On 1/5/2011 7:47 AM, gpayton@............. wrote:
> Hi Chris,
> Great to see you online again!
Me too Chris

> The gas idea was only a passing thought on my part.  I know that 
> volcano activity and sometimes oil drilling releases pockets of 
> hydrogen sulfide, but I don’t remember of a spontaneous release.  And, 
> like we say, it is heavier than air.
I wasn't trying to project what gas...if any. Suppose a gas were 
involved, why would it have to be heavier than air?  Many of these 
drilling sites have catch basins lined with a blue shale. This cost 
something to build. Why? The "event" occurred during a holiday week when 
I suspect the working force would be minimal. In fact, the number of 
quakes was minimal since before Xmas.
> These Red-wing Blackbirds fly and roost by the thousands in tight 
> formations.  They sometime look like clouds of undulating and changing 
> smoke when flying in the distance.
The habits of these birds is to feed in the country and move to the 
warmer urban areas at night. This would put them in the air and away 
from populated areas when this front passed..
> I saw an TV interview with a /Arkansas Game and Wildlife/ 
> representative yesterday who said that they were looking into the 
> fireworks possibility and the birds becoming frightened.  As you may 
> know, here in the U.S. it is a custom sometimes to shoot off fireworks 
> in celebration of the New Year.  However, this was a small rural area 
> and I don’t know how much of a fireworks display they may have had.  
> That is questionable in my mind.
When this excuse was offered it sounded like some sort of coverup.  
There is an article out of Lake charles, LA area that suggests a type of 
mold. As far as the theory of disease, sick birds would settle on a 
perch. Many of these birds exhibited injuries that indicated they were 
in flight and crashed to earth;  the same with the "event" in Louisiana.
> I know that in Dallas, Texas there is a park downtown that is a 
> frequent roosting spot for similar type birds.  They reappeared each 
> year causing a lot of noise and mess from their droppings, creating a 
> big health hazard.   The city tried using fireworks to frighten them 
> away and didn’t work.
> However, fireworks were the leading theory, as of last night.
> Being a meteorology “nerd”, I also know that tornadoes have cause 
> similar events in the past, even sucking fish from lakes.  There WAS a 
> tornado event in Cincinnati, AR that same night.  It was probably more 
> than a hundred miles West of the bird event though.  The line of 
> storms did move NE and would have probably passed over that area 
> later.  I do not know the exact timeline for each occurrence.
The storm hit Cincinnati AR at about  6AM, passed south of Springfield. 
It moved ENE toward St. Louis. Another storm cell moved toward Memphis 
TN from the Jackson, MI area. I think you will see that this was more an 
embedded tornado. A gust front was not reported. The storm weakened as 
it moved east and by middle of the afternoon had lost it punch in 
Illinois and west of Memphis.
>   As you suggest, lightening or hail is a possibility too.  I’ve heard 
> not mention of that occurring at the time, but is another theory.
There are now three reported instances of bird deaths; Lake Charles, La, 
, middle Mississippi(New Roads/Morganza area) and Beebe, AR.


  
    
    
  
  
    On 1/5/2011 7:47 AM, gpayton@............. wrote:
    

      

        

          
 
          

            

              
 
              
Hi Chris,
              
 
              
Great to see
                  you online again! 

                
            
          
        
      
    
    Me too Chris

    

    

      

        

          

            

              
 The gas idea
                  was only a passing thought on my part.  I know that
                  volcano activity and sometimes oil drilling releases
                  pockets of hydrogen sulfide, but I don’t remember of a
                  spontaneous release.  And, like we say, it is heavier
                  than air.
            
          
        
      
    
    I wasn't trying to project what gas...if any. Suppose a gas were
    involved, why would it have to be heavier than air?  Many of these
    drilling sites have catch basins lined with a blue shale. This cost
    something to build. Why? The "event" occurred during a holiday week
    when I suspect the working force would be minimal. In fact, the
    number of quakes was minimal since before Xmas.

    

      

        

          

            

              
  
              
 
              
These Red-wing
                  Blackbirds fly and roost by the thousands in tight
                  formations.  They sometime look like clouds of
                  undulating and changing smoke when flying in the
                  distance.  
            
          
        
      
    
    The habits of these birds is to feed in the country and move to the
    warmer urban areas at night. This would put them in the air and away
    from populated areas when this front passed..

    

      

        

          

            

              
 
              
I saw an TV
                  interview with a Arkansas Game and Wildlife
                  representative yesterday who said that they were
                  looking into the fireworks possibility and the birds
                  becoming frightened.  As you may know, here in the
                  U.S. it is a custom sometimes to shoot off fireworks
                  in celebration of the New Year.  However, this was a
                  small rural area and I don’t know how much of a
                  fireworks display they may have had.  That is
                  questionable in my mind.
            
          
        
      
    
    When this excuse was offered it sounded like some sort of coverup. 
    There is an article out of Lake charles, LA area that suggests a
    type of mold. As far as the theory of disease, sick birds would
    settle on a perch. Many of these birds exhibited injuries that
    indicated they were in flight and crashed to earth;  the same with
    the "event" in Louisiana. 

    

      

        

          

            

              
 
              
I know that in
                  Dallas, Texas there is a park downtown that is a
                  frequent roosting spot for similar type birds.  They
                  reappeared each year causing a lot of noise and mess
                  from their droppings, creating a big health hazard.  
                  The city tried using fireworks to frighten them away
                  and didn’t work.
              
 
              
However,
                  fireworks were the leading theory, as of last night.
              
 
              
Being a
                  meteorology “nerd”, I also know that tornadoes have
                  cause similar events in the past, even sucking fish
                  from lakes.  There WAS a tornado event in Cincinnati,
                  AR that same night.  It was probably more than a
                  hundred miles West of the bird event though.  The line
                  of storms did move NE and would have probably passed
                  over that area later.  I do not know the exact
                  timeline for each occurrence.
            
          
        
      
    
    The storm hit Cincinnati AR at about  6AM, passed south of
    Springfield. It moved ENE toward St. Louis. Another storm cell moved
    toward Memphis TN from the Jackson, MI area. I think you will see
    that this was more an embedded tornado. A gust front was not
    reported. The storm weakened as it moved east and by middle of the
    afternoon had lost it punch in Illinois and west of Memphis.

    

      

        

          

            

              
  As you
                  suggest, lightening or hail is a possibility too. 
                  I’ve heard not mention of that occurring at the time,
                  but is another theory.
              
 
            
          
        
      
    
    There are now three reported instances of bird deaths; Lake Charles,
    La, , middle Mississippi(New Roads/Morganza area) and Beebe, AR.