo

Sonoma County mystery: What killed 100 birds near Geyserville?


"The birds all appeared to be the same type, small with feathers in brown and black, according to photos taken by officers. The birds hadn't been shot and most were intact, officers reported...."

more at link

 

[Missizzy]

IWannaKnow--You really need to be a high school science teacher...if you aren't already. That was incredibly informative--even I could understand it and I'm science-phobic. Thank you so much. Very very worrisome info when looked at all together.

Nature is displeased with something going on and we do NOT want nature displeased.

And what should we expect from Corexit exposure to humans--especially children, pregnant mothers, and the immune compromised?

 

[bessie]

Nice job, IWannaKnow. :rocker: Thank you for putting the information together.

Now what about the fish?

 

[Soulmagent]

I cant even think of fitting way to say thank you for that post.

I am however freaking out now.

 

[IWannaKnow]

IWannaKnow--You really need to be a high school science teacher...if you aren't already. That was incredibly informative--even I could understand it and I'm science-phobic. Thank you so much. Very very worrisome info when looked at all together.

Nature is displeased with something going on and we do NOT want nature displeased.

And what should we expect from Corexit exposure to humans--especially children, pregnant mothers, and the immune compromised?

Aw, thanks Missizzy, but me as a teacher would be a bad idea. The kiddies wouldn't appreciate my teaching style. :innocent: Thank you for letting me know that it was understandable however. I was a little worried about that.

I agree, nature is displeased, and I don't blame her. I don't really know what the effect will be to humans. I think the problem here is that the birds and fish were caught in the downpour, the birds were soaked and the corexit penetrates the skin. Provided we do not go outside during a storm we should be ok if I understand how this works. My big question is what is it going to do to the plants and the soil? And can you absorb it from dried surfaces? In other words, will we and our pets be safe walking across the lawn later?? I believe the answer is yes unless you licked the grass, but I don't know that for certain, and good luck finding that information on the net.....

I just have to insert the caveat here that I'm no scientist. I do not have any letters after my name, and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so I have zero credentials, just some common sense. Take that for what you will. I'm just trying to explain what I see here. If I'm completely wrong, hopefully someone can show me where, just please don't tell me it was the power lines, the sunflower seeds or the fireworks.

 

[IWannaKnow]

Nice job, IWannaKnow. :rocker: Thank you for putting the information together.

Now what about the fish?

Thank you bessie. Once I see something, I can't stop.

The fish. I think that the Corexit is getting sucked into the clouds and dispersed into smaller "units" that fly around and get dumped in varying places. I think the Arkansas river was one of those dump sites, for whatever reason (maybe the water body itself causes some reaction :waitasec. All the fish that I've seen reported were bottom feeders. Basically little fish that swim around with their mouths open swallowing whatever floats by, usually algae and the like, or larger bottom feeding scavengers like catfish, mullet and ladyfish. Corexit emulsifies the oil and suspends it in the water, and as we saw this summer, causes large amounts of it to sink to the bottom. I think the fish had the incredible bad luck to be in parts of the river (or ocean) where one of the Corexit seeded clouds decided it was right to drop its load. The reports I've seen have said they have ruled out toxins, pollution, etc and most of the fish are too decomposed to ever truly determine what really caused their death. Some of the reports state that other animals were eating the fish, others say nothing would touch them. One report remarked that all the fish were missing their eyes. Could be indicative if in a few months (or maybe less) the dogs and cats in Beebe start getting cancers, leukemia etc. It was stated that every critter in Beebe had an extra snack that night (I would have let one of my pets eat one of those birds but to each his own...).

FWIW - the research I did on blackbirds stated that they live in cattails near water. They make their nests in the cattails. There is yet another water connection. Makes me wonder if the clouds are somehow activated by passing over a body of water.....:waitasec: Sure wish we had a meteorologist here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_Blackbird

The Red-winged Blackbird inhabits open grassy areas. It generally prefers wetlands, and inhabits both freshwater and saltwater marshes, particularly if Typha (cattail) is present. It is also found in dry upland areas, where it inhabits meadows, prairies, and old fields.[11]

From studying the bird radar, it appears the roost is located at least in between the Arkansas River and a large pond. I wasn't able to determine any closer than that, so it would be interesting to see if there were any bodies of water around the other kills.

 

[IWannaKnow]

I cant even think of fitting way to say thank you for that post.

I am however freaking out now.

I'm terribly sorry that I've frightened you Soulmagent. That was not my intent, however if this is truly happening I would like for all of us to know so that we might better prepare. I think your reaction is why they are telling us it is power lines, sunflower seeds and fireworks. They don't want the fallout. I'm one of those people who want to know what they are facing so I can prepare a defense however. I would like all my fellow inhabitants of planet Earth to have the same chance.

