"Health" Wars on Three Geese in a Public Park

"Three Geese"......Boat Lake, Central Park.

Of all the untruths mouthed about Canada geese, the one that is the most disturbing is that they pose "health threat" to humans.

.

That such phrase could be leveled against three geese in an 843 acre park (Central Park) is positively astounding and absurd.

.

I recall times only a few years ago, when at least a hundred Canada geese and two hundred mallards would be taking in the late summer sun and early fall breezes at Harlem Meer in Central Park.

.

I recall times when young, smiling children delighted in feeding the very social geese who gently and graciously took small bits of bread from the children's tiny hands.

.

I recall families picnicking on grass as flocks of geese wandered by, confident that no one met harm to them.

.

I remember a young rapper standing in front of wintering geese on a nearly frozen Harlem Meer singing out raunchy song to them.   The geese appeared to enjoy it.

.

This journal is filled with entries and photos from those (and other) times, as well as videos posted on You Tube.

.

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U

.

But, what happened to all those fun and easy times when geese and other wildlife were delighted in, rather than scorned?  

.

These days there is an ongoing "health" war against three geese in the very same park that just a few years ago, played gracious host to hundreds of them. 

.

When did we become a nation seemingly bent on living forever and never being exposed to a germ?

.

When did we become a nation of hypochondriacs who can seemingly be scared into agreeing to anything, no matter how preposterous, barbaric and unjust with the whispering of the words, "health (or "airline") threat?"

.

It is hard to believe that in roughly three short years, the geese in Central Park have gone from entertaining, graceful forms of wildlife to reservoirs of the most deadly disease "threats" known to humankind.

.

Did all the picnickers and children who previously delighted in geese take sick and die?

.

Funny, that we never read of these deaths in the newspapers or saw on TV news.

.

But, we do see the buzz words, "health threat" in just about every article and news piece on geese as we now hear them spoken by park leaderships and Geese Police.

.

We are just never presented with any actual proof -- just accusation and innuendo.

.

One should not of course be surprised that Geese Police (and other goose harassment companies) resort to extreme scare and goose demonizing  tactics in order to drum up business.

.

But, one is surprised by Central Park and other park "Conservancies."

.

Perhaps the Central Park leadership has simply been swept up in a kind of extreme "health and fitness" craze that seems to have overtaken the entire country and forged a kind of paranoia of anything living that can't text a message on a cell phone.

.

Geese are highly intelligent animals, but they can't text on cell phones. 

.

And though geese are natural part of nature and their droppings biodegradable and fertilizing of grass, somehow we have suddenly developed great fear of the natural environment and its animals.

.

One cannot help but wonder if we somehow "project" on to geese and other animals, the actions of environmental destruction and other very real "health threats" that are largely produced by and true of ourselves?

.

For example:

.

USDA plan to speed up poultry-processing lines could increase risk of bird abu  

.

Those nearly "one million chickens and turkeys unintentionally boiled alive each year" cannot be good for either the environment or human health.   And yet, due to faster slaughter lines, those "boiled alive" chickens and turkeys will undoubtedly increase according to the Washington Post.

.

But, it is three geese in an 843 acre park who are the real "threat" to human health.

.

One can appreciate the new emphasis on "health and fitness" and people's desires to live longer.

.

But, I for one won't be joining any running, cycling, or triathlon clubs anytime soon.  

.

If the new world order is to "get rid of the geese" and all other animals who carry bacteria or occasionally throw up, then I am content to "go" in my allotted time.

.

This new world just ain't much fun anymore.   -- PCA

.

                                  **********

Lies and More Lies Regarding Geese and Geese Police at Central Park

The four domestic ducks at Harlem Meer.  Will they fall victim to the lies of Central Park Conservancy and Geese Police over the winter?

Geese "Get the Flock Out!" Police at Harlem Meer early this morning.

Wintering sea gulls and early arrivals of some migratory geese at Jackie Onassis Reservoir this morning.

