In the Nick of Time, Smart Ducks Find Rescue and Safe Haven

Connie and Carol (male) enjoying new digs and leaving memories of frozen Harlem Meer in Central Park behind.

We did not get the fab four out of Harlem Meer too soon.

.

Last night, the lake was more than 90% iced over, including the area near the Dana Center.  The mallards looked miserable and there were no geese.

.

Additionally, an obnoxious woman was trying to prompt her Siberian Husky to charge at mallards resting on ice, pushing his backside at the edge of the lake and chanting, "go!"

.

"If your dog falls through the ice, who is going to rescue him?" I queried.

.

"Mind your own business," the woman shot back.

.

"Look, the birds have it tough enough out here in winter without being deliberately harassed.  Show some respect.  Besides, dogs are not allowed on the lake." 

.

Fortunately, the dog did not show any interest in either the ducks or the icy brine. (Siberian Huskies are neither hunting nor water dogs.)  

.

Feeling reasonably confident that the reluctant Husky would not charge the ice or the ducks, I walked away.

.

The only reason for sharing this incident is to illustrate what the waterfowl and other wildlife of Central and other city parks have to endure.  (Primarily, callous humans as one should not fault dogs for the ignorance of their owners.)

.

Eventually exiting away from a frozen Harlem Meer, I breathed, once again, a sigh of relief that Conner, Connie, Carol and Cochise were finally rescued from what is fast becoming (and always has been) a harsh and hostile environment. 

.

Rescue of them now would be virtually impossible.

.

Mallards stayed either on the ice last night or swam in small groups, trying to maintain some open water.  None came on land, which is apparently colder and harsher on their feet in the bitter cold.  The same would have been true for the domestic ducks.

.

But, instead of having to endure the cruelties of humans or winter in Central Park, the fab four have quickly settled in their new home as though they "have lived there all their lives."

.

This email report from Caroline today:

.

"All is well and everyone seems VERY happy with their new home.  

Everyone is eating, drinking, swimming and quacking up a storm.  The first night no one wanted to go into their night shed, but by the second night, their human mom, came in, said, "Bedtime duckies," and everyone marched right in their shed, settled down in the hay, and went right to bed.  Very very smart ducks!

The plan is to introduce them to the other ducks today.  Their pens are next door, so they've been talking to each other.  Today she will let them see each other, and if there isn't too much snow tomorrow, they'll all go out in the big yard for some supervised time together."

.

Well, of course, Conner, Connie, Carol and Cochise are "very, very smart ducks."

.

They would not have survived for the past year at Harlem Meer were they not.

.

  

But, now they don't have to be especially smart, scrambling for food or on guard, 24/7. 

.

They can just be happy, relaxed and free to be themselves.

.

Happy day, despite the newly fallen snow and quick forming ice on all park watercourses. -- PCA

.

.

.

                                               **************

New Digs and Happy Ending for Fab Four, Domestic Ducks

Part of their new digs. Shelter from the ice and storms.

"No more icy lakes and grounds of freeze!...."

"No more taunting dogs or rowdy teens.  No more discarded fishing lines and icy lake of freeze.  No more "Geese Police" and actions to harass and tease. We are finally home free!"

.

So sing the "fab four" domestic ducks from Harlem Meer in Central Park these days.

.

Conner, Carol, Connie and the forever cute and rolely, poley Cochise were rescued two days ago and have already gone to their new home where they are finally able to relax in peace for the rest of their days and enjoy shelter from the storms.

.

Special thanks and deep appreciation to Caroline who helped, not only in the actual rescue of the fab four, but also in securing permission to rescue from park rangers and officials, as well as in responsible and loving, permanent placement of the domestic ducks.

.

Put simply, this could not have been achieved without Caroline.

.

The rescue itself went remarkably and surprisingly smoothly -- though not without a hitch. 

.

