Birds killed after flying across interstate near Sacramento

[Anywho6]

This is very disturbing (to put it mildly). I've lived here and driven the causeway for 10 years and this is a first. I only witnessed the aftermath of this about an hour after it happened--bird carcasses strewn about the causeway for about a mile.

- The Associated Press
Published 3:16 pm PST Monday, February 11, 2008

Morning rush-hour traffic just west of the state capital was slowed Monday when a flock of birds flew across a causeway and into traffic.

More than 20 birds, most believed to be varying types of waterfowl, were killed on the elevated Yolo Causeway, a section of Interstate 80 that links the cities of West Sacramento and Davis.

Yolo County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Michele Wallace says the birds were struck about 8 a.m. by vehicles traveling in both directions. Traffic slowed to about 40 mph, but there were no reports of damage to vehicles.

The causeway takes I-80 travelers over the Yolo bypass, a swath of farmland two to three miles wide and 40 miles long that acts as an overflow for the Sacramento River.

<http://www.sacbee.com/114/story/704780.html>

[nightrider767]

1. Sorry to see our friends end in that way.

What a weird incident...

[tularetom]

2. I experienced something similar on I-5 about 10 years ago

It was on the bridge that crosses the Yolo bypass about 10 miles north between the river and Woodland.

A flock of Canada geese was flying low over the causeway when one of them kamikazed the cab of my pickup. Scared the bejeezus out of me and caused the demise of the goose. It left a big ding in the door and I had a hell of a time trying to get my insurance adjuster to believe what caused the damage.

[Lorien]

3. I nearly hit a great blue heron as I was driving over a bridge here in FL

I was in the right lane and he flew up slowly over the railing off to my right. His feet raked the roof of my car, by he managed to pull himself up and out of the way of the rest of the traffic. The only way I can think of to avoid these kinds of accidents is to erect a fence or screen along the outer edges of the bridges so that the birds are forced to gain altitude before crossing them.