Small flock of migratory Canada geese who have arrived early for wintering at Reservoir. Unlike the hundreds of geese who stopped briefly at Reservoir last week before moving south, these geese attempt to stay at Reservoir over winter.

"If they lie to you about one thing, then best believe they are lying about any or everything else."

.

Last week I was told by an employee of Geese Police that they "do not bother the three geese at the Boat Lake in Central Park."

.

It made perfect sense that three geese on a large park lake would not be deliberately harassed and I therefore believed. 

.

But that too, turned out to be just one of numerous lies told by both, the man of Geese Police and the Central Park Conservancy.

.

This morning in a conversation with my friend and fellow bird lover, Liliana, I was informed that Geese Police is indeed harassing the three geese at the Central Park Boat Lake.

.

"I was at the lake about 11:30 yesterday morning." Liliana told me. "There were just the three geese there. -- The one loner and the pair.  Then, a young man with a Geese Police shirt and a dog showed up. The dog chased and barked at the geese and they flew a short distance away to a rock in the water.  The man then used a large container filled with rocks and attached to a long, thick rope to hurl near the geese in the water.  Frightened, the geese flew away."

.

"Three people approached the man and began to ask questions." Liliana continued.  "He told them it was important to make the geese move because they would attract other geese and he also told them the geese make a mess and are diseased.  I walked up to him and demanded to know why he was lying to the people?  He would not answer, but later when the people moved away, he accused me of harassing him."

.

"Harassing him?" I laughed. "That's funny considering what they are doing to the geese and other waterfowl on the lake."

.

I advised my friend to call the Central Park Conservancy to register complaint about the non-stop harassment of migratory and resident geese at Central Park  -- (212) 310-6669.

.

Not only was Geese Police lying about the reasons for goose harassment (as well as where its conducted), but they were apparently using additional non-dog methods of harassment.   I was told by the Central Park Conservancy two years ago that only dogs were to be used for goose harassment.  (Of course, that too, might have been just another lie.)

.

It is difficult when being lied to so often and about so many things to know what is reality and what is not.

.

Park and Bird guides regularly lie to people regarding the domestic ducks in Central Park.

.

Instead of telling the truth that these are flightless ducks abandoned to the park by irresponsible pet owners, the people are told that the ducks are either "hybrids" or "domestic ducks gone wild," neither of which is true.

.

Is the continued reporting of non-facts to park goers due to ignorance of the tellers or deliberate intent to lie and mislead?

.

Though some mistruths might be attributable to ignorance (such as the origin of the domestic ducks) we have to sadly conclude that most of the lies being told are representative of deliberate intent to mislead and pacify a questioning and concerned public.

.

Some things we do however, know as current day fact in Central Park:

.

Geese Police patrols the park every day and throughout different times of the day.  (Liliana saw Geese Police close to noon whereas I typically see them very early in the morning -- between 7:30 and 8:AM.)

.

There are currently only three resident geese in all of Central Park (the three being continually harassed at the Boat lake).

.

Geese Police activities are not limited to "resident" geese.  Five migratory geese were also harassed out of Harlem Meer last week.  This despite the fact the migratory birds would have left on their own accord a few minutes later.

.

Any geese flying into Central Park from now until May of next year will in fact, be migratory geese.

.

Migratory Canada geese are supposed to be a "protected" species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and New York City is part of the Atlantic Flyway -- an airspace that millions of migratory birds pass through twice a year. Many of these birds stop briefly at the Jackie Onassis Reservoir to rest before traveling on and others actually winter at the world famous Reservoir.

.

Several years ago, I was told by the Central Park Conservancy that the reason for harassing resident Central Park geese in the late summer and early fall was "to make room for the migratory geese that would fly in during the winter."

.

At the time, I was skeptical of the explanation.  Now I know it was just another lie as the migratory geese are harassed at Central Park too.

.

Aside from the animal terrorizing, waste of donor dollars and extremism of these actions, there is also to consider, the important and cooperative role that Canada geese play on nearly frozen park lakes and ponds in winter.

.

Being larger and heavier than most waterfowl, Canada geese are instrumental in helping to keep pools of open water on otherwise, fast freezing watercourses.

