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"Only Four Feathers!"
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The call that I had been expecting came last night:
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"There were only four feathers at the Boat lake tonight!"
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"Feathers" is Liliana speak for geese.
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My Romanian friend who regularly monitors the Central Park Boat Lake was calling to report that most of the 13 geese there for the molt had regained flight feathers and left the scene.
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"Well, you know, Liliana, the geese are sick of the same old menu and want to check out other restaurants around town!" I laughed. "Besides, they are happy to have their flight feathers again and need to take advantage of them."
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Liliana also reported a bunch of "her" mallards leaving.
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"Yep," I answered. "Your mallards seemed to have shown up tonight at the Reservoir -- along with four new geese! You know the ducks like to hang -- and fly with the geese!"
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But the real point is, if you got wings, you gotta use them.
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And both geese and ducks are highly aware of and responsive to that special ability that nature provides.
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New York skies a cacophony of honking, parading and adventurous geese and ducks these days; the mysteries of where they go known only to them.
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Goldie Ducks and the Three geese
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The scene had once again changed at Harlem Meer last night.
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The gaggle of three geese there for a few days mysteriously packed their wings and took off.
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They were replaced by a haughty, mated goose pair who took up temporary residence at the fenced in area by the Dana Center where the four domestic ducks and Cago, the loner Canada goose typically stay.
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The scene was actually quite touching when first happened upon.
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Cochise, Conner, Connie and Carol (the four domestics) curled themselves into a ball together and were peacefully napping -- as three geese stood as "sentries" to the right and left of them. The goose pair were on the right side of the sleeping ducks and Cago on the left. Small wonder the domestics could take advantage for a nap with "security" all around them. (I regretted forgetting my camera. -- It would have been a fantastic photo.)
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Sensing my presence the sleepy ducks awoke and waddled towards me in greeting.
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Cago (the ever human-acclimated goose) also approached.
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I tossed a handful of cracked corn to the gregarious waterfowl when the newly arrived goose pair moved in curiously.
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But, the gander of the two was more interested in razzing and putting poor Cago in his place than partaking of any treat.
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"Don't get any ideas about menage et tois! We are not into that!"
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It was clear that these two geese would not even consider adding poor Cago to their cozy number. And so he will have to continue to wait.
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But, the four domestic ducks and a few mallards appreciated the extra goose security last night.
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Ten geese may be too many and one goose not enough.
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But, somehow the three geese were "just right" to curl up in a ball and snooze -- even at the height of evening pedestrian human traffic at Harlem Meer.
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The Mystery, Contradictions and Indelible Stain of Prospect Park
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As most geese are freely moving about now, apparently a few even ventured into Prospect Park in Brooklyn over the last day or two.
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These are indeed "adventuresome" geese as Prospect Park is a hot bed of both, past goose roundup and gassing in 2010 and regular goose harassment over the past three years.
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Prospect Park has also served as the birthplace of Goosewatch,NYC (in response to the 2010 massacre) as well as a couple of smaller (and sorely needed), wildlife advocacy groups.
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But, Prospect Park remains shrouded in mystery, contradiction and uncertainty even three years beyond the cull that took all 352 of its resident Canada geese and grabbed national media attention -- most notably, The New York Times.
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Earlier this spring, the few geese who considered Prospect Park a possible safe place for molting were unceremoniously given the bum's rush by GooseBusters.
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Additionally, two geese who attempted to nest at Prospect Park had their eggs promptly oiled and prevented from hatching. Soon after, the would-be parent geese were either chased out of Prospect Park or left of their own accord. The beleaguered pair quickly got the "message" that Prospect Park was not a welcoming place for geese -- especially in the summer.
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The result of all this was that there were no geese at Prospect Park through this summer's molt and none until the last day or two.
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Curious about this, I called the Prospect Park Alliance yesterday and spoke with a woman named Ann Wong.
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Wong assured me that, "Zero tolerance of geese" was (despite appearances) "not the goal of the Prospect Park Alliance."
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She conceded that goose harassment was conducted at Prospect Park during the spring but claimed this was due to "threat" from the DEC that if there were "more than 20 geese at Prospect Park during the summer molt, they would all be culled."
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Other than trying to track someone down at the DEC who can either refute or confirm the claim, this is a difficult statement to verify or quite frankly, even believe.
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On its face, the statement makes little sense.
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Putting aside the fact that it is the USDA (not the DEC) who conducts goose count "surveys" around New York City in June and generally suggests or determines which parks are targeted for goose kills, it defies common sense that government agencies would target 20 geese in a park nearly nine miles from the closest airport and leave 40 geese alone in a park less than five miles from an airport (Central Park).
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If true, this claim would call into question (and actually debunk) the entire justification for goose kills in New York City -- "airline safety."
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Or, it could simply be that different entities in bureaucracy generally like to point fingers at other agencies ("Its their call or their doing."). One has to consider this might actually be the case with the Prospect Park Alliance. (i.e. "It's the DEC's doing. We are merely trying to prevent another roundup.")
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Despite my questions and skepticism, Ms. Wong stuck to the claim. Whether true or untrue, it is obviously something she believes (or was told).
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But here is the real conundrum regarding the now infamous Prospect Park:
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In 2010, the Prospect Park "resident" goose population was entirely wiped out.
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The only way any geese establish a population in PP is if a few manage to raise a few goslings in the future or choose it as safe location for molting.
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But, neither is being allowed to occur as Ms. Wong also indicated that goose harassment and egg addling will continue at Prospect Park "six weeks before the molt" next year and presumably in following years.
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So, while it may be true that Prospect Park is not completely intolerant of any geese any time of year, it is certainly intolerant of any established, resident geese.
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The few geese who ventured into Prospect Park over the past couple of days had better the message:
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"Its OK to have to have a couple of meals here, but don't even think about staying. Prospect Park has zero tolerance for resident geese."
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Then again, considering that most geese are menu testing these days and exploring horizons, the geese probably won't stay long anyway.
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Geese have a funny way of knowing which places put out welcome mats for them and which don't -- Prospect Park sadly being among the latter.
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Though since washed out and hung up to dry, the indelible stain of the 2010 goose massacre will forever remain on the vestiges of Prospect Park. -- PCA
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