27,000 Pelicans Disappear From N. Dakota Wildlife Refuge

[hatrack]

Concrete answers right now are as hard to come by as the location of the thousands of American white pelicans that mysteriously vanished recently from their nesting sites at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Wildlife biologists and researchers continued to scratch their heads Wednesday as they tried to puzzle together a reason for an estimated 27,000 pelicans to leave their nests and abandon thousands of eggs. "We're puzzled," acknowledged Mick Erickson, the project manager at the refuge, located about 15 miles north of Medina.

Two theories are emerging: a disturbance by either predators or man or a natural population correction. No theory, including disease or lack of food, has been discarded.

EDIT

"We are not finding large numbers of dead pelicans anywhere," he said. There are reports of one or two dead birds around the state. "We're probably near normal mortality." Water conditions also are good for salamanders, frogs and minnows, which are part of a pelican's diet. "As far as we know, there are enough of them to keep the pelicans here," Hanson said."

EDIT

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2004/06/10/news/local/nws02.prt

[papau]

1. FromAdams"Hitch-hiker"-before the worlds end-"and thanks for all the fish"

:-)

[Ready4Change]

2. Wonder how seismic readings are doing?

Aren't there some concerns that we're do a large volcanic event in that region in at around this geologic time?

[Speck Tater]

3. Just like that scene in The Day After Tomorrow

where all the birds ran for cover the day before the ice age fell.

[theHandpuppet]

4. Following up on the missing Pelicans...

A local news broadcast in Maryland reported yesterday (June 30th) that scientists are still at a loss to explain the disappearance of the pelicans from their ND breeding grounds. Four of the last pelicans to leave were fitted with radio transmitters in hopes of finding out where some 27,000 birds had gone, but each of the four headed off in different directions!

If anyone has any additional information on this, I'd certainly be interested in hearing more.

[Boomer]

5. That is soooo creepy!

>> each of the four headed off in different directions! <<

Yikes! That sounds like the beginning of a Stephen King novel -- an eerie and unnatural revolt of nature. Birds are so flock-oriented that I don't think that possibility would ever have occurred to me.

[Boomer]

6. Missing Pelicans Due to Pole Shift?

Found this related link:

http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=3869

"One cause could be the impending pole shift, in which the Earth's magnetic fields will reverse. The magnetic fields have already started to move, which has confused some migratory birds, causing them to end up in the wrong destination.

"Several readers have pointed out another possibility: Nearby Minot is home to the 91st Air Force Space Command, which could be sending out signals that have disrupted the birds' sense of direction."