[mou] owls/people and ect..

[Jim Williams]

On Jan 11, 2005, at 11:34 AM, sharonks@mn.rr.com (Sharon Stiteler) 
wrote:

  Also, how stressed can an owl be when it is actively hunting while two 
trains are moving underneath it while it's perched on a telephone wire 
overhead?

====

These owls do not have the luxury of taking a day off when they feel 
stressed. The act of hunting cannot be considered a sign of little or 
no stress. It is simply what the owl must do to survive, regardless of 
condition. These birds must hunt successfully or die. Nor can the owls' 
response to trains or vehicles or people be used as measurement of the 
owls' condition. It is likely that most of these birds have had few if 
any previous encounters with trains, vehicles, and people prior to 
recent weeks. The lack of response in encounter situations might well 
be indicative of lack of knowledge about how best to respond as opposed 
to a chosen response.

Jim Williams
Wayzata