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I do have a wild blackbird ( male ) lives on my land however that does actually do real glow in the dark birdsh$t ..I'm analysing what is in the stuff ( and have sent some away for a second opinion )..don't know wether it's genetic post chernobyl or something it eats or what... but when the sun has gone down the stuff is lighting up like big spotchy fireflies every where he has been ..on the paths and especially the truck ..the effect lasts for hours ( sometimes all night ) with no UV needed ..
It's sort of thicker than the average bird would do and pure white and there is a lot of it ..washes away when it rains ..then he does some more ..and we only have fireflies ( and not that many even then ) in the summer here ..
he seems real healthy ..and we've been seeing this since october when we moved in ..:o
First time I saw this was when I got out of my truck having parked behind the house at 11.oo pm ..very dark night and saw this spot of glowing stuff on the gravel at my feet..touched it and the glow "stuck "to my fingers ..was liquid ..so I picked up the few glowing gravel stones and waited till next day ....they still glowed in the darkness of a cupboard ....
Next night I saw that they were all over the property ..and when I saw them in daylight I realised what they were ( still didn't quite beleive the origin however ) and collected some samples ..
Two days later I actually saw the bird do one in the twilight ..( that was weird ..) on the pathway right in front of me ..it still glowed 'til daybreak ..but less strongly than the others ..makes me wonder if what ever it is is dependent maybe on the absorbtion of photons ( similar to some cadmium and germanium compounds amongst others ..and then liberates the photons as it has not too tight a hold upon them ) ( would figure if most were done in bright daylight ..so they would absorb more photons than the twilight one? )..when I was a kid some toys did this ..you shone a light on them and then in the dark they glowed for a few hours ..
Even used to get those kind of toys that did stuff in cereal packets ( some of you who grew up some of the time in the UK in the 50's and 60's may remember them ..little glowing fish and so on made from plastic in rice krispies or whatever?)..maybe it is a similar compound ..just the first time I ever saw it in nature ..fascinating :)
Since then I can find nothing biological or chemical ( still have loads of tests to run ) although since moving here ( to the north western part of France ) I am restricted as my amature lab stuff is in the south in storage along with loads of our stuff ..
The pro lab I sent samples to ( with instructions on what to look for ) still has to get back to me ( cost me an arm and a leg ..but hell it's interesting ..
The blackbird still shows up everyday ..eats the worms and live stuff he finds in the garden ..( doesnt eat any bread etc ) they are very specific feeders ) ..here they are known as "merles" ..the same term is used for thrushes and nightingales ( we have one of the latter who sings about a "yard from our bedroom windows morning and night ..sometimes "he" even fires up during the day when I'm chopping wood out back ) ....beautifull :)
Anyway ..my apologies for pulling thread way off ..'til now I haven't mentioned our blackbird to more than the lab and a UK science program who may come out to see him later in the year ( if he is still around )..I hope he has passed on whatever it is that he does to his offspring without ill effects ..the other birds we have as regulars here dont do this ..just him ..
[edited by: Leosghost at 10:40 pm (utc) on Jan. 13, 2006]