A strange discovery this morning in downtown Austin. (TX)

KLBJ News ^ | 1/8/2007 | n/a

[Arrowhead1952]

Several blocks of Congress Ave are closed as police investigate the death of dozens and dozens of birds lying in the street.

KLBJ spoke to the APD's Toni Shovenitz, She says they are speculating it is some type of posioning.

Right now police are using leaf-blowers to clean the road. They hope re-open this area before rush hour traffic.

[ClancyJ]

Me either. Many just think a news article is a launch pad for their quick qwips - no matter the subject.

This could be serious and many are looking for the "meat" of the subject for answers.

But, what the heck -

[razorback-bert]

A 20 gauge makes more noise.

[RonDog]

From www.kxan.com

Large Number Of Dead Birds Close Congress Avenue Near Capitol

Jan 8, 2007 06:17 AM PST

Several blocks of Congress Avenue have been closed off to traffic because a large number of dead birds -- reportedly as many as several dozen -- have been found in the area. And if you work in the area, you're being asked to stay home from work until at least noon.

Congress Avenue and one block on either side of the street is shut down from Cesar Chavez to 11th Street until approximately noon. That's because an unusually large number of dead birds were found Monday morning, with most of them concentrated on 9th Street.

The fire department was called out to the area around 3 a.m. on Monday to test if there had been a gas or chlorine leak, but nothing of that nature was found. However, further precautionary testing is ongoing, and fire officials are requesting that individuals that work in this area not to come in until further notice.

The birds are now being collected by workers in hazardous-materials suits and will be sent to another agency for further testing to try to find out why they died.

Also, the 6th Civil Support Team is on the scene. The team supports local first-responders and helps determine the nature of an emergency situation.

All content © Copyright 2000 - 2007 WorldNow and KXAN. All Rights Reserved.

They also have VIDEO at that link.

[70times7]

A homeless man found unconscious near Congress. EMTs trying to revive him now.

So, are you saying the birds were killed by MD20/20?

[auto power]

WABC in New York just reporting that the Port Authority has been shut down...Mayor Bloomburg to have news conference shortly....smell throughout the five burroughs...

[trumandogz]

Day off work for me!

[webheart]

In the upcoming legislative session, Audubon Washington will ask lawmakers to create a new staff position in the Department of Fish and Wildlife to work on wind power issues. That person could help map out where wind turbines are suitable and where developers should be cautious because of the risks to birds and bats.

Of course, that person will also need a staff of underlings and those underlings will need secretaries. It's a jobs program, and the most qualified are the Audubon Washington people. They will probably be the ones to staff this new "office."

[70times7]

Well, if the homeless aren't hungry the mystery of what Taco Bell did with all the food leftover from the e-coli scare may have been solved.

[Rushmore Rocks]

fyi

[Orange1998]

Must be Hillary out and about.

[AnnaZ]

I miss everything.

I see some pigeons on occasion downtown, but what is really freaky are these other black birds of some type. As dusk settles they come swooping by the thousands to roost in the trees. Low-fliers, loud, and kamikaze.

(Very cool is watching the herons and egrets come to roost for the night by the "lake". They're incredibly large, and beautiful when they fly, but hilariously ungainly when trying to find branches sturdy enough to hold them for the night. Beats watching the [creepy] bats.)

[AnnaZ]

A strange discovery in Austin? I thought maybe they found a conservative.

LOL!

(What? And mess with our rep?)

[pamlet]

The loud birds are probably grackles... I don't know much about them - other than I sort of like driving in town in San Antonio and hearing them on a pleasant evening... laugh.. I know they're a pain in the neck - but it was one of the first "distinctive" things I noticed about San Antonio the first time I visited... laugh...

[Arrowhead1952]

If you are anywhere near the central Texas area, those grackles are the noisy and obnoxious black birds.

[eyespysomething]

marking

[null and void]

*snrk*

[dfwgator]

A strange discovery this morning in downtown Austin. (TX)

Oh I figured they must have actually found a Republican there.

[azhenfud]

Formation flight with a bad leader and a bad ending.

[null and void]

ping

[sbMKE]

Found this photo from the scene. It appears that hundreds and possibly thousands of birds are involved...