Tender Human Mercies and Winter's Challenges to Waterfowl

Conner, Cochise, Connie and Carol preparing for the "Arctic Cold Blasts" soon to come.

"What's ours is yours!" the domestics now say to the mallards who only weeks before were nothing but "nuisance invaders."

Migratory Canada geese briefly resting at CP Reservoir two nights ago. They stayed for less than a half hour before taking off again.

Off the geese flew into a cloudy and overcast night. -- Seemingly in a hurry to get out of NYC before the frigid weather arrives.

Observed last night at Harlem Meer in Central Park: 

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A father and three-year-old boy tossing small bits of wheat bread to the four domestics ducks at the Meer, the child giggling wildly in happy delight.

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"That's nice that you show your boy kindness and value for animals," I said to the man, smiling.

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"Oh, we just stopped at the store for some bread before coming here," the man laughed.  "My son loves to feed the ducks and looks forward to it."

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Later, I thought to myself what a nice moment that was.  This is one child that we need not worry about growing up and joining gangs or bullying other kids in school.

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Aside from important father/son bonding, the demonstration of compassion and kindness to others smaller and different from themselves are among the most important values we can teach our children.

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Were more parents (and society itself) to place value and emphasis on this critical life lesson, one suspects it would be a far kinder, just and relatively, crime-free world.

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As far as the "fab four" ducks themselves, it appears that Cochise, Conner, Carol and Connie are well aware of impending weather changes and have thus, in recent days, adjusted their behavior towards the mallards who are (in warmer times), generally considered "nuisance" invaders.

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Instead of relentlessly chasing off and intimidating mallards, the domestic ducks are rather, rolling out the welcome mat for them these days.

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"Come join us!  We are your friends! Relax and share some treat with us! What's ours is yours!"

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It is always amusing to note the changes in duck (and goose) behavior according to the seasons and the weather.

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During fair weather and season, there is much territorial squabbling and boundary establishment.

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But, come the first frosts and the snooty, cantankerous behavior rapidly changes to that of magnanimous welcome and mutual cooperation.

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On some level, even the domestic birds realize they are going to need additional waterfowl "help" if they are going to succeed in keeping pools of moving water during sub-freezing temperatures and quickly icing lakes.

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As far as migrating Canada geese, there too are the signs of mutual cooperation and organization as the stresses and challenges of thousand mile migrations do not allow for petty squabbling or dominance displays.

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Of the more than 1,000 Canada geese observed over the past month flying into, briefly resting and then taking off from the Central Park Reservoir to complete long journeys south, there has been no incident of any kind of aggression or squabbling.

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Should there be any "disagreement" among the many flocks of exactly when to go, some gaggles simply take off sooner than others.  Most of the time, all the geese generally leave in the same time frame.  But, occasionally, a family group or two decide to rest and roost at the Reservoir overnight and leave in the morning.

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If I have wondered over the past month where all the migratory geese were heading to, I got some answer in a recent email from a friend in Alabama who informed me that in the past few days, more than "400 geese" suddenly showed up in her local park!

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I could not help but wonder if at least some of those 400 geese were one's I had seen or even photographed flying out of the Jackie Onassis Reservoir?

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If so, that is an impressive journey from NYC to Alabama.

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Last night, I saw no geese at the Reservoir, but perhaps that is not too surprising.

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Geese tend to be steps ahead of the various "Arctic Cold Blasts" predicted to hit New York City, one of which is heading in now through the rest of the weekend.

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I always say, if one wants to know what the weather is going to be like in the days ahead, just pay attention to the geese and ducks.

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They know when to get out of town days and weeks in advance -- or to alter their behavior accordingly if unable to fly out.  

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But, hopefully, through all the challenges of winter, there will always be parents and small children willing to show mercy and share some of their bounties with the birds of our parks who (unlike the geese and wild mallards) may be unable to take flight when the going gets really, really tough. -- PCA

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