Oh sorry, Burt. Sounds like you're a good illustration of Plotkins (?)
Law: the chances of seeing a rare bird are inversely`proportional to the
amount of effort you put into it. You're trying too hard! As one of the
sighters of the two Emporer Geese at Netarts Bay, let me reiterate, they
really were there. If they had been snakes they would've bitten us.

Better luck next time.

Harriet Whitehead
Anthropology WSU
whitehea at wsunix.wsu.edu

On Thu, 2 Mar 1995, Burton Guttman wrote:

>
> I've finally caught on to a huge practical joke that's being played on all
> the birders in the Tweeters area by someone--probably a conspiracy of
> several people. I think it's time for the conspirators to come clean,
> identify themselves, and let us all have a good laugh. Admit it now: All
> the reports of Emperor Goose in the Pacific Northwest are just fakes,
> aren't they? I have evidence! About a year ago, I was on Sauvie Island
> watching gulls when an Emperor Goose was reported; I looked at thousands
> of geese, but no Emperor. Last year, one was reported south of Everett,
> but when I went to look, do think it was there? No-o-o-o! In the fall, I
> went down the Oregon coast, hoping to see the two Emperors reported in
> Netarts Bay. (Is the plural of EMGO EMGE?) Hundreds of Brant, but no
> Emperor! Today I had to get away from the computer, so I drove up to
> Sequim, confident I would finally see the goose that's been reported on
> Graveyard Spit. Again, I scanned hundreds of Brant, but no Emperor! (I
> just noticed that today's RBA says that it was seen there through Feb
> 29th. Aha! Caught you! A real report wouldn't have had a phony date on
> it.) (BTW, although I did not see any unusual birds at Sequim, I did see
> several sequirrels and had some tasty sequid for lunch.) An Emperor was
> reported during the fall in the Vancouver, B.C. area, but after a few days
> they reported that it had been injured and was in the bird hospital.
> Yeah, you bet! Good thing I didn't waste time twitching that one!
>
> Okay, guys, whoever you are, I think it's time to end this little charade
> so we can all get on with our lives. I didn't think birders went in for
> this kind of joke. I thought birders were kind, honest, and rather sober.
> But if that's the way you want to play the game, . . . have I ever told
> you about the Magnificent Hummingbird that's been visiting my feeders for
> several years?
>
>
> Burt Guttman guttmanb at elwha.evergreen.edu
> The Evergreen State College Voice: 360-866-6000, x. 6755
> Olympia, WA 98505 FAX: 360-866-6794
>
>