Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Mother (and Daddy) Goose


I have passed this family of Canadian geese a few times on the way to the office. They seem to enjoy feeding on a grassy area near the Storrow Drive interchange with Beacon St. near Kenmore. The little goslings on the right aren't so little any more. A couple weeks ago, they were cute little things, but like all Canadian geese, they are quickly growing up to become ugly pooping machines.

My perception of Canadian geese is based on what I remember from growing up outside NYC. The goose population and subsequent goose kills were significant issues in Rockland County. Scientists kept trying to study their migratory patterns by tagging their legs and, subsequently, their necks. Much of this article chronicles the goose round-ups on the 90's (and, of course, the famous failed Border Collie experiment).

While I'm not a goose fan, I did feel bad that many geese were forced to hang out wearing yellow numeric tags around their necks. Nothing like living your life in a plastic collar.

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