BBC News - Mystery of 75 starlings falling from the sky
What an odd sounding event:
What an odd sounding event:
The deaths of 75 starlings which appeared to fall from the sky and crash land on to a driveway in Somerset has mystified the RSPCA animal charity.The birds were spotted falling onto the entrance of a house in Coxley in Somerset on Sunday 7 March.That sounds a rather unlikely explanation, doesn't it? But then, I suppose being swatted by a passing invisible flying object (is there a military base near there?) may sound to some as implausible too.
Ms Sparkes said: "Onlookers said they heard a whooshing sound and then the birds just hit the ground. They had fallen on to the ground in quite a small area, about 12ft (3.6m) in diameter.
They appeared to be in good condition other than injuries that they appear to have suffered when they hit they ground. "Our best guess is that this happened because the starlings were trying to escape a predator such as a sparrow hawk and ended up crash landing."
In my garden, (3/5/10 - about 11am - 12 noon in Somerset nr. Bridgwater) Talking to my daughter who was learning out of upstairs window.
ReplyDeleteBoth heard a very loud whooshing sound that past close overhead - but saw nothing. Very Odd