(Photos: 1- Piggly and Wiggly in a Brad-arranged truce with a goose last night! 2- Brad protecting his charges.)
It was "nightfall" by the time I made it to Harlem Meer yesterday with my dogs -- though it was only slightly after 5 PM. Among the changes that winter brings, are the short, nine hour blips of daylight. You blink your eyes and the daylight is gone.
But, change is of course a daily occurrence regardless of the season.
Unlike New Year's Eve, when most of the waterfowl were quietly lying low on the lake and seemingly invisible (due to heightened human activities?), last night there was a whole lot of avian activity, most of which was lively communications!
The first encounter with animated bird talk was when the Bradly Brigade came to greet me at the familiar south side of the Meer.
Brad, Piggly and Wiggly enthusiastically climbed the embankment, all three domestic ducks chattering and clucking away a mile a minute at the same time.
Hm, they are very talkative tonight! .
Of course, I could not make out what the Bradly Brigade were saying, but imagined it to be some mixture of both, greeting and demand.
"We're here and we're hungry! What have you brought for us tonight?"
A group of about 8 geese joined the scene. But, I did not recognize them as Buster and his crew or other geese I know. They were a bit cautious and unsure of themselves -- unlike the confident Buster who usually walks right up to and stands in front of me, beseeching treat.
I wondered where Buster was?
But, it did not take long to figure out the probable answer to the question.
It seems there was an important goose "community meeting" going on last night at the Meer.
Peering out over the dark waters, I could make out most of the geese gathered in a wide circle in the center of the lake. And there was much dialogue going back and forth among some of the members.
"Hey, Buster, what's the deal here?" a migratory gander asked. "We sense a cold blast coming in a couple of days from the Arctic. Is this thing going to freeze over? Do we need to gather our families and move on?"
"Well, that all depends." the top resident Harlem Meer gander answered. "If the cold snap lasts only a couple of days then only parts of the lake will freeze. But, if it goes longer than that, then yes, this entire watercourse will turn into a solid block. How are your ice-skating skills?"
"Ice skating? Ah, not that again! We haven't prepared the wee ones for that! We haven't had to."
"Well, what about dunking and diving?" Buster pressed. "Surely, you have prepared them for breaking up the ice! If we all pull together to dive and dunk, we can prevent most of this from freezing over."
"Oh yes, we have been practicing the diving for weeks!"
"Well then, no need to worry or fret! You guys will be fine!"
Buster was obviously busy calming the concerns of the migratory geese.
Meanwhile, back on the grass, Brad was having his own challenges.
It seems one of the novice geese became annoyed with Piggly darting in front of him (or her) and grabbing most of the treat. The goose gave Piggly a quick shove and peck.
"Come on! Begone with you! You are a little pest and thief!"
Infuriated, Brad lashed out and delivered a hard (this means business!) peck to the goose's butt!
"How dare you! You leave my pals alone! Its my job to fatten them up for the cold days ahead. They get first digs here! Remember the rules!"
The goose appeared utterly shocked when receiving this admonishment from of all things, a duck! Ah, such humiliation for a proud goose! But, s/he took the tongue and beak lashing with stride. After all, Brad just isn't any old duck. He is in fact, ruler of Harlem Meer.
The goose retreated slightly back and did not bother Piggly again. Unlike Buster, the newer geese at the Meer don't quite know all the rules yet. -- But, they are learning. Fast.
After swooping his nightly supply of sunflower seeds from my hand, Brad then took to the water to vigorously practice in earnest, his dunking and diving skills.
Brad doesn't require the migratory geese to inform him that a cold blast is on the way. He has long been preparing for it.
But, Piggly and Wiggly remained on the grass lazily finishing up the seeds and treats -- without any disturbances from the geese.
Finally, their bellies filled, Piggly and Wiggly joined Brad in the water.
But, they did no dunking or diving.
Instead, all three ducks followed me in the water as I began to exit Harlem Meer with my dogs.
Its important that they "show the way" each night. Apparently, Brad has no confidence that I (or my dogs) can find our way out of the Meer without direction.
Good night, guys! Brad, be sure to teach your charges how to dive and dunk! The cold blast is coming!"
As I turned back for one last glance, Brad was again busily diving, while his charges looked on curiously without so much as dabbing their pretty heads in the water.
Brad has a lot of "talking" and teaching still to do.
Walking home, I thought about some common bird phrases in the English language and how they are rooted in reality.
"Birds of a feather flock together."
I thought of all the months Brad was so alone, isolated and silent on the lake after his companion, Angelina vanished in the early summer (his status significantly lowered.)
And though there were scores of mallards and other wild ducks on the lake, Brad was neither welcomed by them or apparently even understood or could communicate in their language.
(To humans, all duck sounds might sound the same. But, as in humans, it seems the actual languages among difference breeds or types of ducks are different.)
But, now that there are two other domestic ducks at the Meer, they all speak the same language and "flock together" as the old adage proclaims. Moreover, due to Brad's knowledge, wisdom and experience at Harlem Meer, the three ducks together now appear to represent an established and formidable hierarchy..
The other adage, "pecking order" also comes to mind when referring to geese, ducks and presumably all other birds (and humans).
But, as has been observed and reported in this journal, "pecking order" doesn't always have to do with size or strength or even bird species.
It rather and seemingly has to do more with family orders, experience and knowledge, organization, communication skills and most of all, the "rules" and hierarchy of the particular location.
Put simply, those with knowledge, experience, organization, communication skills and confidence rule a location, regardless of size, strength or even species.
Right now, Brad most possesses all of these attributes and is therefore the "top" bird of Harlem Meer. Even Buster acquiesces to Brad and knows better than to mess with the master and permanent resident of the Meer.
Today, blustery winds are blowing into New York City from the north and reminding all that winter has just barely begun. Temperatures are predicted to plummet over the next couple of days.
But, there is no doubt that both, the geese and ducks in our parks are well prepared for it.
That only Brad can finally communicate to his somewhat indulgent and inexperienced charges, the importance of dunking and diving.
I can just hear him saying now:
"Its time to dunk those delicate heads and get those colorful feet in the air! Get to work now! The free ride is over. Pretty is, as pretty does!" -- PCA
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