Yogi Berra said, "You can observe a lot by just looking around".
I am not an ornithologist, so really have only anecdotal knowledge of bird formations, derived from my own un instrumented and un scientifically recorded sightings, so I dunno much here. They're not observations in the scientific sense. And I've been looking hard at birds only since 1969. The only birds I have ever seen in Vee formations are brown and white pelicans and various large migratory geese and swans. I have watched many times the big Vulture (Aasvogel) of East Africa, where I was born. They do not formate and HATE company. Doan wanna share their supper! Ravens do not formate but they sure fool around. Now folks who know what they're talking about (unlike me) say that the rough and tumble play of cubs and puppies is a training for fighting and killing in the adult state. Maybe, and maybe ravens whooping it up in the turb is a training for evading redtail hawks and other predators that bag them. Yeah, yeah! I do know fighter and test pilots though, professionally, and they certainly fly aerobatics to improve their emergency, evasive and killing skills, but they still LOVE doin' it! This really exhausts my professional knowledge, indeed goes a little beyond it, so I reckon I'll sign off and leave the subject to the innocent and the eager. Peter Lissaman, Da Vinci Ventures Expertise is not knowing everything, but knowing what to look for. 1454 Miracerros Loop South, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 TEL: (505) 983-7728 FAX: (505) 983-1694 ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