.

Geese are able to break through thin sheets of ice, thereby creating small pools of open water for ducks and other small waterfowl to swim and obtain food.

.

Without the geese, the ponds and lakes of Central Park are likely to become solid blocks of ice over the winter.  -- A situation that will surely condemn to death, the flightless domestic ducks at both the Boat Lake and Harlem Meer.   Unlike the wild mallards who have option to fly out when watercourses freeze, the domestic ducks cannot go anywhere and will therefore be marooned to starve on frozen lakes.  

.

Central Park Conservancy's answer to this likely scenario is that they "care" about the domestic ducks and will arrange plans for "rescue" should the park lakes freeze over.

.

But, the Conservancy made no such plans for "rescue" of the four domestic ducks at Harlem Meer last winter.

.

When the lake nearly froze entirely over during a heavy snow storm last winter, it was a large flock of Canada geese who miraculously  flew into the Meer to save the day for the domestic ducks and mallards.

.

The geese helped to break up large sheets of ice quickly forming on the water.

.

Should the same occur this winter, the geese will be immediately harassed out by Geese Police, thereby condemning the domestics at both the Boat Lake and Harlem Meer.

.

One of the things told to me by the Geese Police employee last week was that Geese Police does not harass geese at the Jackie Onassis Reservoir because the Reservoir is "owned by the city, not the Conservancy."

.

But, learning today that similar declaration about not harassing three geese at the Boat Lake was an untruth, I now have to wonder about and question this?

.

After all, if caught in a lie about one and more matters, it is to virtually destroy credibility for everything else.

.

Already, gulls, geese and other waterfowl are beginning to gather at the Jackie Onassis Reservoir for the long winter ahead.

.

But, will they be spared the harassment that has virtually plagued every lake and pond in Central Park since the end of summer?

.

The jury and lie detectors are still out on that one.  -- PCA

.

                                 *********

The Ultimate Central Park Effect?

The Ultimate Central Park Effect -- Banishment of the geese and other wildlife?

A few days ago, a friend recommended the documentary movie, "The Central Park Effect" to me.

.

I googled Central Park Effect and was able to find the trailer for it, but not the full length movie without paying for it.

.

Call me old and paranoid, but I try to avoid using credit cards online.

.

From the trailer, The Central Park Effect seems to be about the birding community.

.

Not sure I totally understand these people. 

.

They seem to deeply and truly appreciate birds and wildlife, but apparently not enough to speak up for them.

.

Truth be told,  there are not the birds in Central Park now that there were decades or even a few years ago.

.

When going to the park in the mornings these days, I don't see many birds at all (other than at the Reservoir in winter when many migratory waterfowl take brief refuge in the still mostly open water.)

.

There are clusters of sparrows and grackles here and there in Central Park, but few pigeons and other birds (though many pigeons gather around horse carriages at the far south part of Central Park because of the easily available oats fed to horses. Should the horses carriages be banned, the real losers will be pigeons.)

.

I am guessing that's why birders need powerful binoculars to find the occasional cardinal, blue jay or red winged blackbird.

.

Decades ago, there were thousands of pigeons in Central Park. 

.

Not anymore. 

.

I guess the introduction of the red-tailed hawks killed many pigeons and sent the rest to the streets -- or to the carriage horses.

.

Of course, just a few years ago, there were hundreds of Canada geese in Central Park throughout most of the year -- most of them typically at Harlem Meer.

.

That is certainly not true anymore as described in this journal!

.

And even those few migratory geese who typically still fly into the Meer in December or January will now be harassed out.

.

This stuff is sometimes very depressing to me.

.

The other day, another friend criticized me for being "too negative" especially in my comments of feeling "overwhelmed" by the sheer number of cyclists and runners in Central Park.

.

The complaint was general observation and not meant to condemn any individuals or even a specific activity.

.

Years ago, I used to ride a bike and for many years, I was an avid swimmer. These days, I like to walk.

.

Exercise is beneficial as we know -- for everyone.

.

