Monday, December 26, 2011

The Difference a Year Makes!





Ah, the difference a year makes!
 
Last year, on Christmas day, the blizzard blew into New York City.
 
I did not take my dogs to Central Park that evening.
 
But, concerned about Brad and his then, two flightless companions, Joey and Angelina, I took the subway to 110th Street and stumbled the 5 blocks to Harlem Meer.
 
Visibility was about two feet, as it was nearly impossible to keep one's head up with the winds and whipping, punishing snow in the face.
 
I wondered how anything could survive such merciless conditions?  Despite being dressed in snow parka, hat, scarf, gloves and boots, I was nearly blown off the streets and had trouble standing, much less navigating through a blizzard.
 
But, somehow I made it to the Meer.
 
All the mallards and few geese had deserted Harlem Meer which was then covered in snow and ice.
 
BrAdgelina and Joey were huddled under a tree and somehow braving the relentless cold, winds and storm.
 
They were grateful and eager for the good supply of food I brought.
 
About a week later, I shot the video below of the three ducks surviving all alone on a then ice covered lake.  (Notice Brad in the tiny pool of open water.  That is virtually where he spent the entire winter and miracle of miracles, he [with the help of his buddies] managed to prevent the bath-tub sized pool from freezing over.)
 
 
Flash forward to this Christmas:
 
No snow, pleasant 40 degree temperatures and none of Harlem Meer frozen over.
 
And there is a bountiful supply of waterfowl on the lake!   Migratory and resident geese, mallards, shovelers and a variety of ducks.
 
Should conditions stay as they are, there truly is no cause for geese or ducks to migrate any further.
 
But, perhaps that was what some of the "discussion" was last night at the Meer amongst both, the resident and migratory geese.
 
What was of particular interest was the exchange of honks between Buster who was, (with his charges) with me along the embankment and some of the geese in the water.
 
Is Buster now perceiving the visiting migratory geese as "overstaying their welcome" as humans sometimes experience family members who stay too long around holidays? 
 
(Its quite possible as geese and ducks are sometimes remarkably "human!")
 
I do suspect it was Buster who, either by honk or just his and his gaggle's presence, "invited" the migratory geese into the Meer.
 
In past years, migratory geese have usually settled into the Reservoir over the winter.
 
But, now with Christmas officially over, it seemed that Buster was reminding the other geese of this fact.   (In fact, he was quite cantankerous even with the geese on the ground, some of whom are his own charges.)
 
"Come on, its time you migratory guys begone!  Christmas is over.  Aren't you supposed to be moving off to North Carolina or Maryland?"
 
"Why should we?  The conditions are good here.  Nice temperatures.  Open water. If we take to the skies now, we are bound to lose some of our family to hunters!  You wouldn't want that, would you?"
 
Buster, softening up.  "Well, yeah, I see your point and wouldn't want you to lose mate or kids.  Sure, you can stay a while, but just know your place and keep some distance!"
 
Of course all of this could become a moot point.  With this number of geese and ducks at the Meer, I personally suspect Central Park will soon send out a Goosebusters crew to chase most of the birds away if the lake doesn't soon start to freeze.
 
But, I didn't tell Buster that.
 
Let them enjoy the "party" for however long it lasts -- even if the relatives are overstaying their welcome.
 
Meanwhile, Brad (totally ignoring the discussions among the geese), was simply concentrated last night on amping up his supply of healthy food and keeping his two new charges, Piggly and Wiggly in line.
 
It is an interesting dynamic between Brad and his two new barnyard companions.
 
Piggly is a male Kacki Campbell (I think) and Wiggly a female.
 
Wiggly is a little better about staying close to Brad, but there is not a whole lot of "talking" or dialogue among the three flightless ducks.   (Brad and Angelina were incredibly close and communicated and chatted all the time.)   As noted previously, the new alliance is one of convenience and perceived need.
 
Should the lake not freeze over this winter, I think Brad might actually ditch the two newcomers as he doesn't seem particularly intent on establishing a close, "intimate" relationship, such as he had with Angelina.
 
Right now, I think it is almost a situation of "unrequited love" on the part of Wiggly.
 
Then again, all of that could change come the spring.
 
At the moment, Brad is simply focused on survival and what he has to do, if winter actually sets in as it did last year -- in a big and nasty way.
 
It should be noted that in January of last year, Joey (the white, Pekin duck) was attacked on the ice by a dog and had to be rescued, treated and later adopted out.
 
Sadly, Angelina, after surviving the brutal winter with Brad, vanished mysteriously in the spring.   Angelina was always a bit more "risk taking" than Brad and I suspect leaving her guard down one evening, may have been killed by a dog. 
 
The bottom line is that one year later, everything is "different" in New York City and Harlem Meer.   Different weather, different birds, different behavior patterns.
 
And things are a little different for me, too.
 
Among the calls yesterday was one from my daughter and son-in-law in Utah.
 
They are hopeful this new year of moving to Chicago.
 
That is welcome news for me as Chicago is so much closer to NYC.
 
Perhaps it isn't going to be such a cold, dark winter after all -- for the birds or humans. ;) --PCA
 
 
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