Apocalypse now? Mystery bird deaths hit Louisiana

[morosco]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:19pm

Today it emerged that about 500 red-winged blackbirds and starlings had been found dead in Louisiana just a few days after up to 5,000 blackbirds fell to earth in neighboring Arkansas.

In even more grim news, anglers and other members of the public reported that more than 80,000 drum fish had suddenly died in the state's Arkansas river.

In another incident, hundreds of miles away on the Maryland coast of Chesapeake Bay, tens of thousands of dead fish also washed up on the shore.


More mystery bird deaths reported, this time in Louisiana

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:22pm

I'm sure somehow it will be the gay's fault.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:44pm

I'm pretty sure that Pat Robertson will be giving his reasons for why this happened. No doubt it was caused by the repeal of DADT, in combination with GLEE.

Updated On: 1/4/11 at 10:44 PM

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:58pm

I know that this may not explain the birds dying but could all that oil be killing the fish? I mean, how much was dumped into the ocean over a period of a few months? I'm sure that wouldnt just simply "disappear"

[SNAFU]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 11:19pm

They are saying the birds seem to have died from blunt force trauma. Could it be the military testing one of those air canon type weapons?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 11:47pm

My question regarding the blunt force trauma theory? These birds fell out of the sky, from a considerable height. How do they differentiate the damage from that from whatever injured them to begin with?

[Q]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 11:59pm

Not just in America . . .

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 1:45am

Julie Taymor is directing flocks of birds, now?

[morosco]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 9:52am

Mysterious bird deaths hit Sweden

[taximom]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 11:13am

Did anyone watch the TV series Flash Forward? Just saying...

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 11:27am

Falköping is about 20 minutes from where I live and one of the places I go to shop. Weird. People shoot off a LOT of fireworks around New Year here, so that could have something to do with it.

I truly think the US issue is a military one and they are hoping people just stop talking about it.


Okay, truly. I am behind the whole thing.

Updated On: 1/5/11 at 11:27 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 11:31am

Remember the Summer of the Shark? Summer 2001 when we were inundated with shark attacks? Something drove those sharks to attack in unprecedented numbers. Except it didn't- turns out there was actually a LOWER than usual number of shark attacks, but for some reason the media paid inordinate attention to the ones that did happen.

And now this- birds dying mysteriously. Like they always do. Nature is cruel- animals die. Ever see Lion King? Circle of Life? Birds are stressed, there is some trigger (a loud noise, a cold snap, a warm snap) and bam, a flock of birds die. But luckily we have the media to make it seem mysterious and threatening.

[kover22]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 12:57pm

The weird thing is that the birds insides were all battered like blunt force trauma was the cause but they weren't mangled much on the outside.

Its too freaky!!!!! lol

[morosco]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 1:17pm

Remember the Summer of the Shark? Summer 2001 when we were inundated with shark attacks?

I remember. And at the end of that summer 9/11 happened. I hope this bird/fish thing isn't a precursor of something bad.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 1:38pm

I hardly think the number of shark reports had anything to do with 9/11.
Updated On: 1/5/11 at 01:38 PM

[morosco]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 1:58pm

ya think?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:01pm

I agree we shouldn't read too much into it with so few facts, but I was struck by the quote from the Livestock and Poultry Commission spokesman who said that the largest number of similar deaths that he'd seen was "a couple dozen."

Last I heard, this count was above 5,000.

It's still weird. Explainable, I assume. But weird.

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:15pm

It's Raining Wren!

No? Too soon?

[morosco]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:24pm

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:54pm

Where was Tippi Hedren on the day in question?

[D2]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 3:26pm

On cable. They've been running "The Birds" quite frequently the last month of so on one of the movie channels.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 6:19pm

'Call a Veterinarian, Not Me'

[violet72]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 9:26pm

and now a river turned Green
wow

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 10:12pm

Sounds like a prankster dropped something in the fountain earlier in the day and it ended up running down river later.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 11:12pm

If you read the comments someone mentions an "artist" who does that. So, that could explain it as well.