Caroline had been meeting with me several days prior to the rescue in order to gage the situation and plan rescue, as well as acclimate the ducks to her as they already were to me. (This was achieved by Caroline cooing to and hand-feeding the fab four for several days.) 

.

The day of the actual rescue however, came with some surprise and unanticipated event.

.

Temperatures had plunged to freezing and the ducks sought protection from gusty winds by huddling in marshes to the far east side of the lake -- an area I had never seen them before. 

.

Unfortunately, it was far from their usual location -- the grassy, protected area near the Dana Center -- where Caroline had set up a pen to facilitate our hopeful capture of them.

.

It thus became my "job" to try and entice the ducks all the way back to where the rescue pen and Caroline was set up for them -- a distance of nearly a football field!

.

But, would Conner, Connie, Carol and Cochise follow me -- especially that distance?

.

They weren't after all, trained dogs.

.

But, they were very hungry ducks.

.

And they knew me for more than a year as their feeder.

.

Though feeling initially pessimistic that I could lead the ducks all the way back from their semi-warm spot, spirits lifted when they immediately squawked and became excited when seeing me.

.

"No, no, not here!" I said, waving my arms in the direction towards the Dana Center. 

.

"Come! Come!  This way!"

.

Sure enough, the ducks began to follow, swimming in a straight line towards the rescue area!

.

But, the journey had twists and turns.

.

At one point in the twists and turns, the fab four embarked on land and started following me along a pedestrian path!

.

Though feeling like the Pied Piper, this was no good as people were walking dogs along the path!

.

"No, no,not here...back in the water!" I said, steering them back to the lake. 

.

Thankfully, they got the message and returned to water.

.

"Come, come!  This way!"

.

This venture went on for a good 15 minutes or so, but finally I and my (apparently) "trained" ducks made our way to where Caroline was patiently waiting with a big bowl of duck pellets and a steel pen with open top.

.

Already acclimated in the prior few days to eating from a bowl, the hungry four made their way to the food and started scooping up.   Some mallards joined them in grabbing loose tidbits from the ground.

.

Caroline quickly went inside the pen and closed it off.   The mallards immediately flew out.

.

But being flightless, the domestic four were thus "trapped" and enclosed.

.

Once handing a fairly large dog carrier to Caroline over the pen, it seemed mere seconds before she had all four ducks safely secured in the carrier.

.

(Caroline is in fact, an expert on domestic duck rescue, having done more than a thousand over the years. She made what was actually a tough job look like a piece of cake.)

.

Two onlookers visiting from England, offered to help Caroline and I move the carrier filled with four heavy ducks back to Caroline's car which was parked a block away outside of the park.

.

"You will have quite a story to tell when you get back to the UK -- how you helped to save four ducks in America!" I laughed to the young couple.

.

No worse the wear for their "ordeal," Conner, Carol, Connie and Cochise chatted and happily squawked in the back seat of the car, though they did not struggle nor make any attempt at escape.

.

Normally, I am no expert in duck language, but I am quite sure, in this case, they were saying:

.

"No more taunting dogs or rowdy teens!  No more discarded fishing lines and icy lake of freeze.  No more "Geese Police" and actions to harass and tease. We are finally on our way home free!"

.

By the next morning, the fab four were enjoying grassy, fenced-in lawn, water, hay, the company of others just like them, safe shelter and a devoted, human family.

.

I already miss my "fab four," but in the end, one must do what is right for the animals, rather than what just gratifies the ego.

.

Conner, Connie, Carol and Cochise will learn to love others as they have appreciated and responded to me over the past year. I was just the helping hand along the way until they could find real peace and ultimate, safe sanctuary.

.

I am greatly relieved (and forever grateful and indebted to Caroline) that these four domestic ducks will not meet the same grim fate of too many domestics before them and probably too many after them.

.

For some animals dumped in public parks, there can be eventual happy ending.  

.

Our job is to increase those odds in their favor and help create more such happy endings.  

