Once More for the Birds

On Thursday, March 22, at 9:00 pm National Geographic Channel will show the long-awaited-fourteen-months-in-production special about the red-winged blackbirds falling out of the sky December 31, 2010. (I blogged here about this phenomena on March 4, 2011.)

The title of the special is “Signs of the Apocalypse.”  Originally the show was to air on December 22, 2011, then for some unknown reason was rescheduled to the March date.  I figured NatGeo had negative reaction to an end-times special showing three days before Christmas, but that’s just my best guess.

On New Years Eve 2011, Beebe residents living near the birds’ roosting place were asked to refrain from shooting fireworks, lest there be a more bird deaths.  Most complied, but ‘someone’ (presumed to be not from the neighborhood) did set off a large round of fireworks near the roost. The result was 400 dead birds ‘falling from the sky.’  This would seem to prove, at least it’s strong evidence for me, that fireworks were always the cause.

I will say here that since I wrote about it a year ago I have learned that most blackbirds move somewhere else in the summer, so not many are around to be frightened by Independence Day fireworks. Also, these birds have poor night vision (and they fly crazy) contributing to the flying into things scenario.

I don’t know what all this will do to the NatGeo apocalyptic theory.  If indeed it is a theory. Or is the title of the special a teaser, meant to pique interest?  If that’s the case, it worked. I’ll be watching.