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originally posted by: Yule C Mann
It looks like the birds are the canary in the mine shaft to me.
My opinion of what happened is that the "Dead Zone" on the bottom of the GOM just reached up with a methane gas bubble to create the same type of dead zone above on the surface of that island.
originally posted by: Jobeycool
North American bats are going extinct from something called white nose syndrome.They have no idea what is causing it.
originally posted by: ObjectZero
a reply to: Vasa Croe
Yup truly odd. They tested for new chemicals and diseases that came back negative. They also looked for new predators none where found. This worries me a little more. A bunch of birds leave their nests unguarded and nothing steps in to take the free meal? It's like they said a "Dead Zone".
The birds have been gone for a little while now. I wonder if they know where they moved to. That might help shed some light on the problem. But I've never seen anything good come after animals book-it from an area, for no man made reason.
originally posted by: whatnext21
originally posted by: Vasa Croe
originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Vasa Croe
Their wording is really dramatic though….saying that all the birds left all at once in May and that the largest bird colony on FL's Gulf coast is now a Dead Zone…
Did they migrate? Sometimes for whatever reason, their cycle gets messed up and that years migration is delayed for whatever reason so they may abandoned their nests or chicks. Could be because of food supply or timing, weather, whatever. If they arrived late in the season and started nesting late that could explain it. Sure its a dead zone, they all left.
Not unheard of.
If whatever they all ate dried up, then yah, they have to move or die.
Sure, but when the biologists that keep the area up think it is odd then I would think it really is odd. If this had happened before then there would be no cause for alarm it would seem. They seem alarmed.
But, have we been keeping records as long as birds have been around? They have instincts we have no clue about, but, did they leave because the fresh water is bad, or drying up? We could use some animal instincts ourselves or we should go the way many species have gone before us.
originally posted by: spirit_horse
originally posted by: ObjectZero
a reply to: spirit_horse
That would be a lot of effort to just scare off some birds that will most likely just move some place else near by.
Not necessarily. Birds that are used to a closed island are used to quiet. A couple a$$hats walking around shooting a 12ga. would be quite a startling event. I just figure since contaminants, food, and water sources have been checked and found noting wrong, it is an event related to the location itself. I am sure the FWC would know if a predator like a python made it to the island. I haven't heard of the pythons swimming across the sea to islands, but I suppose it is possible. The problem in the Everglades is from pet pythons released or escaped during hurricanes, etc.
I double checked the water temp' around the area and it's only about 2 degrees above normal. There isn't any kind of crazy spikes that might cause fish to move some place else hot or cold.
Some birds flew to a nearby island. So the food sources are not the issue and the biologists and FWC have not found a problem (see above).
No seismic activity as well in the area. Some further south but we've had that be for and the birds didn't move for that so I don't see why they would now.
The EQ's happen at such low seiszmicity in Florida that most Floridians are not even aware Florida has any EQ's. I am not sure < Mag 1 even shows up unless you look at the monitors themselves. Which was my point. EQ's aren't an issue here.
originally posted by: ladyinwaiting
a reply to: Rezlooper
This is such a shame! such lovely birds, and a real tragedy they had to leave their nests and eggs. Quite disturbing. I hope the cause is discovered, and it's something we can remedy, if it's our fault, however it is something we might never be able to determine.
Rez, I wish you would weigh in on the 'methane gas' suggestion some one made. I remember you once mentioning that the gas is odorless, or in some cases there is a sort of a 'rotten egg' smell, which can be dangerous. Do you think there could have been a bubble of the 'rotten egg' smell the birds got a whiff of, sensed danger, and took off? (I remember you mentioning somewhere else that Florida has tons of it).
Just curious.
Now the fact that they say there is no indication of disease, contaminants, or predators to blame is really concerning......
originally posted by: Vasa Croe
originally posted by: KawRider9
a reply to: corblimeyguvnor
I'm curious if it's only birds as well.
Doesn't really sound good either way though.
From the Fish and Wildlife site on Seahorse (Cedar) Key:
Blustery spring days don't keep birders indoors along the naturecoast. The Seahorse Key rookery is in full force from March 1st through June 30th; therefore, the island and 300 feet around it are posted CLOSED for that time period. Parent birds must fly to freshwater sources to find fish that won't dehydrate their offspring. They can be seen coming and going throughout the day as they hunt for food.
Source
So that makes me wonder if there is something going on with the freshwater sources around there in FL? Anyone know of any volcanoes or anything in the area that could be disturbing the freshwater supply?
originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Vasa Croe
Their wording is really dramatic though….saying that all the birds left all at once in May and that the largest bird colony on FL's Gulf coast is now a Dead Zone…
Did they migrate? Sometimes for whatever reason, their cycle gets messed up and that years migration is delayed for whatever reason so they may abandoned their nests or chicks. Could be because of food supply or timing, weather, whatever. If they arrived late in the season and started nesting late that could explain it. Sure its a dead zone, they all left.
Not unheard of.
If whatever they all ate dried up, then yah, they have to move or die.
originally posted by: Vasa Croe
originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Vasa Croe
Their wording is really dramatic though….saying that all the birds left all at once in May and that the largest bird colony on FL's Gulf coast is now a Dead Zone…
Did they migrate? Sometimes for whatever reason, their cycle gets messed up and that years migration is delayed for whatever reason so they may abandoned their nests or chicks. Could be because of food supply or timing, weather, whatever. If they arrived late in the season and started nesting late that could explain it. Sure its a dead zone, they all left.
Not unheard of.
If whatever they all ate dried up, then yah, they have to move or die.
Sure, but when the biologists that keep the area up think it is odd then I would think it really is odd. If this had happened before then there would be no cause for alarm it would seem. They seem alarmed.