.

For more on the general topic, please see the related articles and videos below:  -- PCA 

.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1172276-video-geese-on-the-move-to-winter-home

.

http://www.hannibal.net/article/20131212/NEWS/131219597/1001/NEWS

.

 http://www.wkrg.com/story/24187313/loxley-homeowners-association-kills-geese

.

http://www.ksla.com/story/24208718/fishing-line-blamed-for-footless-birds-at-duck-pond?fb_action_ids=10152084878018394&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=.Uqs_y-SVoMM.like&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

.

.

.

.

                                             **********

Tip of the Iceberg -- Snowy Owls

Canada goose -- what lies beneath and aside the iceberg.

No one is quite sure of the reason why more Snowy Owls have been making their way to the North East in recent weeks.

.

Some speculate that the impacts of climate change and habitat loss are affecting the birds' normal food supply (lemmings) in the Arctic, thereby compelling more of them to fly south in winter in search of food.

.

But, whatever the precise reason for more Snowy Owls in our region,  birders have been excited to spot the beautiful and rare birds in various locations in New York and New Jersey. There have been numerous sightings, postings, photos and articles about them.  

.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NYBirders/

.

But, entities neither excited nor enthused about the emergence of Snowy Owls were JFK airport, the DEC and the Port Authority.

.

Orders to "shoot to kill" three Snowy Owls this past weekend were carried out.

.

Normally, bird killings around airports go unreported, but in this case, someone informed The Daily News which then ran front page coverage of the story.

.

Other media picked up, as did the social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  The birding and Animal Rights communities immediately set up Change.org petitions which in less than 24 hours garnered more than 7,000 signatures.

.

In the face of so much media and public outrage, The Port Authority and DEC had little choice but to immediately rescind the decision to kill the owls in favor of trap and relocation.

.

The story was widely reported, including on yesterday's Today Show:

.

http://www.today.com/video/today/53788217#53788217

.

But, of course the killing of the Snowy Owls was the mere tip of the iceberg (or, in this case, the straw that broke the shooter's back).

.

The only media person to fully report all the facts was Jane Velez-Mitchell in her interview with Edita Birnkrant of Friends of Animals last night.

.

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/12/10/protecting-our-animals

.

We, who have been fighting for the protection of geese and other birds -- many thousands of whom have been ruthlessly shot, gassed or slaughtered for the past several years in the name of so-called, "airline safety"  -- were not at all surprised with the latest carnage.

.

Nor were we surprised with most of the media's continued showing or mention of "The Miracle on the Hudson" incident (the geese will never be allowed to live that one down) or repeatedly misstating that it is the "birds who collide with planes."  (It is actually the planes that fly into the birds.)

.

We should of course be grateful that the media reported this story at all. And we should be grateful that Snowy Owls were featured in the Harry Potter movies, thereby upping their general appeal and value to a mass audience.

.

But, the fact that Canada geese (and other birds) are still portrayed as the flying  "menaces" that brought Caption Sully's plane down and continue to "collide" with other planes in Kamikaze, suicidal ventures, spells an overall, grim outlook that anything for them will change.

.

Yes, let's be happy for the fact that quick media exposure and public outrage ultimately changed the fate for Snowy Owls venturing near airports in NY.

.

But, dare any of us to look beyond the mere tip of the iceberg to what lies beneath?

.

The value of a Canada goose, swan, cormorant, starling or red-winged blackbird is no less than that of a Snowy Owl.

.

Our value, appreciation and willingness to stand up for wildlife should not be dependent upon beauty contests or popular movies. -- PCA

.

.

.

                                                   **********

On Cue, The Geese Arrive to Greet! (The Geesies Never Forget)

On cue, the geese arrive and come to greet!

A lead gander of the troupe.

Children stop to wave "hello!"

A beautiful goose girl poses for photo.

And another handsome gander in warm greeting.