Don't worry Soulmagnet. Don't let me ruin your day. :hug: Maybe I'm completely wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. I like conspiracy theories. :crazy:

 

[IWannaKnow]

!Thank you essies!:tyou: for the "What in the world are they spraying?" video (my husband couldn't sleep after we watched it last night ) in your post #216. What an eyeopener! Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimers, so sure, makes perfect sense to spray tons of it into the environment! What the heck are they thinking????? They breathe the same air we do! Wonder where I can get one of these to stretch over my house?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/01/05/eco.ark.building/

Green 'Ark' could house 10,000 -- and looks like a Slinky!
January 9, 2011 5:27 a.m. EST

(CNN) -- Could a floating dome that can house up to 10,000 people be a model for future living?

Russian architect Alexander Remizov thinks so -- and his prototype design, called "The Ark," bears more than a passing resemblance to the classic children's toy, the Slinky.

Remizov believes his Ark, designed to be constructed from timber, steel and high-strength ETFE plastic, could be adapted for all kinds of environments and put to a number of different uses, including emergency housing -- its prefabricated structure should allow it to be constructed quickly -- and hotels. He's even suggested a variation with a honeycomb-style hull that can float.

After completing a Masters degree looking at non-polluting settlements, Remizov decided to pursue that theme with his architecture firm Remistudio and design a modern building that would be in harmony with the environment.

 

[legalmania]

They're saying that this has nothing to do with disease, but I bet it won't be long before we start hearing about the infamous bird flu again.

 

[Soulmagent]

I'm terribly sorry that I've frightened you Soulmagent. That was not my intent, however if this is truly happening I would like for all of us to know so that we might better prepare. I think your reaction is why they are telling us it is power lines, sunflower seeds and fireworks. They don't want the fallout. I'm one of those people who want to know what they are facing so I can prepare a defense however. I would like all my fellow inhabitants of planet Earth to have the same chance.

Don't worry Soulmagnet. Don't let me ruin your day. :hug: Maybe I'm completely wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. I like conspiracy theories. :crazy:

It didnt ruin my day. I just bought another case of bottled water and add extra food to my supply I have been building.

My husband is always freaking me out with conspiracy theories and he has a theory that the whole BP oil spill complete with the under the water camara so the whole world could watch the spill is a cover up story for something else. What ,I have not asked him.

The problem I have with the conspiracy theories is that in the early 90's they sounded insane. Now they do not. Alot of them sound completely plausible. I miss the early conspiracies so much.

 

[IWannaKnow]

I lived in Sonoma County for seven years and Geyserville is a tiny town north of Santa Rosa. Interesting, also, is that it is not far from the Bohemian Grove where presidents and the powerful get together......probably 12 miles or so as the crow flies (or doesn't, I guess).

Geyserville is also smack dab in the middle of the Emerald Triangle, however, and something could have gone haywire with someone spraying something other than neem oil on their plants.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110111...jA3luX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDbW9yZXRoYW4xMDBk

More than 100 dead birds found off Calif. highway

GEYSERVILLE ~California wildlife officials are trying to figure out what caused the death of more than 100 birds found clustered together just off Highway 101.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that California Highway Patrol officers found the dead birds near the roadway on Saturday and called in the state Department of Fish and Game to investigate. The officers who found the birds described them as small with brown and black feathers. They were intact and had not been shot...."

more at link


The Press Democrat article with a photo:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110111/articles/110119965&tc=yahoo

Sonoma County mystery: What killed 100 birds near Geyserville?


"The birds all appeared to be the same type, small with feathers in brown and black, according to photos taken by officers. The birds hadn't been shot and most were intact, officers reported...."

more at link

Well, this one was quick:
http://www.ksro.com/LocalNews/Story.aspx?ID=1342439
Experts Answer Dead Birds Mystery
1/12/2011

A local mystery has turned out to have a fairly predictable explanation. State Fish and Game officials say last weekend's big bird die-off in northern Sonoma County was the result of a close encounnter with a big-rig truck. The flock of about 100 black starlings apparently flew directly into the path of an on-coming truck. The birds were found scattered over Highway 101 near Geyserville. This comes after a number of larger bird die-offs in Arkansas and Louisiana, but experts have not definitively explained what happened in those incidents.

That was fast. I hope they had an eyewitness that allowed them to identify the cause so quickly. I realize every kill will not be related but any sizeable bird kill after a storm, with liver/kidney damage, massive blood clots, and little to no external physical damage should be looked at very carefully IMO. A little more information in this case would have been nice....hmmmmm. I just noticed this in Missizzy's link:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110111/articles/110119965&tc=yahoo
Published: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

One theory was that the birds were hit by a semi truck, but that was just speculation and perhaps unlikely given the large number of birds, officers reported.

