We just got the lab results on a 6-year-old crow that was found dead near Community Corners the other day, and it was positive for West Nile virus (WNV). We also have had a few tagged crows go missing in the larger area of Cayuga Heights this week. We would appreciate hearing about any dead crows seen in the area, especially if they are banded or tagged.
This is early for crows to be dying of WNV; in past years the peak of crow deaths was in August and September. We have not had a major local outbreak for almost 10 years, but we knew the disease was still around. Nobody currently has money to put toward tracking or studying a reoccurrence of the disease in the area, so we would appreciate any information that birders can offer to help us learn what we can. Remember, WNV is spread by mosquitoes, and people can get it. The elderly are most at risk. Now would be a good time to walk through your yard and dump out any small containers of accumulated water, such as form in tarps or empty flower pots. Don't let those mosquitoes bite you! Kevin Kevin J. McGowan Ithaca, NY k...@cornell.edu<mailto:k...@cornell.edu> 607-254-2452 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