Since the death of Cago more than two months ago from Harlem Meer, there has been nary a goose there.

.

Those few geese who have ventured in from time to time have vanished almost as soon as arrival.

.

It is not known if the quick departures were due to harassment actions of Geese Police or if the geese were migratory and simply used the Meer as brief resting point on their long journeys south.

.

If the transitory geese were migratory, then it was highly unusual for them to stop at Harlem Meer as the Jackie Onassis Reservoir seems to be the designated stop and rest point in Central Park for easily more than 1,000 geese who have come and gone from there over the past two months.

.

Its been an exciting experience watching flocks of migratory Canada geese take off from the Reservoir nearly every night (usually an hour after sunset) like planes taking off from a runway.

.

Their organization, their precision, their excited, celebratory "honks" when finally taking off and their quick formation of the perfect "V's when airborne are truly magnificent. 

.

But, its a sight that's been missing from Harlem Meer.

.

It seems that migratory Canada geese -- like airliners -- have very precise and designated flight paths.

.

Over the two months of observing them, I saw very little variation of goose flight paths out of Central Park, though there was much variation in flock size with some containing as few as 5 or 6 geese and some as many as 25 to 30.  (The usual number of a flying skein was around 15.)

.

But, imagine the surprise last night when going to Central Park and seeing no migratory geese at all at the Reservoir, but suddenly encountering new arrivals at Harlem Meer!

.

THE GEESE ARE HERE!!!!!  (Eleven of them!)

.

These were not, however, migratory geese, but old friends who obviously remembered me. 

.

They sauntered right up in cheerful and confident greeting.  

.

Everyone was excited to see the geese.   Young kids coming from the nearby ice skating rink stopped to wave at and greet the geese.   Young people took photos with cell phones.

.

But, no one was more excited to see old familiar goose friends than I.

.

Almost on cue they had arrived -- as they have done in past years.

.

"My geesies" never forget.

.

You see, today is my birthday. :)  -- PCA

.

.

                                                        **********

                                                      

All They Want for Christmas is Warm Home and Welcoming, Human Smile

Gigi and Greta -- Living in a dark alley their entire lives, these two loving, bonded and spayed sisters need a real home.

"Will Santa bring us a real home and happy humans this year?"

Several years ago, there was an "alley cat problem" in the back of my building with several female cats producing litters of kittens. The landlady and super were hostile to the cats and threats were made against the animals.

.

Together with one of my neighbors, we rescued, vetted, socialized and found homes for the kittens and one of the young mothers.  I also humanely trapped, spayed and released the other two mom cats back to the alley. At the time, "Greta and Gigi" were feral and unadoptable.

.

The same helpful neighbor agreed to feed Greta and Gigi every night and look after them.

.

Matters proceeded along until several months ago, when due to unexpected circumstances, the feeder and caretaker was forced to move.

.

I then took over the feeding of Greta and Gigi and surprisingly discovered that both cats had become extremely human-friendly and socialized over time. They are not "feral, unadoptable" cats anymore. Rather, they are as smooshy, house pets.

.

I already have animals, including three former cats from this alley and two senior dogs. It is not option for me to take in more animals.

.

But, it is also risky to be feeding the cats every night with surveillance cameras now installed in the alley.  

.

The ideal scenario is for these two loving, 3-year-old sisters (who love being petted and stroked) to finally be placed in caring, responsible homes. Though they don't have to be adopted together, that would be the optimum and ideal situation as they are quite bonded to each other and would likely be more comfortable together.  

.

Greta and Gigi have spent their entire lives living in a dark alley and dealing with all manner of weather extremes and harsh, unwelcoming circumstances.  (This, despite the cats doing an excellent job of keeping the alley free of rodents.)

.

If anyone can offer a kind, loving home to these two bonded sisters (or even one of them) living in a NYC alley, please message here or email.

.

Winter is just around the corner with temperatures once again plunging to freezing next week.

.

