>----------
>From: Peggi Rodgers[SMTP:peggir at aragorn.ori.org]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 1996 2:48 PM
>To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: Re: baby birds - Long
>
>>>And it does seem a little weird that rehabbers spend
>>>so much time trying to save ducklings and goslings when
>>> government agencies are spraying geese eggs with oil
>>> to try to prevent their hatching!)
>
>>Where is this going on? I'd appreciate information on the location, which
>>government entity, what species are involved. I'm very surprised at this
>>since Fish & Wildlife gets a great deal of their funds from hunting
>> licenses and the major species being hunted are ducks and geese.

In a front page story from today's "Journal American" (Bellevue WA)
there is a description of this program. It is being done instead of the
old practice of exporting the geese because they can no longer find any
takers. The USDA is treating eggs of geese nesting near city parks (in
Bothel, Kenmore, Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Mercer Island, and other
cities in King and Snohomish counties) with a "non-toxic, oily substance
that keeps embryos from developing". They report that goose numbers in
these areas are more than 100 times higher than 1960's levels. There
are thousands of geese in the affected area.


== Michael Hobbs
== Redmond WA
== mikeho at microsoft.com