Signs of the Times — Looking 4 Airborne goslings

Need reports of location, time and other details for first spottings of fledgling honkers in the Bayport area.So far have seen only adults trying out their new flight feathers and large swimming flocks of goslings/babysitters, and some shoreland practice flapping. We appear to be a few days late on this seasonal change–cool weather? Please note water surface temp at time of sighting. Info goes to Jim Gilbert, the Gustavus naturalist at Waconia for his Sunday a.m. radio show on WCCO.

Curious about this sort of research. I can understand collecting this data on an endangered species like Peregrines, but with the overpopulation of these flying rats, what is the relevance of collecting this sort of information?

Lim Gilbert is very good at collecting information (data…) and comparing the info. to info. from past years and coming up with a hypothothese (sp?) on that subject. Could be looking for data concerning the colder than usual summer and how it is effecting particular animals. In this case maybe it effects how soon goslings take flight??? RR