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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.  

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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.)

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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).

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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USDA OMH Contract Turkeys 2013 2014-00518

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

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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.

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

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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."

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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.

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

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

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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."

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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.

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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.

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

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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I can still remember the arguments:

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

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"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."

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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.

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

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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.

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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.   

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

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

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But, I will never miss the turkey.

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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.

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

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A Happy Thanksgiving Surprise -- The Geese Are Back!

Happy Day!  The four domestic ducks celebrate arrival of Canada geese last night (swimming in background).

Sharing bounty with mallards and geese!

Some geese, butts in the air, "fishing" for plants and insects.

 Something to be thankful about!  -- The Geesies are Back!

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For the past couple of days, New York has been in a deep freeze.

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Temperatures dipped to near record level lows and high winds caused many of the lakes and ponds in Central Park to show the first signs of freezing and ice.

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But, the news isn't all bad.

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Frozen lakes or ponds in places north of the city have apparently forced some local Canada geese to make their way back to Manhattan and specifically, Central Park!

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Imagine the surprise to go to Harlem Meer the other night and discover a flock of at least 25  to 30 Canada geese resting in the middle of the water!

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I had not seen a goose at the Meer since the death of Cago nearly two months ago. (Well, there was that flock of 5 migratory geese who landed briefly at the Meer several weeks ago, but they were promptly harassed out by Geese Police.)

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It was thrilling to once again see geese at Harlem Meer -- especially at a time ice had formed at the east side of the lake and was also appearing around the lake's edges.

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The more waterfowl on the water (especially heavy birds like Canada geese), the less likely the moving water is to ice over.  

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This is vital for the survival of the four domestic ducks at the Meer who are incapable of flight should the entire lake freeze over.

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But, the question was, would the geese be allowed to stay?  Or, would they immediately be harassed out by Geese Police?

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Last night when returning to the Meer, I did not expect to still see the geese.

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But, low and behold, they were there!

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Obviously not elusive, purpose driven, migratory geese (who generally only rest less than a day before moving on and who almost always fly into the Jackie Onassis Reservoir) these geese were comfortable at the Meer and seemed familiar with it.

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Some of the geese joined the mallards and domestic ducks last night in scooping up bits of cracked corn tossed on the muddy embankment, while many others were busy ducking under the water with white butts in the air, swooping up water plants or tiny insects.

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I speculated that the fairly sizable gaggle of geese might be the same ones who, last February 9th, flew into the Meer during a bitter snow storm that likely froze up their wintering pond or lake:

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http://talesamptailsofnewyork.blogspot.com/2013/02/like-lone-ranger-geese-arrive-to-save.html

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At the time, the nearly 50 geese had indeed "saved the day" for the domestic ducks and small flock of mallards who were otherwise dealing with a nearly entirely iced over lake. The geese stayed for several days (until the weather warmed) and helped to maintain a large pool of open water despite the freezing temperatures and nearly a foot of snow.

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Circumstances weren't quite so rough this time around as there was no snow and temperatures have warmed up today (though with lots of rain).

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I am not sure if the geese will hang around a while or, if like last winter, they will return to their normal watering hole with warming temperatures.

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Or, they could be harassed out of Harlem Meer by Geese Police which has been the story for almost the entire year so far.

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Still, it was surprising that the geese were at the Meer (apparently unmolested) for two days in a row.

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Did Geese Police not show up yesterday morning to harass the geese away?

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I called my friend, Liliana (who monitors the Central Park Boat Lake and usually goes in the mornings) to ask if she had seen Geese Police over the past couple of weeks and her answer was "No," she had not seen them at all since about ten days ago.

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Has goose harassment been suspended in Central Park for the winter?

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From what the man from Geese Police told me, we have to surmise the answer is no.

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But yet, it was really strange and unusual to see a large gaggle of geese at Harlem Meer for two days straight.

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Myself, the domestic ducks and even the mallards were purely and totally delighted.

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Our cup runneth over this Thanksgiving!

