(Photo: "Buster" before the arrival of the Christmas Tree on water)
Just when you get to know them and think they might stay a while, they are suddenly gone again.
And once more, you find yourself wondering suspiciously if they left on their own accord or rather, were they forced or spooked into immediately taking flight?
As has been the oft repeated pattern of these past few months, the geese observed at Harlem Meer for more than a week were no where to be seen last night.
I had grown somewhat confident and cocky over the past few days that the geese would stay a while as their number was large enough to engender some sense of safety, organization and security.
There were at least three families of geese at the Meer (around 25 in all) for almost two weeks. The gaggles consisted mostly of migratory geese with at least one family representing former resident geese of Harlem Meer.
I differentiate between "resident" and "migratory" because there was one group consisting of five geese who recognized me and confidently came to greet each night. The gander of this family whom I guessed to be the papa and "alpha" of the group was huge in size, clearly in control and quite brazen in terms of eating from my hand and keeping the other geese in line.
I named the lead gander, "Buster" as he not only seemed to call the shots for his own family, but the timid and cautious migratory geese as well.
The migratory geese were another story entirely.
Very alert and constantly on watch for possible threat, the migratory geese mostly stayed in the water carefully observing everything from a safe distance. The few times they ventured on the embankment, they kept respectable distance from the resident goose family and me.
A few nights ago, when arriving to the Meer, I noticed what seemed like all the geese gathered along the east side lake embankment with the mallards.
But, then a chorus of loud honks suddenly filled the air and there was a mad flurry of activity as all the geese and ducks either bolted into the water or took to the air, zooming wildly across the lake.
Hm, what's going on? I wondered. Surely, the geese and ducks weren't afraid of my dogs and me!
Then, I noticed two people walking along the lake with a white Shepherd mix who was trotting gleefully off leash.
It was the dog who obviously spooked all the birds.
But, as soon as the couple and dog moved on, the mallards and Buster's family of geese recognized my dogs and me and started following like I was the Pied Piper of Hamlin.
Meanwhile, the migratory geese gathered themselves together and lingered cautiously behind.
Its the migratory geese who were apparently very easily spooked.
Any geese who have formerly lived at the Meer get quite used to dogs, people and all kinds of activities.
But, for the migratory birds either just passing through or seeking a temporary wintering spot, Harlem Meer is apparently quite intimidating and frightening.
The migratory geese might take a lead from Buster and his crew, but an abundance of caution still rules.
But, last night, it was a different story all together.
Brad and his troupe of mallards were in their usual spot and immediately came for their nightly treats, but I could not see any geese anywhere.
Oh God, were the geese chased out of here again?
Then, I noticed something very unusual:
A Christmas tree seemingly rising up from the middle of the lake!
Were my eyes playing tricks on me?
I did a double and triple take as I had never seen anything like this before.
Sure, the lake was dark and the tree unlit, but there was no mistaking that it was actually a Christmas tree IN the water!
Putting aside how totally bizarre this image of the tree standing up mysteriously in the water was, I decided after feeding Brad and the gang, to walk around the lake and see if I could find the geese anywhere.
Although there were small clusters of mallards and shoverlers in different spots around the Meer, all the geese, both migratory and resident, were gone (as well as many ducks).
Although it is certainly possible that Central Park once again set the Border Collies on the geese, my guess is that in whatever way they "planted" the Christmas tree on the water, it was enough to panic the geese.
Even Buster and his family of resident geese would not be accustomed to boats and Christmas trees on the water. (It appears that the Christmas tree is resting on a small, raft-like patch of dirt and actually seems to move and sway.)
Not to launch into some kind of diatribe on how preposterous and downright "loony" it seems to spring a Christmas tree in the middle of a lake (scaring off all the geese and a sizable number of mallards), one has to wonder how this is going to work when the lake freezes over a few weeks from now?
How are they going to retrieve the Christmas tree when the lake is a solid block of ice?
Sometimes I truly wonder about the brainiacs who are paid to come up with such schemes and "ideas?" Aside from spooking a bunch of birds, what was the possible reason for planting a tree in the middle of a lake? (Please spare me from the meds or drugs these people are on.)
Even a total LSD haze wouldn't spark this kind of off the charts image.
Walking home from the Meer last night, I couldn't seem to get over the (to me) madness of what had just been witnessed.
Waterfowl who are natural to water are chased or spooked out in order to plant a Christmas tree in the middle of a lake!
It made me think of all the other "schizoid" and bizarre happenings of these past few weeks:
* Presidential "pardoning" of two turkeys while 45 million other turkeys are sent to their deaths to celebrate a holiday of "Thanksgiving."
* Presidential signing of a new law sanctioning the slaughter of domestic horses for "human consumption," while Stephen Spielberg's new movie celebrating the heroism of a "War Horse" is soon to be released.
* A city in Arkansas about to turn a city park into a shooting gallery of geese just prior to a major holiday celebrating "peace on earth."
Please tell me someone, is it me or is it the world that has seemingly gone mad?
I plan a little later to return to the Meer.
But, assuming that what I saw last night was not some wild hallucination and that the geese are still gone and the Christmas tree still sitting in the middle of the lake, perhaps I should then sign myself into Bellevue's psyche ward.
Its all become just a little "too crazy." -- PCA
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