Rescuing a Turtle, Leaving the Trash

Sometimes even the slow moving turtle can wander away and get lost.

Two of the new geese at the Reservoir over past few days.  Hoping that among them, are Napoleon and Josephine.

Constant fishing now at a water bird empty Harlem Meer.

Seemingly barren Harlem Meer.

In the past few days, I have been to Harlem Meer in Central Park twice.

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In sharp contrast to only a few years ago (or even a couple of weeks ago when nearly 20 geese flew in around Memorial Day), there were no geese and only a few ducks.

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The lake appeared completely bird-empty on both recent occasions, including yesterday.

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I thought to myself last night that the long walk to the Meer was a complete waste of time. 

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(Even the long time goose hold-outs, Napoleon and Josephine had apparently either taken off on their own or more likely, were recently harassed out by Geese Police.)

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I turned to leave what then seemed a barren wasteland yesterday, but when walking up a hill towards the Park Drive, I discovered a fairly large turtle who had wandered quite far from the lake and appeared distressed.

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The turtle was apparently trying to make his way back to the water, but was unable to crawl under the wire fencing that blocked his path.

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I picked up the turtle (who quickly retracted his head back into shell) and carried him in my hands back down to the lake.

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I gently placed the turtle on the embankment, close to the water, and then thought about taking a photo.

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But, by the time I got the camera out of my bag, the turtle had jumped into and vanished under the water without so much as a "thank you" or look back.

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Oh well.   At least the trip to Harlem Meer had not been a total waste of time.  One turtle was happier and back in his natural element.

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Still eager, however, to leave the Meer, I did so promptly, heading quickly to the Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park.  (The Reservoir is the one place now in CP that some of us are lucky to still see more than one or two geese.)

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Several new geese have flown into the Reservoir over the past few days, bringing the number up now to 21 -- including the family with two surviving baby goslings.

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(I have to hope that among the new geese at the Reservoir are Napoleon and Josephine because its one of the few safe places for them in NYC.   If, on the other hand, Nap and Josie flew to one of the adjacent parks to CP, they could be rounded up and slaughtered by USDA in the next few weeks. -- A very painful and angering thought indeed.)

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One of the surprising observations last night was that the family (Hansel, Greta and their two babies, Rover and Rema) was swimming in the same area and seeming to accept the adult group of five geese that ended up as temporary "babysitters" for the little wandering Rover a few days ago.

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While joking the other day that the gaggle of five probably led and dropped off Rover to his frantic parents when he went missing, that theory might not be so far fetched after all.

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The two gaggles seem to be friends now, though the family maintains higher status than the group of five singles (or other geese at the Reservoir). That is just typical goose rule and hierarchy.  Families always have priority.

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Perhaps Hansel and Greta figured out that they need outside babysitting help to try and reign in and keep watchful eye on their now wandering brood of two. 

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In other matters, despite the non-stop harassment conducted on the geese at Central Park, I am not particularly concerned that a USDA WS "cull" will occur at the Reservoir.

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It would be close to impossible to pull off these kinds of shenanigans without being witnessed by hundreds of people and nor are the sloping, ragged rocks or iron fencing that surround the Reservoir easy to navigate. 

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The Reservoir is the one Central Park watercourse that even Geese Police doesn't go.

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And so, in these otherwise days of grief and distress with the realization of USDA Wildlife Extermination Services in town (as well as continuing goose harassment in Central Park), it is somewhat comforting to realize the geese still have one safe place in the city to go.  (Even more so, to realize some geese actually made it there over the past few days.)

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But, that doesn't take the sting and bitterness out of all this.

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Though I picked up the turtle yesterday and returned him to the lake at Harlem Meer for his own safety and well being, I left the trash and bottles discarded in the grass.  

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These parks have made their beds and prioritized their choices.

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Let them clean up their own human created messes.  -- PCA

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