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[Space Bar]

I don't do well with these stories. I really hate to read them.

Timeline of recent mysterious bird, fish deaths

Posted: 2011/01/12
From: Mathaba

The recent mysterious deaths of birds and fish are causing alarm among naturalists around the world. Birds are literally falling dead out of the sky, and fish are washing up dead on shores and rivers across North America and around the world. The reaction from the mainstream media seems strangely subdued, as if they're all just blowing this off as some unexplained quirk about the natural world that should be largely ignored.

Mathaba readers think differently. We are concerned when thousands of dead birds fall out of the sky for no apparent reason. The sky itself may not be falling, but previously live animals are clearly falling out of it. If that's not enough reason to wonder what the heck is happening to our planet, then what is?

These are clear signs that something is wrong. Red flags from nature, if you will. Here's the timeline of recent deaths that have been reported:

Dec. 13, 2010 - Thousands of dead barramundi fish wash up in Australia, unknown causes (http://www.themorningbulletin.com.a...)

Dec. 15, 2010 - Thousands of dead fish wash ashore on Florida beach, blamed on cold weather (http://www.cfnews13.com/article/new...)

Dec. 17, 2010 - Dead fish wash ashore at lake beach in Indiana, blamed on winter storms (http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headl...)

Dec. 18, 2010 - Thousands of dead fish turn up in bay in Philippines, unknown causes (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/ce...)

Dec. 22, 2010 - More than a hundred dead pelicans turn up in North Carolina, unknown causes (http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/ar...)

Dec. 23, 2010 - Hundreds of dead sea creatures wash ashore in South Carolina, blamed on cold water (http://www.abcnews4.com/Global/stor...)

Dec. 23, 2010 - Ten tons of mostly dead fish found in fishing net in New Zealand, unknown causes (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/loc...)

Dec. 27, 2010 - Scores of dead fish wash ashore in a lake in Haiti, unknown causes (http://www.france24.com/en/20101227...)

Dec. 28, 2010 - 70 bats found dead in Tucson, Ariz., unknown causes (http://www.azcentral.com/news/artic...)

Dec. 29, 2010 - Dozens of fish found dead in San Antonio, Texas, unknown causes (http://www.ksat.com/news/26316464/d...)

Dec. 31, 2010 - 5,000+ birds found dead in Arkansas, suffering from massive trauma and blood clots (http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/03/ar...)

Jan. 3, 2011 - 100,000+ dead drum fish found in Arkansas river, unknown causes (http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local...)

Jan. 3, 2011 - Dozens of dead birds show up in a woman's backyard in Kentucky, unknown causes (http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/loca...)

Jan. 3, 2011 - Tens of thousands of dead fish wash ashore in Chesapeake Bay, Md., blamed on cold water (http://www.wbaltv.com/r/26357581/de...)

Jan. 3, 2011 - 100 tons of dead fish wash ashore in Brazil, unknown causes (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10...)

Jan. 4, 2011 - Several dead manatees found on Florida coast, unknown causes (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...)

Jan. 4, 2011 - Thousands of dead fish wash up on creek in Florida, unknown causes (http://www.wftv.com/news/26367953/d...)

Jan. 4, 2011 - Hundreds of dead fish was ashore on St. Clair River in Ontario, Can., unknown causes (http://www.torontosun.com/news/cana...)

Jan. 4, 2011 - Hundreds of dead black birds found on highway in Louisiana, suffering from internal injuries and blood clots (http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/11...)

Jan. 5, 2011 - Hundreds of dead birds found on highway in Texas, unknown causes (http://www.ktre.com/global/story.as...)

Jan. 5, 2011 - Large amount of dead fish wash up on New Zealand beaches, unknown causes (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...)

Jan. 5, 2011 - Up to 100 jackdaw birds found dead on road in Sweden, unknown causes (http://www.thelocal.se/31262/20110105/)

Jan. 6, 2011 - 40,000+ dead Devil crabs washed ashore in the U.K., unknown causes (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_...)

Jan. 7, 2011 - More than 1,000 dead turtle doves found in Italy, unknown causes (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...)

Jan. 10, 2011 - Countless fish found dead in U.K. brook, unknown causes (http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/...)

Jan. 11, 2011 - Thousands of gizzard shad fish float to the top of Lake Michigan and wash up on the shores near Chicago, blamed on cold weather (http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews...)

[Louis VI]

What's new? I recall a similar litany of stories trotted out in the environmentally-conscious early 90s. Weather and pollution are part of the story. There really is nothing new here if you put it in context of the last quarter century, no end-of-the-world crisis of short term concern. But we are obviously killing species and populations of animals with pollution over the medium to long term.

[Koveras]

"Several dead manatees"? Why was that included?

[Louis VI]

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

[Junior]

Here are some explanations:

Blackbirds falling out of the sky. Cause: Loud explosions, likely associated with New Year�s Eve celebrations disturbed a mega roost of blackbirds and starlings. The birds took to the air, in the dark, where they collided with buildings, power lines, etc. and fell from the sky. All necropsies tested negative for poisons and trauma was the cause of death.

A similar situation occurred in Louisiana a couple of days later � blackbirds rousted from a roost in the dark and flew into structures � trauma was the cause of death.

In Sweden, a couple of days later � dead jackdaws were found in the street. Cause: a lorry driver admitted to driving through a large flock of birds. They were in the road eating the salt and grit from the snowmelt.

Freshwater drum in the Arkansas River likely died from some type of pathogen because no other species of fish was affected. The fish die-offs in the Chesapeake Bay and the crabs in England were due to extremely cold temperatures.

Sadly it happens all the time for a myriad of reasons. Some human induced, some natural causes like when migrating Lapland Longspurs got caught in a storm in Minnesota in 1904 and more than 750,000 died.

[Space Bar]

Thanks, Junior, for the explanations of at least some of the incidents. So the question is, "Are these average human- and nature-induced mass die-offs, or are they statistically significant?"

[Junior]

[goniff]

well that's one explanation...

it's western to try to think the world and universe must make sense

the reality is ...there is no explanation