Death of blackbirds in Beebe, Ark this New Year's Eve was deliberate?

[deminks]

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/01/us/arkansas-bird-deaths/?hpt=hp_c3

(CNN) -- Someone went into a large roost of blackbirds in Beebe, Arkansas, as the clock struck midnight Saturday and set off fireworks, contributing to the deaths of scores of blackbirds, a state wildlife spokeswoman said.

Last New Year's Eve, roughly 5,000 birds were found dead in a square-mile area in Beebe, a central Arkansas town about 35 miles northeast of Little Rock through which birds migrate and that is home to a large roost for the birds.

(snip)

In light of the fatalities one year earlier, a state wildlife officer and Beebe police officers were patrolling the area mindful of the dangers that fireworks posed to the blackbirds, the wildlife spokesman noted.

Even so, 50 birds died when fireworks went off around 7 p.m. Saturday, said Porter, who added, "We don't know where or who shot them (fireworks)."

The majority of the blackbird deaths occurred five hours later at midnight, in a bunch of trees, or roost, in a residential area.

(end snip)


http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/SciTech/20120102/dead-arkansas-blackbirds-spooked-fireworks-120102/

(snip)

While last year's deaths were likely not intentional, it appears that this year's deaths were.

Porter says it's now up to the local Beebe police department to investigate the matter further and determine whether to pursue charges.

The silver lining is that this year's incident helps to cement the theory that fireworks were behind the deaths a year earlier.

"Out biologists put it well yesterday: this confirms our reasoning from last year. With the clear evidence of fireworks this year and the same thing happening as last year, it absolutely confirms what we determined from last year," she said.

(end snip)

What a convenient little package all wrapped up.

[tabatha]

1. Ban fireworks - they are just money going up in smoke.

[agent46]

2. "What a convenient little package all wrapped up."

Are you suggesting this is a cover story to dispel conspiracy theories about last year's bird deaths?

[deminks]

3. It's possible.

It's also possible that someone deliberately did this.

Either way, the 'authorities' seem to quick to wrap it all up. IMHO.

[pitohui]

4. what's the matter with people?

what kind of sick mind delights in celebrating the new year by killing some harmless birds?

[Lionessa]

5. Birds in general, okay I'm concerned. Blackbirds specifically? Not caring, at all.

I've lived in no less than three places where the black bird/raven/crow population was just the most annoying and noisy and impossible to deal with. In two places it was so bad, but of course can't shoot 'em, so the city would drive trucks with audio cannons (no real fire power just a big boom noise) and fire 'em off to scare the birds, but alas all they ever did was cause a huge black cloud of birds raise up and then re-settle exactly where they had been within a few minutes.

Sorry, just can't give a hoot about blackbirds.