All Greta and Gigi want for Christmas is a warm home and welcoming, human smile.  -- PCA

.

.

                                                     *************

The Real Human Tragedies: A Hawk, a Flock of Geese and a Band of Turkeys

Canada goose. Just one of the many menaces, "pests" and tragedies to humankind.

Each day we learn of human tragedies in the world. Everything from natural disasters to train wrecks, to illness, death, crime and all manner of human loss.

.

But, according to Time magazine, the real tragedies are a "hawk nesting in a high rise" or a "flock of geese" on an Ohio golf course.

.

Such mayhem and catastrophe calls for immediate human response such as outlined in the headline of the Time article:

.

America's Pest Problem: It's Time to Cull the Herd - TIME

.

Label anything "pest" and action is required. Should the "pest" be animal, the usual remedy is killing -- or "culling" as Time likes to call it.

.

It's a bit disconcerting that we seem to learn little if anything, from past (and present) ventures in wildlife killings.  Ventures that ultimately bring thousands of species to their knees in trying to "adapt" to the endless predations of man be they rhinos, tigers and elephants in Africa or Big Horned Sheep and other species in this country.

.

At one time Bison, Canada geese and even wild turkeys and deer were tottering on the brinks of extinction in this country from over-hunting until wildlife biologists and officials decided to bring them back and "restore" populations (mostly for hunters to shoot at).

.

Now the complaint is that many of these same species have become "pests" due to a claimed "overpopulation."

.

But, as covered previously in this journal, the term "overpopulation" is relative and actually has little, if anything to do with massive animal die-offs due to starvation and disease relative to true overpopulation.

.

It as everything to do with human tolerance and "Wildlife Acceptance Capacity" (WAC) for wildlife.

.

According to Time magazine, there is apparently little WAC, if any at all.  

.

Perhaps one can understand the human inconvenience of a hawk nesting on a high rise or a flock of geese on a golf course.

.

But, should we really be embarking on programs of massive wildlife killings (whether expanded hunting or USDA wildlife "culls") because of "inconvenience?"

.

What is the end point of these programs?  Where do we draw the lines? What are the actual goals?

.

To eliminate all manner or possibility of human complaint or inconvenience, ever?

.

That would seem to suggest complete eradication of wildlife in many human communities.

.

During the past year, there has been much media hype of the "Wild Turkey Plague" in Staten Island, New York near a Psychiatric Center.

.

This led to a contract recently being signed between the USDA WS and the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) for culling, not only of the 80 turkeys estimated to be living at the location, but 30 Canada geese and 4 chickens as well -- animals not complained about in the local media covering the story.

.

USDA OMH Contract Turkeys 2013 2014-00518

.

Although a fairly small number of birds overall, the contract nevertheless costs the taxpayers more than $16.000.

.

USDA has already captured and killed dozens of turkeys from the location and plans are in the works for more slaughters until presumably all the targeted birds are gone -- including the 4 chickens and 30 geese.

.

Most disturbing in the contract is the authorization for use of the drug, "Alpha Chloralose" to bait feed and immobilize geese for easy capture.

.

The contract specifies that any drugged geese are to be killed and disposed of immediately OR "held for 30 days, slaughtered and then distributed to food banks."

.

Notwithstanding the obvious cruelty to animals, as well as unnecessary killing of only 30 geese, there is the element of potentially dumping dangerous drugs and chemicals into a sensitive environment and ecology to potentially impact other non-targeted wildlife.

.

Sure, USDA claims to clean up any leftover drugs, but who is willing to take that one to the bank?

.

Nevertheless, the bottom line is that planned wildlife "culls" do not usually stop with just the so-called targeted, "pest" animals.

.

As hunting generally injures and kills many more animals (including domestic pets in the wrong place at the wrong time) than just those species or individual animals specifically targeted, so too, do USDA Wildlife "culls."

.

