I hope everyone has a serene and joyful week! The June Solstice is Sunday evening or Monday depending on your location. Insert your nearest city or town in the search box on Time and Date to see the exact time for your area.
All: Indiana made the national news across the country yesterday because a mysterious new disease is killing our songbirds, as well as birds in 6 other states and Washington DC. Birds with the illness demonstrate neurological symptoms, including seizures and the inability to balance themselves. The birds may behave as if they are blind, and they don't fly away when approached. They also have swollen, crusty eyes. No one knows yet whether the bird illness is transmissible to humans, but the state and federal scientists seem to be taking special interest in the outbreak. The dead birds have tested negative for West Nile Virus and Avian Influenza. The species affected include: blue jay, American robin, common grackle, Northern cardinal, European starling, and a few others.I thought I'd mention it, because it's killed hundreds of birds and could spread to the U.K. National INFO HERE and State INFO HERE
DIANE - I couldn't access the state info but the first link is worrying. I can't work out how it could be linked to the cicadas but must be cross infection...
HEATHER: Here are some mystifying facts:
(1) There isn't any evidence yet to show that the Brood X cicadas are responsible for or associated with the bird deaths.
(2) It is true that the bird deaths have been documented in states where the cicadas are prevalent. I initially thought that they must be playing a role.
(3) However: In Indiana, the bird deaths have been concentrated in five counties. Two of those counties are in the uppermost northern part of our state. Those two counties were not part of the Brood X cicada emergence. They are not in the Brood X territory. So in Indiana, at least, it doesn't appear that the cicadas are associated with the massive bird mortality.
Scientists are baffled about the cause. They're warning people not to touch the dead birds.
Thanks for your interest, Heather. Hope you're well.
Morning all:
AQ: LOVE those TV comments!
Diane: I missed the news about the birds (have missed the national news a few nights in a row), but that's just awful. I do hope they figure it out.
Daughter due here Thursday for quick trip, then granddaughter and Ms D due a couple of weeks after that. Ms. D will stay on for a week before I ferry her halfway home. Then I'm hoping/planning to head north of San Francisco for a few days to see some old friends, then my Kansas City friend is (finally!) able to travel to see her daughter and appendages down the road in Long Beach for the first time in more than a year so she'll probably come stay with us for a couple of days. Meanwhile, I and an old friend in San Pedro have been trying to arrange a visit..... Meanwhile, sister in UK is having a rough time with new meds so that's another consideration that could blow everything else out of the water.....
Take care everyone.
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