From Current.com:

Mystery as dead birds fall from the sky over Western Australia.

More poisoned birds?

Dead birds are falling from the sky in Australia for the second time in seven months, raising fears of a possible public health threat.

At least 200 seagulls have been found dead in Perth’s popular beachside suburbs of Woodman Point and Henderson this week, baffling local authorities.

Post-mortem examinations have failed to determine the cause of the birds’ deaths. Last December 5,000 birds died in the coastal town of Esperance, 500 km south of Perth, after being poisoned by lead carbonate blowing through the town as it was being exported through Esperance Port.

The latest incident of dropping birds has led to a major investigation of local industries but government officials admit they are at a loss to know what is killing the gulls. A Department of Health spokesman admitted they could not rule out a risk to public health until the cause of the birds’ deaths had been established.

When the Esperance birds began dying, tests showed that local children and adults had potentially dangerous levels of lead in their blood. A local company, Magellan Metals, escaped prosecution over the way it handled the transportation of lead through the town, but fears remain over the potential threat to humans.

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DoEC) believes the latest deaths may have been caused by a chemical or pollutant. The birds were found on Monday and Tuesday near water outfall pipes at Woodman Point, south of Fremantle and at nearby Henderson which has a large boat-building industry. Water and sediment samples have been taken from the area for testing.

Kevin Morrison, from the DoEC, said the birds appeared to die a quick and painless death.

“The birds, when they are showing signs of having been poisoned become a bit wobbly on their feet, they sit down and within 10 to 15 minutes they’re dead,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Coproration. He said it was particularly puzzling that the deaths were confined to seagulls. In Esperance, wattle birds, yellow throated miners and honey-eaters died.

Although many of the birds were found near the outflow pipes, Mr Morrison said the birds may already have ingested something toxic at a rubbish or landfall site before going there for water as they died.

The beach at Woodman Point, a popular sailing and fishing area, has been closed as a precaution until further notice. Officials do not expect the test results on the birds for a week.

Turns out it was the domoic-acid poisoning mentioned in yesterday’s post.

Domoic-acid poisoning

Here’s what Earthweek.com had to say:

Recent sightings of sick and dead pelicans, sea lions and dolphins along stretches of the Southern California coast have been linked to increased levels of a toxin in the ocean.

Marine biologists say that domoic acid, which builds up in shellfish and fish during outbreaks of algae bloom known as red tide, is then passed on to the birds and other animals that eat them.

Scientists believe that environmental degradation, such as overfishing, pollution and the destruction of wetlands, is encouraging algae blooms to flourish, creating the toxin.

Pelicans with domoic acid poisoning, which affects the brain, can have seizures while flying. Some poisoned pelicans have literally fallen out of the sky dead, according to the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) in San Pedro.

The center has documented recent cases of pelicans crashing into car windshields and ending up on airport runways and freeways.

IBRRC Director Jay Holcomb says that outbreaks of sick and dead wildlife occur in the area each spring, but this year has been much worse.

Although domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin produced by microscopic algae, something is making recent blooms of the algae especially virulent.

“I have been doing this work for 35 years and I have never seen anything like this as far as the number of species affected, other than an oil spill,” said Holcomb.

From the Seattle Times

Pelicans fall out of sky from Mexico to Ore.

Pelicans suffering from a mysterious malady are crashing into cars and boats, wandering along roadways and turning up dead by the hundreds across the West Coast, from southern Oregon to Baja California, Mexico, bird-rescue workers say.

By Pat Brennan

The Orange County Register

:

It’s a tradition. Every year the leader of this great nation (our homeland, one might even say), with great pomp, grants one lucky turkey a presidential pardon. It’s “turkey squared” now, though, our grace having been extended to favor two, count ‘em, two fortunate fowl, a winner and a runner-up. Just in case, I suppose.

Anyway, this year the 2007 official Thanksgiving turkey and second-place alternate, christened May and Flower respectively, were the two lucky ducks. Names determined by 29,000 online voters. Democracy in action.

Now neither need be concerned about a stranger shoving a fistful of cornbread up their ass this Thursday, and both can rest assured that their giblets will remain intact. Apologies to others of the familial flock for whom things may not bode so well. Mama hen does have some nice breasts, after all.

As George W. Bush said Monday during this most fabulous of White House customs, “May they live the rest of their lives in blissful gobbling. And may all Americans enjoy a holiday full of love and peace. God bless you all.” Yeah, George, and peace to you, too. Get a dictionary. You apparently don’t know the meaning of the word. But I digress …

Anyway, two things that I find perplexing. First and foremost being that in order to be granted pardon, one must have committed some sort of offense. What did these particular turkeys do to run afowl of the law? By either definition, noun or transitive verb, the word “pardon” means forgiveness of wrongdoing. Just exactly how nefarious are May and Flower, I wonder, and were they truly pardon-worthy?

Secondly, why bother with such ceremony? It’s really a waste of time. Sure, the reprieved will get to live the rest of their lives freely gobbling on a farm or in a petting zoo somewhere, but honestly, they’ll most likely be dead before Christmas anyway. The chosen finalists are, after all, selected by the National Turkey Federation, nothing more than a promoter and advocate for the turkey factory farms of America, keeping us all wellfed for the holidays! Those juicy Butterballs and Honeysuckles in your grocer’s freezer have to come from somewhere, and most likely were not snatched running free on the range. In all probability, they’ve been caged, drugged, forcefed, maimed and mutilated before making it to market. Properly plumped for profit, of course.

So, in fact, most of the presidentially-pardoned fail to live long. A year at best. Fast-growing, commercially raised turkeys simply grow too big for their bodies’ structures and are too susceptible to disease. They’re pretty much goners anyway. Hey, at least they can be grateful that they were amongst the luckier of their fellow cellmates, all things considered. They haven’t had their beaks, wings or feet whacked off, and of course never fell victim to the blunt end of the killing stick, all typical treatment in the bird-raising biz! If you really want to know what it takes to make your Norman Rockwell-esque Thanksgiving feast succulently perfect, watch these videos here and here. Yikes.

Tofurky anyone? Yes, please.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving. I personally think I’ll pass on the bird this year. There are cruelty-free alternatives available, after all. Although I will miss those leftover turkey sandwiches … Finally, of course, congrats to May and Flower. To concur with Dubya, I hope that they may live the rest of their pardoned, abbreviated lives in blissful gobbling, too.

factory farms, turkey farms, thanksgiving, peta, turkey pardon, turkeys, animal rights, george bush pardon