Mystery in Esperance WA

**dadpad** · 10th January 2007, 06:00 AM

Does anyone know anything about this.

Mystery as thousands of dead birds fall from sky
By Amanda O'Brien
January 10, 2007

THOUSANDS of birds have fallen from the skies over Esperance and no one knows why.
Is it an illness, toxins or a natural phenomenon? A string of autopsies in Perth have shed no light on the mystery.

All the residents of flood-devastated Esperance know is that their "dawn chorus" of singing birds is missing.

The main casualties are wattle birds, yellow-throated miners, new holland honeyeaters and singing honeyeaters, although some dead crows, hawks and pigeons have also been found.

Wildlife officers are baffled by the "catastrophic" event, which the Department of Environment and Conservation said began well before last week's freak storm.

On Monday, Esperance, 725km southeast of Perth, was declared a natural disaster zone.

District nature conservation co-ordinator Mike Fitzgerald said the first reports of birds dropping dead in people's yards came in three weeks ago. More than 500 deaths had since been notified. But the calls stopped suddenly last week, reportedly because no birds were left.

"It's very substantial. We estimate several thousand birds are dead, although we don't have a clear number because of the large areas of bushland," Mr Fitzgerald said.

Birds Australia, the nation's main bird conservation group, said it had not heard of a similar occurrence. "Not on that scale, and all at the same time, and also the fact that it's several different species," chief executive Graeme Hamilton said. "You'd have to call that a most unusual event and one that we'd all have to be concerned about."

He expected birds would return to the area once the problem - natural or man-made phenomenon - was fixed but said it was vital the cause was identified.

The Department of Agriculture and Food, which conducted the autopsies, has almost ruled out an infectious process.

Acting chief veterinary officer Fiona Sunderman said toxins were the most likely cause but the deaths could be due to anything from toxic algae to chemicals and pesticides.

Dr Sunderman said there were no leads yet on which of potentially hundreds of toxins might be responsible. Some birds were seen convulsing as they died.

Michelle Crisp was one of the first to contact the DEC after finding dozens of dead birds on her property one morning.

She told The Australian she normally had hundreds of birds in her yard, but that she and a neighbour counted 80 dead birds in one day.

"It went to the point where we had nothing, not a bird," she said.

"It was like a moonscape, just horrible. But the frightening thing for us, we didn't find any more birds after that. We literally didn't have any birds left to die.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...9-2702,00.html

**Iain** · 10th January 2007, 08:58 AM

Drop bears, methane from consuming too many tourists.

**Jack Plane** · 10th January 2007, 09:34 AM

Back in 2005 there was a thread on Indian Myna birds.
ernknot provided the following advice.

"Make up some friut mash and sprinkle liberaly with ground ratsack. he he, that gets the little mongrels. Don't try this at home because it is probably illegal and the greenies would hate you for it. But then again............................"

My guess is that he is on holidays in Esperance and his field testing got out of hand.

**Shedhand** · 10th January 2007, 09:59 AM

Birds on the MOON??? Now thats a long way to fall. Lack of oxygen I'd say...or bird flu..

**Flowboy** · 10th January 2007, 10:12 AM

These would be the birds that are used to prove Gumby's law of gravity.

**dzcook** · 10th January 2007, 05:28 PM

well if the where dead they would hardly be likely to stay up in the sky !?

sorry shouldnt make fun would be a nasty shock to lose the dawn chorus

makes u wonder what is happening with the world platypuss with huge uclers on them tassie devils with strange lumps kangeroos going blind is it something we are doing ( or done ) to the enviroment ?

**Shedhand** · 10th January 2007, 05:37 PM

It all started in Sydney in 1982. Thats when the first Macca's opened in Australia.
Kids are obese, the drought, dying Devils, ulcerated Platypii, George W Bush, Windows SE, Lexie Downer, Birds falling out of the sky, yep, the humble fatburger has a damn lot to answer for..

**journeyman Mick** · 10th January 2007, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by Shedhand

It all started in Sydney in 1982. Thats when the first Macca's opened in Australia.................

Are you sure that's right? I'm sure I can remember going to one in Hornsby back in about '78 or '79. (Blechh, what were my taste buds thinking?)

Mick

**Iain** · 11th January 2007, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

Are you sure that's right? I'm sure I can remember going to one in Hornsby back in about '78 or '79. (Blechh, what were my taste buds thinking?)

Mick

Melbourne 1974, a big mac was 75c, and half price for coppers.

**TassieKiwi** · 11th January 2007, 11:52 AM

Easy. Being migratory, they'd be all English cricket fans.

**Big Shed** · 11th January 2007, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by TassieKiwi

Easy. Being migratory, they'd be all English cricket fans.

Can't bat, can't bowl, can't field, can't win, can't FLY!

**Shedhand** · 11th January 2007, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Iain

Melbourne 1974, a big mac was 75c, and half price for coppers.

I stand corrected. It all began in Melbourne in 1974...yada yada yada. BUT it wasn't until 1982 that childhood obesity and asthma became such big health issues. The macs just took time to kick in.

And is THAT why Melbourne coppers are such tubs of lard.

**Big Shed** · 11th January 2007, 05:22 PM

According to the McDonalds website the first McDonalds opened in Australia at Yagoona Bankstown on 30 December 1971, so there

http://www.licenseenews.com/news/news167.html

**dadpad** · 11th January 2007, 05:52 PM

The mystery deepens.

Austin Texas looks for answers after 63 dead birds close downtown

Cause unknown, but no threat to humans seen, health officials say

By Emily Ramshaw
The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2007 The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas — Public health officials were scratching their heads over what killed more than 60 grackles, pigeons and sparrows found dead along Congress Avenue near Texas' Capitol on Monday morning, prompting a downtown lockdown that scrambled traffic and kept thousands of employees home from work.
By early afternoon, they had determined that whatever killed the birds wasn't harmful to humans, and 10 blocks in the heart of downtown were reopened.

**Shedhand** · 11th January 2007, 07:42 PM

Is there a Maccas on Congress Avenue..

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