In the Staten Island example, I personally don't recall reading even one article complaining about the 30 geese or 4 chickens at the location.

.

But, it seems anytime USDA "Wildlife Services" is contracted (with tax dollars, no less) to come into an area to cull wildlife, almost any animal in the area had better watch out --whether specifically complained about and targeted or not.

.

It may very well be that our "Wildlife Acceptance Capacity" as Time magazine seems to suggest and promote is less than zero. 

.

And here some of us thought that Tsunamis, floods, earthquakes and fires represented the real human tragedies.

.

Who knew they were really a hawk, a flock of geese and a band of turkeys?  -- PCA

.

                                                 *********

The Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past

"For the birds" -- and that ain't a bad thing when the birds are very much alive.

Thanksgiving has come and gone and with it, the 30 or so geese who briefly graced Harlem Meer for a couple of days.

.

Notwithstanding the geese who brought temporary joy, I am glad Thanksgiving is over.

.

Its never been one of my favorite holidays save for the time I was a child and looked forward every year to my Grandmother's home made Irish raison bread with caraway seeds. The aroma of it baking and wifting through the apartment is the stuff of dreams and the taste with melted butter was sheer heaven.

.

But, my Grandmother passed away unexpectantly in 1969 and neither I nor other family members saved the recipe. 

.

I guess we all wrongly assumed "Nanny" would live forever.

.

In 1977, I became a vegetarian and that is the time Thanksgiving turned into a yearly battleground primarily between myself and my mother.

.

Every year, my mother insisted on cooking a turkey and every year my daughter and I would either argue or finagle our ways out of eating it.

.

I tended to argue with my mother, but my then very young daughter pretended to eat the turkey and when mom wasn't looking, snuck it to our dog under the table.

.

I can still remember the arguments:

.

"What is the matter?" my mom sneered sarcastically.  "You can't join the human race for one day a year?"

.

"No, mom, I can't join the human race one day a year. Dining on a tortured corpse isn't appealing any day of the year."

.

The rest of the holiday meal would proceed with cold, stony silence, my mom doing her best to guilt trip and me rebelliously refusing to give in.  Indeed, the only one who really enjoyed Thanksgiving was the family dog who got a belly full of turkey from my daughter.

.

Looking back on those days, I wonder if there might have been more peaceful means to resolve the situation?

.

Unfortunately, in the late 70's and early 80's there were not the delectable meat alternatives that exist today. But, even had there been, its unlikely my mom would have been open to them as she fought like hell to hold on to tradition.

.

One of the difficult problems in making the lifestyle changes towards vegetarianism or veganism are the rifts it can create with family and so-called, "tradition."  One needs to be prepared for derision, scorn and even condescension even if not said outright in so many words.  Most people don't understand and "get" this significant and deeply personal lifestyle choice. They think its something one can "get over" one day a year for the sake of peace in the family.   

.

But, that is like asking someone to throw out their values, "one day a year."

.

Small wonder many comedians have a field day with Thanksgiving with endless jokes about family battlegrounds around holidays.

.

That was definitely true in my family.  So much so, I grew to dread the holiday.

.

My mom passed in 1996 and my daughter has since grown, married and moved away.

.

Tara calls every holiday, but it isn't quite the same.

.

Thanksgiving these days is literally and actually quite nicely, "for the birds" in my life as I derive most of the enjoyment of the day with live birds in Central Park.

.

But, there is a small part of me that misses even the heated arguments of Thanksgivings past.

.

And there is that huge part that misses my grandmother's magnificent Irish bread!

.

Mom, Nanny, wherever you are, I hope you understand how much you were loved (despite inevitable conflicts) and are now missed.

.

But, I will never miss the turkey.

.

As the "lion will lie down with the lamb," I trust there are no predators or prey in heaven, I trust there are no slaughterhouses and I trust there is no meat of animal flesh.

.

Perhaps one day we can all finally get along.  -- PCA

.

                                                 ********