Last January we noted in these pages a mysterious event at Beebe, Arkansas: thousands of red-winged blackbirds had fallen out of the sky on New Year’s Eve. An excerpt:
It seems that thousands of red-winged blackbirds (and as far as I can tell, only red-winged blackbirds) fell dead from the sky on New Year’s Eve in the area around the town of Beebe: victims, apparently, of some “massive trauma’. The cause is as yet unspecified; those who abhor such explanatory vacua, and must fill them, have suggested that “a loud noise’ might have been to blame.
A loud noise? It’s a dandy explanation, of course, and ought to settle the question ”” but as I head for the door I find myself turning back again, troubled, Columbo-style, by a nagging little detail. You see, the thing is that I have been around a lot of very loud noises in my day, and have even caused quite a few myself ”” and it strikes me that on no occasion did any of them, not even the very loudest, cause thousands of birds, of a single species, to drop lifeless from the firmament. So I wonder.
This seemed awfully strange then, but it seems even stranger now — because exactly the same thing has happened again, and on New Year’s Eve again, too.
I have not even the slightest inkling as to what might be going here, but it is very odd.
4 Comments
Thanks for not linking to last year’s post Malcolm – don’t want it to be too easy for a certain person in Mississippi (should she land here) to read all our crack investigative comments. But at least this time I’ve got the proper people in my email contacts list.
Here’s what is available on the day of the first hangover of 2012:
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2012/01/01/blackbirds-fall-dead-in-beebe-again
I’ll allow these commentors to convey any hint of the frantic.
Ah, JK. What a trap you laid when I stumbled onto this thread. I searched out last year’s New Year’s commentary post haste and it led me to H.L. Mencken morsels (which I commented on) and the fact that someone else refers to you as indefatigable which leads me to think that my own tendencies to never give up and never give in might not “wear you out” as easily as I thought.
As to the birds, I noted that last year’s colossal mass bird exodus happened not only in Bebee but also in several areas within an approximate 300 mile radius as they learned in the days going forward….I’m going with the http://modernsurvialblog.com (referenced in last year’s early January post comments) — Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Site. It would seem this is a logical explanation although I’m not sure how to address the species question. I did note that in other areas it was not limited to one species.
I do know that I do not buy fireworks causing massive bird heart attacks or trauma as an explanation. Sundry noise/air hazards face flying creatures daily without hundreds of birds falling randomly from the sky….
But, alas, what do I know?
LH
I also submit as an afterthought that I realize last year’s 300 mile radius is only relevant to this year’s if it proves to happen in the days ahead. If not, I’m collecting Army issued kevlar helmets, flashlights, and water in case the apocalyptic prophecies are true.
LH
Hmmm, tenacious I see.
Don’t waste good money on Kevlar – unless perhaps turkey buzzards begin falling. A cheap umbrella orta suffice. That and maybe avoiding Beebe on New Year’s.
But personally, I’m not leaning toward the Arsenal at all this most recent occurrence – rather this (might take some moments to load):
http://www.geology.ar.gov/geohazards/earthquakes.htm
And do notice – I’m a heckuva lot calmer this go-round. Despite Reverend Begley.