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--Boundary_(ID_w+N9l018VgkiX5CL+XIRPw) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Nothing much to add, but: there was a short item on last night's CBC National TV News, and the first dead bird they showed was a starling, with a male red-winged blackbird next. And, a note to everyone, why couldn't someone change one letter in the subject line to RW Blackbird Deaths? Cheers from Jim in Wolfville Begin forwarded message: > From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> > Date: January 4, 2011 11:05:01 AM AST > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] RR Blackbird Deaths In Arkansas (off-topic) > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > Hi Richard, > > My thoughts exactly. It might be difficult to determine after the > fact exactly what caused the blunt force trauma or what caused the > birds to panic. Maybe the combination (thunder & lightning plus > fireworks) proved to be too great an overall stress? It would be > interesting if there was some kind of radar data available from > this area at the time of this incident. It might shed some light on > exactly what was going on in the skies and exactly when the birds > started dropping out of them. What do birds normally do when they > panic? Could airflow at the time have been such as to keep the > birds flying at low levels where they are much more apt to collide > with things? > > Cheers, > > Chris > > On 4-Jan-11, at 10:42 AM, Richard Stern wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> I only know what I, and others, have read about this in the media. >> However, it could have some positive scientific consequences. >> There is a lot we still don't know about bird migration, >> navigation, how they get around in the dark, orientate themselves >> at night, etc. If anyone ever discovers the truth about this >> event, it may shed some light on what went wrong with these birds' >> survival systems, and therefore useful information on why this is >> such an unusual event, despite the frequency of lightning, loud >> bangs from various sources, auroras and other sources of >> electrical activity etc. around the world. >> >> Richard >> >> On Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Christopher Majka >> <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: >> Hi Fred, Helene, et al., >> >> As far as I can determine from recent stories authorities in >> Arizona are still investigating what caused the deaths. A report >> this morning says that preliminary autopsy reports indicate that >> the birds did not ingest anything toxic. They also indicate that >> the birds experienced some sort of blunt force trauma. Possible >> explanations have focused on lightning, fireworks, and high- >> altitude hail. Karen Rowe, an ornithologist with Arkansas Game and >> Fish Commission, said that the cause could be a severe lightning >> bolt. There was an intense thunderstorm with strong lightning >> strikes that moved through the area just prior to the reports of >> falling birds. And/or fireworks could have contributed to the >> panic experienced by the birds. Karen Rowe added, "The blackbirds >> were flying at rooftop level instead of treetop level. Blackbirds >> have poor eyesight, and they started colliding with things." >> >> Cheers! >> >> Chris >> >> >> On 4-Jan-11, at 9:28 AM, Frederick W. Schueler wrote: >> >> On 1/3/2011 4:07 PM, Helene Van Doninck wrote: >> Getting confused and flying into each other...sounds totally >> bizarre and >> I don't buy it. >> >> * googling around one finds - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/ >> jan/04/fireworks-arkansas-blackbird-deaths - as the most recent >> account of this episode. >> >> According to this, what happened was collisions during panic due >> to fireworks and darkness. Everybody (at least me) has always >> marveled at how clumsy startled diurnal Birds are at night, and >> has wondered if they could get going fast enough for impacts with >> branches to harm them, and of course lethal building strikes by >> Birds in free flight is a well-known phenomenon. >> >> What's suggested is that these Birds didn't "fall from the sky" as >> recounted by naive observers, but crashed into each other and >> objects, with lethal consequence. Of course, with one of those big >> feedlot-country blackbird roosts, it wouldn't take a very high >> frequency of resulting mortality to amount to 3K. The roar of >> wings and panic when a lot of major fireworks went off over one of >> those roosts must have been terrifying. >> >> >> >> >> -- >> ################# >> Richard Stern, >> 317 Middle Dyke Rd. >> Port Williams, NS, Canada >> B0P 1T0 >> >> sternrichard@gmail.com >> ################### > --Boundary_(ID_w+N9l018VgkiX5CL+XIRPw) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Nothing much to add, but: there was a short item on last night's CBC = National TV News, and the first dead bird they showed was a starling, = with a male red-winged blackbird next. <div><br></div><div>And, a = note to everyone, why couldn't someone change one letter in the subject = line to RW Blackbird Deaths?