But, sometimes even very positive activities can sometimes expand to excess and ultimately overwhelm and even occasionally tread upon the rights of others to freely enjoy a park or conduct their own activities of enjoyment or leisure.

.

That is what I was complaining about.  It seems the overemphasis on sporting and other human activities in Central Park has in many ways, "pushed out" the wildlife and in others ways, impacted somewhat upon non-athletes  rights to walk through a park without constant awareness of where the runners and cyclists are, as well as having to "dodge" or wait for exercisers to pass.

.

Yes, I guess one could say that is negative and overly complaining on my part.

.

Perhaps I am overly blaming exercisers for the fact my park seems intent on "eradicating" or at least pushing out my beloved geese and other wildlife, though the two actions are not necessarily and always related.

.

Unfortunately, the nature of my work is at times, negative, demoralizing and depressing.

.

I am fighting for what I feel is justice for animals (i.e. geese) that are largely despised and very misunderstood around the country.

.

I am also dealing with (though not on such intense scale) other issues of animal abuse, whether they be the killing of swans, wild turkeys, cats and dogs in shelters or the killing of billions of animals for food.

.

It is not easy to be an advocate for animals and at the same time, be upbeat, optimistic, totally objective and positive all the time.

.

I know there are some people who manage to achieve these things (perhaps like that elderly couple met the other day), but it is a hard and emotional struggle for me.

.

I think I was born wanting to "change the world."

.

But, some would say to that, "The only one you can really change is yourself."

.

Perhaps that is true.

.

Perhaps I should take up some fun hobby like biking or swimming again and just forget about the world because it can't be changed anyway -- even a little.

.

But, yet, some of us still keep trying.

.

That is probably either genius or insanity or perhaps a little of both.

.

In thinking about the elderly couple met the other day (and birders in general), I cannot understand how otherwise animal lovers could watch five geese be harassed out of a large park and not say anything.

.

Small wonder the people at the Central Park Conservancy think me nuts and blow off my complaints about the continual harassment of the geese.

.

And yet, I know there were many, many people at Harlem Meer who loved Cago, as well as the other geese and ducks who used to be there.  

.

But, they are forever silent.

.

Sadly, in this and many other justice cases, silence eventually kills.

.

Is the ultimate "Central Park Effect" that of vanishing -- and banished wildlife?  --- PCA

.

                                    ********

The Days of Enjoying Migratory Canada Geese....

Migratory geese gather into tight family groups shortly before take off from Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park yesterday morning.

Honking and organizing before flight.

One flock already in air over trees and others taking off.

Gaining altitude and forming "V."

"V" heading hundreds of miles south.

Three's company!

 

The four flightless, domestic ducks at Harlem Meer in Central Park are alive and healthy.

.

But it wouldn't be honest to say they are entirely OK.

.

I left my home before dawn yesterday morning in order to search for Cochise, Connie, Carol and Connor at a time it would presumably be too early for "Geese Police."

.

It had been three days since I had last seen all four ducks. Though I suspected they were hiding from goose harassment amongst the shrubs and trees of the tiny island in the middle of the lake, I was not sure.

.

Arriving at the Meer around 7 AM, I was relieved to finally find all four large quackers together and swimming on the lake.

.

Recognizing me, they quickly came my way.

.

But, I have never seen the "barnyard" ducks so jumpy, nervous and edgy.

.

Offering some cracked corn in both hands, the ducks practically ravaged my hands in mad rush to gobble what they could as fast as they could.  

.

Then, sensing an off leash dog in the far distance, Cochise & company quickly bolted and headed in the direction of the tiny island, where even the white ducks, Conner and Carol can find complete camouflage amongst the thick foliage.  

.

Relieved all four ducks were alive, but saddened by their seemingly extreme fright and wariness, I continued to walk around the lake.

.

There was a family of five migratory Canada geese resting in the water.

.

Part of me wanted to stay at the Meer to see if Geese Police would arrive and harass the five geese. (One of their employees told me yesterday that they did not bother small numbers of geese.) The other part wanted to go to the Reservoir to watch the migratory geese take off from the water. 

