# Road kill



## Labs2 (Dec 15, 2013)

Tonight we had a family party in Erda and on the way home tonight I noticed dead birds all over the road 201 by the smelter. I thought at first that is was seagulls but as looked a little closer they were spoonbills. With the dense fog and the asphalt a little wet I think they thought it was water and meet there demise. That's a first for me, who else has ever seen that?


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

I remember seeing something like that in the news about a year ago. Seems like there were TONS of birds killed that way in that incident. Oh and a few months ago I found a dead duck in a dry pond that appeared to have died like that.


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## bug doc (Apr 19, 2008)

It happens every once in a while. A couple of years ago several thousand eared grebes crash landed in a Wal-Mart parking lot. They can't take off without running along the water, so they get stranded.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Oh and welcome to the forum!


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I saw several areas on a drive through Nebraska this spring with road-killed snow geese on the side of the road. They were right next to big ponds where lots of them were hanging out. I figured that a white tornado of the things probably swung in a little too low as a truck passed by.


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## Labs2 (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks for the welcome, I'm glad to be here...


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Welcome to the forum!
We have had two instances of hundreds of grebes dying in recent years, but not familiar with any others.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

The fog really messes with the birds, and the dark ground is easily mistaken for water. I was driving through my neighborhood at night last January, there were half a dozen Redheads sitting in the middle of the road. There was dense fog and those ducks landed hard I'm sure. I got out of my car and chased them off the road.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Spoonbills you say. Well I definitely suspect suicide. I would think once they figured out they were spoonbills they were so embarrassed and distraught that they all committed mass suicide.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Those Kennecott ponds between I-80 and 201 hold thousands of spoonies this time of year. They fly back and forth over I-80 all day long. If those spoonies didn't land on highway 201 I'm sure a semi truck hit a flock of them.

May be a good time to find some bands.


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## Labs2 (Dec 15, 2013)

I went through there tonight on my way home from work, they are all reduced to pancakes now. I'm surprised the news has not reported this.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Here's the story on the flock out at dugway from earlier this year. Didnt realize it at the time it was 5,000 of them (maybe they later updated the story).

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24800572

I think the Walmart parking lot bunch was over by UVU wasn't it?

-DallanC


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## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Here's the story on the flock out at dugway from earlier this year. Didnt realize it at the time it was 5,000 of them (maybe they later updated the story).
> 
> http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24800572
> 
> ...


The grebes are kind of a unique bird and from the sounds of them will continue to become more and more unique to the point of taking themselves out of the gene pool. They are becoming more and more notorious for landing in parking lots and other expanses of black top. Without water for take off, they are doomed to predators and/or eventual death. 
The last bunch of those grebes that I remember landing in a Walmart parking lot was down in Cedar City last year, but who knows, they may have tried to roost up again this year in a SLC Walmart parking lot, but I've not heard of any so far.

Waterfowl do get faked out sometimes in the nightime hours landing on icy roads that are mistaken by them for water. Not new, but seem to be more rare than those stupid grebes. The main difference is that if most waterfowl screw up and land on the road, parking lots, etc. they can jump up and fly away.....again, the grebes cannot and they are toast.


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## horn hunter (Oct 30, 2013)

Let's be honest, those birds weren't killed by a car, truck or commit suicude.... Someone shot them and tossed them on the way home.... Didn't want them in their trash can all week! LOL


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## ntrl_brn_rebel (Sep 7, 2007)

horn hunter said:


> Let's be honest, those birds weren't killed by a car, truck or commit suicude.... Someone shot them and tossed them on the way home.... Didn't want them in their trash can all week! LOL


Not all people think like you do Mr. Horn Hunter....:mrgreen:


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