Life imitates Dead Parrot Sketch as Avian Flu arrives in Britain...No Joke!

parrot17.jpg (7494 bytes)

 

chickenFlew2.gif (18609 bytes)Appropriate that this should be the Year of the Rooster (or the  Hen if you're female.)

Once upon a time, the bird flew. Nowadays, the bird FLU! See where sloppy spelling gets you!

But, of course, the bird FLEW, that's why it has wings...

Seriously, tho, bird-fanciers, take care when you go out.

achoo.gif (2874 bytes)

BLESS YOU!

Dateline: Britain, October 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dove4.jpg (26884 bytes)

Here's a bird I shot (photographically-speaking!) in the garden recently (Oct. 05).

It's called a collared dove (notice the black marking round the top of its neck.)

A lovely creature.

It comes to eat here each day.

What's it meant to do - wear a face mask?

facemask5.jpg (14456 bytes)

 

Postscript: This turned out to be a false alarm,

but it's probably only a matter of time...

 

And it was, because, in April 2006, a dead Whooper Swan, was found in Scotland.Whooper1.jpg (4519 bytes)

Despite its name, it hadn't died of Whooping Cough but Bird Flu (sick joke).

If it had been a Mute Swan, one could have punned about it being lost for words...

Swansong

 

Anyway, this was a one-off...

till the next time:

20070205_turkeysRed.jpg (24316 bytes)February 2007, the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza hits a Turkey farm in Britain (not to be confused with a British farm in Turkey).

159,000 turkeys are culled (i.e. KILLED) & incinerated (rather than just well cooked).

The poor birds came down with sore throats (see how red they are!)

Incidentally, the source of this most recent outbreak is now thought to be Hungary.

But who is? Hungry still for factory-farmed poultry, after flu has put the foul in fowl?

Viral Culprit

(the 'bug' to blame)

avianfluvirusSmallsigned.jpg (41617 bytes)

Colorised transmission electron micrograph of avian influenza virus

Depicted thus, it's almost beautiful to look at, like an abstract painting, except there is nothing abstract or beautiful about the painful death the victims suffer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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