.

It was nearing 8 AM, the time the migratory geese usually take off to continue on their arduous journey south (half hour after sunrise).

.

I opted for the Jackie Onassis Reservoir as the excitement of watching migratory birds organize and take off from the water was too much to pass up.

.

When arriving to the Reservoir, the approximately, 200 migratory geese were spread out upon the water, but beginning to organize themselves into small and large family groups.

.

There was much honking occurring among the flocks, presumably to decide which gaggles left first and which later.  Some of the geese rustled wings, perhaps in eager anticipation of flight.

.

Then, gathered into tight groups and lined up horizontally, the geese began to take off from different locations in the water.

.

First, one gaggle and then another and another.

.

The take-offs were so well timed and coordinated, it was like watching airliners take off from an airport.

.

In the midst of all the take-offs it was puzzling to note one gaggle of five geese suddenly flying into and landing -- like ballerinas -- on the Reservoir.

.

Had this family of five geese missed a cue somewhere?

.

But, some minutes after landing, these geese too, eventually took off with the others.

.

Within twenty minutes or so, all 200 migratory geese had left the Reservoir. Some in small, tight family groups of three to eight.   And some in skeins as large as 25 to 30 geese.

.

Though leaving the water in straight, horizontal lines, all the geese eventually formed their noted "V" formations when gaining altitude.

.

I was lucky to get some photographs and was generally happy with what was a very exciting morning:

.

(More photos here):  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.537670286311051.1073741835.114425621968855&type=1

.

But, then I wondered of the five geese seen earlier at Harlem Meer?

.

Had they left, too?   Did the Geese Police show up?  What were the four domestic ducks up to at that hour?

.

I decided to return to the Meer to satisfy curiosity.

.

The domestics ducks were no where to be seen anywhere on the lake.  I had to once again surmise they were seeking camouflage in the thick brush of the tiny, forest-like island.

.

The entire lake appeared surprisingly empty of waterfowl.

.

There were few mallards and even the five migratory geese observed earlier were gone.

.

Happily not seeing the "Geese Police" van, I guessed the migratory geese had taken off on their own -- as did their counterparts from the Reservoir.

.

Walking around the lake, I noticed two elderly, white-haried people sitting on a park bench with large binoculars fixed upon the then leaf-covered water.

.

Figuring the couple were "birders," I walked up to them.

.

"Do you like birds?" I asked.

.

"Oh yes," the man replied.  "That's why we're here."

.

"The best viewing for birds these days is the Reservoir." I offered. "I just came from there after watching a couple of hundred migratory Canada geese take off from the water.  It was very exciting to see.  These days, they chase the birds from Harlem Meer."

.

"Yes, we know." the man replied somberly.  "A little while ago, the Geese Police were here."

.

"Really?  There were five geese here earlier.  Did the Geese Police chase them away?"

.

"Yes, with the dog."

.

Taken aback with the news (especially considering the apparent lie communicated to me the day before by Geese Police), I simply replied, "That's terrible.  The five geese would have left on their own anyway."

.

(It occurred then that the five geese observed oddly flying into the Reservoir at the time the rest were leaving, were likely the five geese harassed out of Harlem Meer. -- A thought not pleasant to me.)

.

But, the elderly couple seemed resigned to the situation at Harlem Meer -- obviously one they did not like, but had no control or say over.

.

The old man nodded in agreement to my statement, shrugged his shoulders and then returned to watching floating leaves on top of the bird-empty water with his binoculars.

.

"Well, try to enjoy the rest of the day." I said and moved on.  The man and his wife bade me a weak smile and nodded, "You, too."

.

Since it is only a couple of days before the NYC Marathon and Central Park was filled with teams of runners everywhere, as well as thousands of speeding cyclists, I decided to avoid the melee by walking home via the Fifth Avenue pedestrian path of the park.

.

That too, was filled with teams of racing runners.

.

In one case, a "horizontal line of nine" that nearly collided with me before I jumped out of the way, nearly ramming into a tree.

