Perhaps in a last-ditch effort to stop the impending $1.5 billion development project on Treasure Island, an avian terrorist took out the power to the entire manmade island for just under an hour this morning.

Bay City News reports that the power went out around 10:20 a.m. this morning, and was resolved by 11:05 a.m. According to the SFPUC crews who came to check out the scene, the bird triggered a power surge when it hit a power line, which eventually switched another breaker and cut the power. This is apparently a not uncommon accident according to an SFPUC spokesman.

The outage wasn't too much of a hassle however, one convenience store owner had to turn a few customers away, but the blackouts are getting to be a regular occurrence now that construction is underway on the new span of the Bay Bridge.

This would be as good a time as any time remember that Sierra Club and the Golden Gate Audubon Society both opposed the project back in May, which seemed pretty ridiculous at the time. Now, it seems bird watchers have a martyr for the cause, at least.

The development has also come under fire recently due to worries of radioactive contamination from the former Treasure Island Naval Station.

Previously: All Treasure Island coverage on SFist
[BCN/Appeal]
[CurbedSF]