Thousands of dead birds at Wasaga Beach

[spooner]

The news have finally picked up this story, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, CTV and others.

The Toronto Star reports:
Thousands of dead birds have flooded the shores of Georgian Bay in a scene that locals compared to the devastation from an oil spill.

Dead loons, ducks and seagulls covered “every foot” of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park’s shorelines on Saturday, said local Faye Ego, who walks her dog there daily.

“It’s like when you see the oil slicks,” Ego said. “It turns your stomach. It’s awful.”

Between 5,000 and 6,000 dead waterfowl are scattered along a 3-kilometre stretch near Wasaga Beach, said Ontario Provincial Police Const. Peter Leon.

Botulism appears to be the culprit behind the masses of dead birds based on information from the Ministry of Natural Resources, police said.

The deadly disease is caused by toxins that lake-bottom bacteria produce under certain conditions. Fish were likely infected, then died and floated to the surface.

A “free-for-all eating frenzy for the waterfowl” ensued, Leon said, which subsequently resulted in their deaths.

Stormy and windy weather over the past couple days pushed the dead birds to shore.

He is unsure who will be responsible for cleaning up the lifeless waterfowl, which included mallards and pintail ducks. Tourism to the area is unlikely to be affected because it is not high season, he said.

Dead birds have been appearing on the area’s beaches for the past few weeks, he added.

And dead sturgeons, known to be bottom feeders, started washing up in August, Ego said.

There was also an influx of dead birds at this time last year, she said, but she has never seen anything like this before.

“It would make you cry,” she said.

She questioned why no one from the ministry had come to pick up the carcasses as of Saturday evening.

“I’m fighting to keep my dog off the beach,” she said. “His nose is going up in the air a million miles an hour.”

Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources did not immediately return requests for comment on Saturday.

However, the ministry identified a “die-off” of birds and fish in Georgian Bay in a news release earlier this month.

Small scale “die-offs” occur annually around the Great Lakes, with the largest being in Lake Ontario in 2007, according to the ministry.

Botulism is rarely dangerous to humans so long as food is properly handled and cooked, but dead birds and fish should not be eaten.

Police said the provincial park remains open, but warned people to keep their children and dogs away from the dead birds.

[admin]

Thanks spooner, here is the News Report video:

[onthemoney]

Just a quick comment on this. The birds in this picture are waterfowl know as Long Tail ducks a.k.a. Old Squaws for those people who are bird watchers or waterfowlers. These birds are not a fish eating birds; after reading this post and a few others I find it strange how non fish eating ducks mallards, pintails, and long tails ducks are washing up. This would have to be in the algea of the food chain.
I would hazard to say there will be more birds showing up maybe not as many as this is suppoe to be the peak.
I would like to know is this killing any cormorant. Now those I would not mind loosing a few thousand.

[WallyDiver]

The News Reports have done it, MNR clean-up started Monday:

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources will have crews out Monday picking up thousands of dead birds that have washed ashore along beaches on Georgian Bay.

Initial estimates pegged the number of dead water fowl as high as 6,000.

Ministry spokesman John Cooper says staff will also be in the area north of Wasaga Beach on Monday trying to get a more exact count.

Cooper says testing is being done to confirm the cause of the deaths, which he says are not uncommon on the Great Lakes at this time of year.

He says botulism has proven to be the cause of similar occurrences in the past __ fish ingest botulism when feeding on the lake bottom and the birds eat the contaminated fish.

The government clean-up will focus on a large provincial park on the shores of Georgian Bay.

[Bayliner]

As onthemoney states, these birds are not fish eating birds. Yet the MNR report that Wally posted, the MNR skokesperson stated the birds eat the infected fish. Again, onethemoney IS one the money. These birds are NOT fish eating.

What's the MNR trying to feed us???? And tonight there was nothing on the news about it. HA,,,they're sweeping it under the carpet.

I wouldn't eat anything outta that lake for quite some time,,,ya never know

I have a theory about whats REALLY going on

[sdcaller]

Hey Bayliner

Tell me your theory as I fish there and I do eat the fish.
That is when I catch them and I haven't had a lot of luck so far this year.
SDC

[admin]

I did some research on these ducks, Oldsquaw (long-tailed duck) and they feed on Mollusks, crustaceans, insects. Diet at sea mainly mollusks (including mussels, clams, periwinkles) and crustaceans (including amphipods and isopods); also a few small fish. In summer on breeding territory eats mostly aquatic insects, also crustaceans, mollusks, fish eggs, and some plant material including grasses and pondweeds.

Forages by diving and swimming underwater, with wings partly opened but propelled mainly by feet. Most feeding is within 30' of surface; supposedly able to dive more than 200', deeper than any other duck.
Reference: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - Oldsquaws

------
Yes, they are not adapted to hunt down and feed on fish, like loons or cormorants. But they will feed on small fish that are readily available. They also feed on mussels and may be eating contaminated zebra mussels and getting sick. Although the estimated number of dead waterfowl (6000) is staggering and maybe something else is happening.. Hard to say..

The MNR keeps saying the hot summer has caused a build-up of botulism toxins at the bottom of the lake. We have had hot summers before, can't recall this summer being the hottest in recent memory..

[Bayliner]

OK SDC,,,heres my theory.

The ship building yards in Collingwood are falling behind in the world market. The government knows this and have secretly invested in it to become a player with the world market. They have been doing research and development in nuclear propulsion. With the prevailing winds and a little uranium mishap, BINGO,,,,straight to Wasaga Beach.

Had a visit from my brother this week who lives in Wasaga and strangely, his hair is falling out

[GrandpaJim]

Great theory Bayliner. I'd file this right under the non-migrating cormorants that spend the winters under the ice obtaining oxygen from air pockets!! Oh well, Collingwood residents will be pleased to know the ship-yards are back in business after being closed for the past several years. Mind you, those occupying the new condos on the shipyard site might not share in the general enthusiasm.
Regardless, science fiction is an interesting adjunct to a fishing site I guess.