.

I was so annoyed at that point that even the runners were bothering me. Normally, I barely notice them.

.

It was simply incredulous that Geese Police harassed a family of five migratory geese out of Harlem Meer  (geese who would have left five or ten minutes later naturally), while at the same time, regular pedestrians and park goers have to dodge racing cyclists and runners in virtually ever corner of the park -- and even outside of the park.

.

Such wildlife "harassment" actions are not only wasteful of donation dollars, but more significantly, terrorize the other waterfowl on the lake (most notably, the domestic, flightless ducks) and leave elderly bird watchers with only drifting leaves on water to focus binoculars on.

.

I don't know that the elderly, birding couple sitting on a park bench at Harlem Meer have the physical strength and wherewithal to dodge speeding athletes and walk the mile plus to the Reservoir in order to still see waterfowl.

.

   

Hopefully, they have a computer at home and can watch goose and other bird videos on YouTube.

.

If so, they can enjoy this:

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co9f8ecXEvw&feature=share   ("The Migratory Canada Goose")

.

But, the days of enjoying the migratory Canada geese (and many other waterfowl) at Harlem Meer in Central Park (and all other CP lakes and ponds) are long gone.

.

Thank God, we still have the Jackie Onassis Reservoir -- which coincidently, is surrounded by a running path and therefore, not normally conducive  to the more "laid back" bird watchers.   

.

YouTube, here we come.  -- PCA

.

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

Jesus Shows Geese the Way

Migratory Canada geese flying out of Central Park Reservoir to journey south.

"Geese Police" staking out daily, a goose-empty Harlem Meer.

Gaggles of Canada geese preparing for flight at Jackie Onassis Reservoir this morning.

Organizing for take-off.

Conner and Connie nervously grabbing a few bites this morning before Geese Police arrived.  But, where were Cochise and Carol?

For the first time in almost a year, I could not find the four domestic ducks, (Cochise, Conner, Connie and Carol) when going to Harlem Meer yesterday morning -- despite walking twice around the entire lake.

.

But, the Geese Police van was there, despite the fact there have not been more than 5 geese at Harlem Meer anytime this summer or fall.

.

There were no geese at the Meer yesterday and haven't been any since Cago perished almost two weeks ago.

.

Disgusted by what seemed the sheer insanity of a "Get the Flock out" van at a location there were no goose flocks to "get out," I spoke to one of the two Geese Police employees, a pleasant-faced man in his late 40's or early 50's.  

.

He was standing around, peering over the mostly bird-empty lake and drinking coffee.

.

"Why are you here when there haven't been geese at the Meer in any numbers for months?" I asked.  "Are you also going to harass the migratory geese who come here to winter?"

.

"As you can see, we haven't taken the dog or boat out and haven't for some time at the Meer," the man answered.  There are only three geese in Central Park right now and we leave them alone. We are not trying to eradicate the geese."

.

"What about the migratory geese arriving to the Reservoir now to rest and then journey south?"

.

"We don't stake out the Reservoir," came the reply.  "The Reservoir is owned by the city. Our contract is with the Central Park Conservancy.  We patrol the rest of the lakes and ponds in the park."

.

"How long does your contract run?"

.

"Our contract runs all year except for June and July when the geese are molting."

.

"Well, that means you will be harassing migratory geese who, in December or January fly down from frozen lakes upstate to spend six weeks here at the Meer and other Central Park lakes!"

.

"People complain about the geese.  They make a mess and each goose weights 17 lbs."

.

"First of all, no one is picnicking or fishing at Harlem Meer in the middle of winter and secondly, geese do NOT weigh 17 lbs!  The typical goose weighs about ten pounds and less."   (I hate it when people deliberately lie and exaggerate to make their "case.")

.

"We realize some people get upset with this," the Geese Police man continued.  "Some guy blamed us for chasing out the swan earlier in the year.  But, the swan had gotten stuck in ice last winter and had to be rescued."

.

"The swan was here until April and flew out!" I replied. "I thought at the time the swan left because of the fishing, but he was obviously harassed out!"

