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Common pesticides starve and disorient migrating songbirds


Hydra – the Water Snake



Newly published research says two of Canada's most commonly used pesticides cause migrating songbirds to lose weight and their sense of direction.

"This is very good evidence that even a little dose — incidental, you might call it — in their feeding could be enough to have serious impacts," said University of Saskatchewan biologist Christy Morrissey, whose paper was published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

Morrissey studied the effect of two widely used pesticide types — neonicotinoids and organophosphates. Both are used on more than 100 different crops, including wheat and canola, and are found in dozens of commercial products.

A 2016 survey suggested that migratory songbird populations have fallen by 1.5 billion since 1970. Morrissey suggests that pesticides might be one reason why.  Nov.9



That events on earth can  respond dramatically  to the Moon phases can be surprising to many. This news will serve as one example of how they do. A chart for the Last Quarter Moon of Nov.10 at Saskatoon, where the research was carried out, is shown here. Notice that the luminaries straddle the horizon axis signifying that the Moon phase has an important message for the place. So what is this message and how do we read it?

Usually, the stars that form the backdrop to the luminaries offer some clues. Here the Moon [18le] is conjunct the stars Al Suhail, zeta (ζ) Puppis of the Celestial Ship Argo, theta Hydra of the poisonous Water Snake among others. Hydra is linked to toxic substances while the ship Argo Navis is a symbol for long distance travel and migrations.

For the Sun [18sc] which is conjunct stars of the Serpent, Diana Rosenberg writes, “environmental contamination; mass deaths of people and animals” [1].

Since the angles are also specific for a place, the stars they conjoin often add further details. Here the IC [13ge] is conjunct omicron Columbae, the constellation of the  Dove.


Columba – the Dove

In conclusion, we can say that we have all the elements that make up the news….mass death of animals (birds) while migrating (Argo)…caused by environmental poisoning (Hydra).



[1] Secrets of the Ancient Skies; Diana K. Rosenberg (v.1, p. 215-17)

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