Thursday, March 17, 2011

It's that time of the year again

Every spring our resident geese overtake our campus here, in Geese City. They are very aggressive creatures who have been known to attack careless humans.

See, for example, this pair that has placed itself strategically near the exit from my building. They were there this morning when I came to work and now that I'm leaving they are still in the same place. And the worst part is that you never know what mood these passive-aggressive creatures are in at any given moment. They might let you slink by if they feel like it. Alternatively, they can attack you.

And for my readers in Montreal: yes, it's that warm here. It's +22C.

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16 comments:

Greenconsciousness said...

very tired, maybe wounded, a bonded pair- a symbol - i would feed them despite what people say - they need the strength to travel - thank you for this picture

Clarissa said...

Wow. I now see them in a completely different light. Thanks for the lyrical description of the geese!

NancyP said...

The geese are begging for food at a likely place, a college quad with a population of lunch-eating students and staff. They will attack people who tease them and then don't pony up some feed. If you pay them no mind, they will ignore you.

Clarissa said...

It never occurred to me they could be hungry because they look quite plump. Now I feel guilty for not feeding them.

Anonymous said...

These birds should be in a corn field of near a river. There should be plenty of food for them there.

22C? It is a good thing I live so up north. If the weather is above 20C I sleep and drink alcohol under the sun all day long. Not very produtive...

Ol.

Greenconsciousness said...

It is close to the time when they have the babies so the female is.... well you know

Greenconsciousness said...

But it is not safe in the corn fields - if it is not the hunters it is the farm kids with their BB guns.....we have taken all the habitat -they even hunt in sanctuaries and in the parks...

KT said...

They're not hungry. They're horny. At least the male is. The aggressive behaviour is typical of what we find when they're mating. They're going to get worse when the female is incubating the eggs. The male is going to declare all the area a no-go zone, thinking that everyone who walks by is coming to steal the eggs. We've become Geese Country once again for the next two to three months :(

Clarissa said...

"They're horny. At least the male is."

-I take exception to this instance of gender discrimination. :-) :-)

KT said...

If the female is horny, at least she doesn't show it or make us all pay for it - which should be an interesting study in geese (and maybe female) coquetry :)

Clarissa said...

Unless reliable contraception for geese is invented, we can hardly expect enthusiasm in the area from female representatives of the species. :-) :-) It isn't coquetry. It's a practical concern.

Who could have thought this would become such a popular post.

Pagan Topologist said...

Oh, just catch one, chop its head off, dress and cook it. They are delicious.

KT said...

Thank you PT. We had a suggestion like this last year. It even came with a recipe. :)

Clarissa, over to you now. I promise to come for the feast. Maybe a horny geese couple would taste better than undersexed ones. It can as well be a feminist experiment.

Ah, I kid. :)

Clarissa said...

Actually, is hould totally cook a nice plump goose stuffed with white rice and mushrooms after I come from NYC.

Rimi said...

I am SO completely with Pagan Topologist on this one! I've heard so much about delicious geese.

Clarissa said...

Of course, the university will totally cook my goose if I try to harm one of the geese. :-)