.

"The swan could fly?"

.

"YES!"

.

Embarrassed, the man again proclaimed that Geese Police was not there to "eradicate" or "harm" geese and that they did not harass ducks or other birds.

.

"Then why can't I find the four domestic ducks this morning anywhere on the lake?" I questioned.

.

The man had no answer for that other than to claim he and his partner had not seen the domestic ducks.

.

While not a nasty or particularly confrontational conversation, it was unpleasant nonetheless.

.

When later arriving home, I immediately called Caroline Greenleaf who is an administrator with Central Park Conservancy to complain about goose harassment this time of year -- when migratory geese arrive to the park.

.

Greenleaf was apparently unaware of the migratory geese flying into and out of the Jackie Onassis Reservoir over the past couple of weeks.

.

She told me the reason for employing Geese Police all year long was because any geese in Central Park represent a "health hazard."

.

"Jesus Christ!  Are you telling me that THREE geese in an 843 acre park represent a 'health hazard'?  Please don't insult my intelligence!"

.

"I will not continue to speak with you if you insist upon yelling and cursing," came Greenleaf's indignant reply.

.

Trying to calm myself from what I perceived as one lie after the other, I told Greenleaf that the harassment was apparently having a frightening impact upon the four domestic ducks at Harlem Meer who I could not find yesterday.

.

"I called the Wild Bird Federation about those domestic ducks," Greenleaf claimed. "We are concerned about the safety of those ducks over the winter when the lake freezes over."

.

Aside from not knowing the correct name for the Wild Bird Fund, it was obvious that Greenleaf was confusing the domestic ducks at Harlem Meer with the three new domestic ducks abandoned at the Boat Lake last month.

.

(The four domestic ducks at the Meer have been there almost a year, and the Conservancy didn't give a damn about them last winter when the lake nearly entirely froze.)

.

Greenleaf further claimed that the Conservancy was not looking to "harm" the geese, but simply chase them out of the park.

.

"But, you DO harm the geese when you send them somewhere else to be rounded up by USDA and slaughtered or shot upstate." I countered.

.

The conversation was not only unpleasant, but downright confrontational.

.

It finally ended when I told Greenleaf to remove my name from Central Park Conservancy's donor mailing list.

.

"I will not contribute a dime to this endless persecution of wildlife."

.

This morning, I returned to Central Park and Harlem Meer shortly after dawn.

.

Good news is I saw two of the domestic ducks. 

.

Bad news is I saw two of the domestic ducks.

.

I did not see Cochise or Carol, but Conner and Connie warily emerged from the small island in the middle of the lake to visit with me briefly.

.

When the Geese Police van showed up, the two ducks had already returned back to the island and totally camouflaged themselves amongst the trees and brush.

.

  

I have to hope that Cochise and Carol were also hiding there, though I never saw either one.

.

It is both, pitiful and disgusting that these vulnerable, flightless ducks have to take to "hiding" every morning when the lake is staked out by Geese Police awaiting any "terrorist" or "health hazard" goose flock that happens to show up.

.

But, here is the kicker:

.

The hundreds of migratory geese arriving from Canada and Sub Arctic over the past couple of weeks apparently KNOW that the only safe (unpatrolled) watercourse in Central Park is the Jackie Onassis Reservoir. 

.

All the migratory's have flown into the Reservoir, rest overnight and then take off early in the morning to continue their long journey south.   (The Geese Police man told me they do not go to Reservoir because it is owned by the city and their contract is with the Central Park Conservancy.)

.

I cannot figure how geese from thousands of miles away could possibly "know" not to fly into Meer or any of the other lakes and ponds at Central Park where Geese Police stakes out daily.  

.

It must be that Jesus Christ (apparently a curse phrase to some people at Central Park Conservancy) guides and shows them the way.

.

I did not call the Lord's name as curse, but rather as aid to confront obvious lie.

.

Thank you, Jesus for looking out for and protecting our forever maligned geese.  Please continue to bless and guide them to safety.  -- PCA

.

                                     *********