<div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">Christopher Majka <<a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></f= ont></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">January 4, 2011 11:05:01 AM = AST</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] RR Blackbird Deaths = In Arkansas (off-topic)</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> Hi = Richard,<div><br></div><div>My thoughts exactly. It might be difficult = to determine after the fact exactly what caused the blunt force trauma = or what caused the birds to panic. Maybe the combination (thunder & = lightning plus fireworks) proved to be too great an overall stress? It = would be interesting if there was some kind of radar data available from = this area at the time of this incident. It might shed some light on = exactly what was going on in the skies and exactly when the birds = started dropping out of them. What do birds normally do when they panic? = Could airflow at the time have been such as to keep the birds flying at = low levels where they are much more apt to collide with = things?</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</d= iv><div><br><div><div>On 4-Jan-11, at 10:42 AM, Richard Stern = wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite">Hi,<div><br></div><div>I only know what I, and others, = have read about this in the media. However, it could have some positive = scientific consequences. There is a lot we still don't know about bird = migration, navigation, how they get around in the dark, orientate = themselves at night, etc. If anyone ever discovers the truth about this = event, it may shed some light on what went wrong with these birds' = survival systems, and therefore useful information on why this is such = an unusual event, despite the frequency of lightning, loud bangs from = various sources, auroras and other sources of electrical activity etc. = around the world.</div> <div><br></div><div>Richard<br><br><div = class=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Christopher Majka = <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></s= pan> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 = .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"> Hi Fred, Helene, et = al.,<br> <br> As far as I can determine from recent stories authorities = in Arizona are still investigating what caused the deaths. A report this = morning says that preliminary autopsy reports indicate that the birds = did not ingest anything toxic. They also indicate that the birds = experienced some sort of blunt force trauma. Possible explanations have = focused on lightning, fireworks, and high-altitude hail. Karen Rowe, an = ornithologist with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said that the = cause could be a severe lightning bolt. There was an intense = thunderstorm with strong lightning strikes that moved through the area = just prior to the reports of falling birds. And/or fireworks could have = contributed to the panic experienced by the birds. Karen Rowe added, = "The blackbirds were flying at rooftop level instead of treetop level. = Blackbirds have poor eyesight, and they started colliding with = things."<br> <br> Cheers!<br> <br> Chris<div><div></div><div = class=3D"h5"><br> <br> On 4-Jan-11, at 9:28 AM, Frederick W. Schueler = wrote:<br> <br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 = .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> On 1/3/2011 4:07 PM, = Helene Van Doninck wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" = style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> = Getting confused and flying into each other...sounds totally bizarre = and<br> I don't buy it.<br> </blockquote> <br> * googling around one = finds - <a = href=3D"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/04/fireworks-arkansas-bla= ckbird-deaths" = target=3D"_blank">http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/04/fireworks-ar= kansas-blackbird-deaths</a> - as the most recent account of this = episode.<br> <br> According to this, what happened was collisions during = panic due to fireworks and darkness. Everybody (at least me) has always = marveled at how clumsy startled diurnal Birds are at night, and has = wondered if they could get going fast enough for impacts with branches = to harm them, and of course lethal building strikes by Birds in free = flight is a well-known phenomenon.<br> <br> What's suggested is that = these Birds didn't "fall from the sky" as recounted by naive observers, = but crashed into each other and objects, with lethal consequence. Of = course, with one of those big feedlot-country blackbird roosts, it = wouldn't take a very high frequency of resulting mortality to amount to = 3K. The roar of wings and panic when a lot of major fireworks went off = over one of those roosts must have been terrifying.<br> </blockquote> = <br> </div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- = <br>#################<br>Richard Stern, <br>317 Middle Dyke Rd.<br>Port = Williams, NS, Canada<br>B0P 1T0<br><br><a = href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com">sternrichard@gmail.com</a><br> = ###################<br> = </div></blockquote></div><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></bo= dy></html>= --Boundary_(ID_w+N9l018VgkiX5CL+XIRPw)--
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