| Life imitates Dead Parrot Sketch as Avian Flu arrives in
Britain...No Joke!
|
| Life imitates Dead Parrot Sketch as Avian Flu arrives in
Britain...No Joke!
|
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.
BLESS YOU! Dateline: Britain, October 2005 |
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?
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. 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:
 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)
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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davyking.com |