I think it is unusual to hit ONE bird with a moving vehicle, much less 100. That is mighty convenient.....*sigh*

 

[IWannaKnow]

It didnt ruin my day. I just bought another case of bottled water and add extra food to my supply I have been building.

Good to know soulmagent. Hope your pantry is big enough....

Ask him what he thinks they covered up.....please? :seeya:

 

[IWannaKnow]

I'm no expert on bird anatomy, but I've had heartburn attacks that made it feel like I couldn't breathe.

Is it possible the indigestion interfered with the birds' respiration?

Nova - I'm no bird anatomist either, but I do have chickens and used to own a parrot. They have a crop where the food is stored before it moves into their stomach and I would think the crop would rupture (and be extremely obvious) before they would suffocate. It can expand quite a bit however, since it is part of the esophagus, in theory it could obstruct the airway....but not likely IMO. Birds love sunflower seeds, and they are very good for them. Try finding a wild bird seed at the store which does not contain sunflower seeds. The danger with them is to captive birds like parrots who do not fly and get enough exercise. The seeds have a high fat content, and make the birds get fat, including fatty liver disease.....but that takes quite awhile to happen. Not overnight, and not to wild birds. To my non-veterinarian knowledge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_(anatomy)

In a bird's digestive system, the crop is an expanded, muscular pouch near the gullet or throat. It is a part of the digestive tract, essentially an enlarged part of the esophagus. As with most other organisms that have a crop, the crop is used to temporarily store food. Not all birds have a crop. In adult doves and pigeons, the crop can produce crop milk to feed newly hatched birds.[4]

Very good pictures here of birds with full crops.

ETA: Found this:
http://books.google.com/books?id=rx...BQ#v=onepage&q=ruptured crop in birds&f=false
Black's veterinary dictionary
By Edward Boden, Geoffrey Philip West
pg 119

Crop - Diseases of. Says the crop can become impacted with food material, but is usually pendulous and distended and usually requires surgical intervention.

You be the judge.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-doves-fall-dead-Italy-blue-stain-beaks.html
Overeating and indigestion blamed for 1,000 turtle doves falling dead in Italy with strange blue stain on their beaks
By Nick Pisa
Last updated at 5:05 PM on 11th January 2011

That looks like a normal bird to me. Except the dead part of course.

 

[IWannaKnow]

http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/wo...&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=40003&ndb=1&df=0

Investigation launched into mass Chesapeake Bay fish kills
Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 22:10 (GMT + 9)

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is investigating a fish kill in the Chesapeake Bay in which an estimated two million fish have died.

Natural causes appear to be the reason for the deaths of the fish. Cold water stress exacerbated by a large population of the affected species (juvenile spot fish) appears to be the cause of the kill.

Preliminary monitoring results show that water quality in the area appears to be acceptable. Additional water quality monitoring results are to be analyzed.

The affected fish are almost exclusively juvenile spot fish, three-to-six inches in length. MDE first received reports of dead fish last week. The fish kill appears to be centered on the bay from the Bay Bridge to Poplar Island.

~more at link

If you look at the weather map I posted on the previous page, there is a dotted blue line that runs right through here. I can't figure out what that line represents, but I think it is unsual that TWO MILLION fish died there. To be fair, that line goes all over the US, and there aren't dead fish and birds in all those places so IDK. Just sayin'...

http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/PressRoom/Pages/010511.aspx

Press Release
Maryland Department of the Environment
Media Contacts:
Jay Apperson, Dawn Stoltzfus
(410) 537-3003
[email protected]
[email protected]

MDE INVESTIGATES LARGE FISH KILL IN CHESAPEAKE BAY
Natural causes appear to be reason for deaths of estimated 2 million small fish; bay water temperature rapidly dropped below tolerance threshold for fish species involved

BALTIMORE, MD (January 5, 2011) - The Maryland Department of the Environment is investigating a fish kill in the Chesapeake Bay in which an estimated two million fish have died.

Natural causes appear to be the reason for the deaths of the fish. Cold water stress exacerbated by a large population of the affected species (juvenile spot fish) appears to be the cause of the kill.

Preliminary monitoring results show that water quality in the area appears to be acceptable. Additional water quality monitoring results are to be analyzed.

The affected fish are almost exclusively juvenile spot fish, three-to-six inches in length. MDE first received reports of dead fish last week. The fish kill appears to be centered on the bay from the Bay Bridge to Poplar Island.

Spot may have difficulty surviving in colder temperatures, and the species’ susceptibility to winter kills is well-documented. A rapid drop in water temperatures apparently caused cold water stress. Surface water temperatures in the bay have reached about 0.5 degrees Celsius according to Md. Department of Natural Resources Bay Program monitoring data, which is the coldest December recording in 25 years of monitoring.

