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"Something tells me it's all happening at the Zoo."
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The above line is from a Simon and Garfunkle song. But, these days most of the (at least, wild) animal action is at the Reservoir in Central Park.
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That is because the Canada geese who normally choose the Reservoir as a safe place to go through the molt arrived yesterday. (The molt is a roughly six-week period when geese lose and replace flight feathers. They cannot fly during this time.)
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I was very relieved to see the 18 new geese yesterday as I was beginning to worry. As geese are creatures of habit, they generally return to the same molting sites every year with the main criteria being safety from danger and predators.
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Noting some of the few resident Canada geese already molting in Central Park, I worried (due to late timing) that our yearly visitors for the molt either perished over the winter or went to a different location in NYC. Considering that USDA Wildlife Services targets for slaughter, hundreds of NYC geese every year from areas surrounding Central Park, such was indeed, a scary thought.
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So yes, it was a huge relief yesterday to finally see the same number of geese arrive who had been at the Reservoir last year and previous for the molt. Noting several of the new arrivals already showing the first signs of molting, it is presumed and hoped they are here for the duration of the next six or so weeks.
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Though the Central Park Reservoir is generally a very safe and secure site for molting geese, (No dogs, no fishing, no harassment and hopefully no USDA) one of the things the new geese will quickly have to learn is the current hierarchy at the Reservoir.
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Hansel, Greta and their four goslings are at the very top of the status ladder as established families and pairs usually are in the goose world. Below them are John and Mary, the other mature pair (who though once again attempting nesting this year, lost all of their eggs likely to human predation and park policy).
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Usually the two established pairs of geese respect each other and generally stay out of each other's way.
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But, a few nights ago, John and Mary neglected to heed warnings and sufficiently "yield" when the family swam over and embarked on the same rock area that they were grazing on.
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Apparently deciding that the "childless couple" had failed to respect and move sufficiently away, Hansel, (the daddy to the goslings) quickly charged to attack John.
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A fairly intense fight ensued with Hansel pecking at and chasing John into the water. Once in the water, Hansel jumped upon and attempted to hold John down under the water numerous times. For his part, John didn't put up much of a "fight" and simply tried to escape. I suspect the lack of fight was due in part to naturally deferring to the "Alpha" gander (in this case, a father to goslings) and partly because John is already molting and flightless and Hansel is not (thereby giving Hansel distinct advantage in terms of strength and flying to chase).
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Eventually, John escaped back to the rocks with Hansel in pursuit. John was watersoaked and appeared spent, but Hansel continued to peck at him. The scene was unpleasant and scary to watch, so I quickly left to seek some small rocks or twigs to use as diversion.
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However, when returning a minute later with some small branches, the geese had finally separated. By that time, Greta had gathered the goslings in the water and was swimming away where Hansel joined her and John slowly returned back to his mate, Mary.
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I was eventually told by another observer that a young man jumped the pointed, nearly five foot iron fence that surrounds the Reservoir to break up the two ganders. But I neither saw nor can confirm that story. Anything is possible, but it seems a little quick for that to occur in the minute (or less) that I was gone. (There was, however, a lovely young couple who observed the scene and was distressed by it.) The person who related this story to me was convinced that Hansel was trying to "kill" John and would have without intervention. But I am not so sure of that. Even when John was observed swimming away with his mate (appearing to be unscathed) this individual felt he was grievously injured.
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I have since returned to the Reservoir twice to check on John and for all that he experienced two nights ago, he appears not to have a mark on him nor is his behavior in any way altered -- though I suspect that both, he and Mary will show much more deference to the family.
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I look at what occurred two nights ago as rule enforcement of the established and current goose hierarchy at the Reservoir. Such actually occurs frequently in the animal and bird worlds and though not pretty for humans to see, rarely result in actual fatalities (or at least none that I have ever witnessed and I've seen many duck and goose scraps over the years. I am of the mind that these battles tend to look worse than what they actually are.) Most importantly, they are somewhat necessary in establishing healthy flock, pack, herd and colony orders.
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One thing is certain:
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The new geese arriving at the Reservoir for the molt will have to figure and learn quickly the hierarchy or else literally get their snowy white butts kicked.
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In geese (as in many animal species) families rule.
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And yes, these days in Central Park, it's all happening at the Reservoir, including a family with a very tough patriarch. New geese, take heed. -- PCA
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