Jan 2, 2008

Lifebird #29 - Goosed!

There are never an abundance of Canada Geese at the ponds. The natural habitat of tall native grasses and reeds that ring the ponds is not what they prefer. Canada Geese love mowed lawns that slope gently toward water. This is why our parks and golf courses are fairly littered with the birds, while in a more natural setting such as Gervais Mill Park overpopulation is not a problem. We see a nesting pair or two at the ponds every year, but that’s it. Most often, a single pair will nest on the small (30-foot diameter) island on the largest pond. The pair in the above photo nested on the island and raised their small brood on the ponds in the park. We watched these individuals over the course of the summer of 2007.

The female (we think) has a broken arrow sticking out of her back (it’s visible in the picture). It didn’t seem to bother her as far as we could tell. I can only hope it bothers the conscience of the idiot who shot her.