Adult spot normally leave the bay during winter, but juveniles occasionally winter over in the area. Bottom water temperatures near their lower thermal limit (4 to 5 degrees Celsius) are not uncommon in the bay during winter. Juvenile spot, overwintering because of a mild early winter, may be susceptible to fish kills due to sudden decreases in water temperature.

A recent DNR survey showed a very strong population of spot in the Bay this year. An increased juvenile population and limited deep water habitat would likely compound the affects of cold water stress.

Large winter kills of spot have occurred at least twice before in Maryland. In late January 1976, records show that about 15 million spot died of winter stress in the bay. A smaller number died in January 1980. Maryland experiences still smaller fish kills caused by cold water stress every few years.

MDE’s investigation into the fish kill continues. The Agency continues to determine the magnitude of the kill and to obtain additional fish tissue samples. MDE works closely with DNR to investigate fish kills. In the coming days, both are to analyze DNR water quality monitoring data from recent weeks in the area of the fish kill.

Anyone who touches dead fish should take precautions such as washing hands. Residents can bury dead fish, but the tides, wildlife and natural decomposition should dispose of the fish.

MDE encourages anyone with information on fish kills to call 1-866-MDE-GOTO.

For more information on fish kills in Maryland, go to MDE’s website at http://www.mde.maryland.gov/program...ntalemergencies/fishkillsinmd/pages/programs/
multimediaprograms/environ_emergencies/fishkills_md/index.aspx

 

[IWannaKnow]

Excellent map:
http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/web0105-dead-animals3.jpg

 

[Missizzy]

Concerning the dead birds in Geyserville, after being hit by a semi-truck, a little bird would still be "intact"? That's hard to fathom. And I would certainly think that the semi driver would be telling his "Birds" story near and far.

One thing we can rest easy about is that Sonoma County citizens will ask questions. They won't just buy a load of hooie. And if a single one thinks the grapes might be in danger, Katie bar the door!!

 

[IWannaKnow]

Texas? :waitasec: Have we talked about the dead coots at Lake o' the Pines? Coot is also called a mud hen. Water.

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13791402
Experts explain lake bird deaths
Posted: Jan 05, 2011 8:12 PM EST
Updated: Jan 06, 2011 9:08 AM EST
By Bob Hallmark

EAST TEXAS (KLTV) - First, it was Arkansas, then Louisiana, now hundreds of dead birds were spotted on an east Texas highway. The birds were found this morning on the highway 155 bridge at Lake O' the Pines. It was an unsettling sight for several morning drivers along the 155 bridge, over a hundred clumps of gray feathers lining the roadway. Dead coots.

But why did they all die seemingly at once? Its a strange, but explainable occurrence. Game wardens say the coots stay together in large numbers and they were seen by the hundreds on the 155 bridge just a few days ago , the easy answer by the game wardens office, they were run over. The birds are easily startled, and fly low, over the bridge.

"The birds could have been spooked by a boat coming through that area, a bird of prey such as a bald eagle," Muller says.

It probably didn't happen all at once, but over several meetings between the birds and traffic.

"Some are going under some are going above, and the ones that go above are going to get struck," says Brotherton.

Wow. Lot of birds going real stupid all the sudden. Or maybe I am overthinking this. I wonder if they even did an autopsy on any of them?

If natural die offs occur at the rate they are implying, why haven't I seen one yet???

 

[Nova]

Nova - I'm no bird anatomist either, but I do have chickens and used to own a parrot....

That makes you an expert compared to me. Thanks for the info and analysis!

 

[Reannan]

.......Wow. Lot of birds going real stupid all the sudden.

SBM. Which is why I am sticking with a theory about something wrong with the geomagnetic field, and a shift in the poles. :waitasec:

 

[bessie]

Well, this one was quick:
http://www.ksro.com/LocalNews/Story.aspx?ID=1342439
Experts Answer Dead Birds Mystery
1/12/2011



That was fast. I hope they had an eyewitness that allowed them to identify the cause so quickly. I realize every kill will not be related but any sizeable bird kill after a storm, with liver/kidney damage, massive blood clots, and little to no external physical damage should be looked at very carefully IMO. A little more information in this case would have been nice....hmmmmm. I just noticed this in Missizzy's link:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110111/articles/110119965&tc=yahoo
Published: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.


I think it is unusual to hit ONE bird with a moving vehicle, much less 100. That is mighty convenient.....*sigh*

Seriously! Did anyone get the number of that truck? I'd like to have a talk with the driver.

Once again, an excellent job, IWanna Know. I took a look at all of the links you posted, but my schedule lately has not allowed me to study them in depth. I did a lot of research on Corexit over the summer, and if I apply that knowledge to your theory it makes a whole heckua lot of sense. I hope to have time this weekend to research this topic further. The links you've provided will make it easier.