Re: geese

[Danvarner@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/1/99 12:21:17 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
jbois@umd5.umd.edu writes:

<< 
 To Varner's skepticism of birds' ability to site nests with a "mind" to
 future predation, see
  >>
  It looks like I'm going to have to start using smiley faces at the end of 
my posts. I hate smiley faces...
  Mr. Bois is turning Mr.Varner into a strawman of sorts. I have no problem 
with bird's ability to site nests with a mind to future predation. Did I say 
that? One of the two quotes I questioned involved the goose pondering its 
future, "Do I stay and get killed by the cold or move and get eaten by 
predators?' Now how does the goose know he/she will be killed by the cold? 
Watching the 5 Day Planner on the Weather Channel? Does the goose really take 
into account probability of being eaten in distant time and space? I'll stand 
by my skepticism there.
  The other half of my objection had to do with the Snow geese breeding in 
Cincinnati due to ferocious winter weather (although it could be a good 
excuse). Now I want a reference for that one--and I'm not talking about the 
Cincinnati zoo. Snow geese spend the breeding season in the Arctic and the 
winters mostly in Louisiana and Texas (at least on the Central Flyway) no 
matter how harsh the Boreal Blasts from Beyond the North Wind. In between 
times they sometimes land next door to me in the cornfield near Princeton, 
New Jersey. Now please, on to Mesozoic dinosaurs and let this thread quiver 
then go still--like the Kong Stegosaur's tail. Dan Varner. :)