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If Central Park has indeed suspended the dreaded Geese Police for the winter, then I and all the waterfowl of Central Park have something to be truly thankful and grateful for this Thanksgiving.   -- PCA

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Tender Human Mercies and Winter's Challenges to Waterfowl

Conner, Cochise, Connie and Carol preparing for the "Arctic Cold Blasts" soon to come.

"What's ours is yours!" the domestics now say to the mallards who only weeks before were nothing but "nuisance invaders."

Migratory Canada geese briefly resting at CP Reservoir two nights ago. They stayed for less than a half hour before taking off again.

Off the geese flew into a cloudy and overcast night. -- Seemingly in a hurry to get out of NYC before the frigid weather arrives.

Observed last night at Harlem Meer in Central Park: 

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A father and three-year-old boy tossing small bits of wheat bread to the four domestics ducks at the Meer, the child giggling wildly in happy delight.

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"That's nice that you show your boy kindness and value for animals," I said to the man, smiling.

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"Oh, we just stopped at the store for some bread before coming here," the man laughed.  "My son loves to feed the ducks and looks forward to it."

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Later, I thought to myself what a nice moment that was.  This is one child that we need not worry about growing up and joining gangs or bullying other kids in school.

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Aside from important father/son bonding, the demonstration of compassion and kindness to others smaller and different from themselves are among the most important values we can teach our children.

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Were more parents (and society itself) to place value and emphasis on this critical life lesson, one suspects it would be a far kinder, just and relatively, crime-free world.

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As far as the "fab four" ducks themselves, it appears that Cochise, Conner, Carol and Connie are well aware of impending weather changes and have thus, in recent days, adjusted their behavior towards the mallards who are (in warmer times), generally considered "nuisance" invaders.

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Instead of relentlessly chasing off and intimidating mallards, the domestic ducks are rather, rolling out the welcome mat for them these days.

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"Come join us!  We are your friends! Relax and share some treat with us! What's ours is yours!"

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It is always amusing to note the changes in duck (and goose) behavior according to the seasons and the weather.

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During fair weather and season, there is much territorial squabbling and boundary establishment.

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But, come the first frosts and the snooty, cantankerous behavior rapidly changes to that of magnanimous welcome and mutual cooperation.

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On some level, even the domestic birds realize they are going to need additional waterfowl "help" if they are going to succeed in keeping pools of moving water during sub-freezing temperatures and quickly icing lakes.

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As far as migrating Canada geese, there too are the signs of mutual cooperation and organization as the stresses and challenges of thousand mile migrations do not allow for petty squabbling or dominance displays.

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Of the more than 1,000 Canada geese observed over the past month flying into, briefly resting and then taking off from the Central Park Reservoir to complete long journeys south, there has been no incident of any kind of aggression or squabbling.

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Should there be any "disagreement" among the many flocks of exactly when to go, some gaggles simply take off sooner than others.  Most of the time, all the geese generally leave in the same time frame.  But, occasionally, a family group or two decide to rest and roost at the Reservoir overnight and leave in the morning.

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If I have wondered over the past month where all the migratory geese were heading to, I got some answer in a recent email from a friend in Alabama who informed me that in the past few days, more than "400 geese" suddenly showed up in her local park!

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I could not help but wonder if at least some of those 400 geese were one's I had seen or even photographed flying out of the Jackie Onassis Reservoir?

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If so, that is an impressive journey from NYC to Alabama.

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Last night, I saw no geese at the Reservoir, but perhaps that is not too surprising.

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Geese tend to be steps ahead of the various "Arctic Cold Blasts" predicted to hit New York City, one of which is heading in now through the rest of the weekend.

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I always say, if one wants to know what the weather is going to be like in the days ahead, just pay attention to the geese and ducks.

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They know when to get out of town days and weeks in advance -- or to alter their behavior accordingly if unable to fly out.  

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But, hopefully, through all the challenges of winter, there will always be parents and small children willing to show mercy and share some of their bounties with the birds of our parks who (unlike the geese and wild mallards) may be unable to take flight when the going gets really, really tough. -- PCA

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The Only Thing Predictable About Canada Geese is That They are Unpredictable

They come and they go. But, exactly, where, when and how many migratory Canada geese take to sky (and even whether they honk), is ultimately impossible for us mere humans to forecast.

 

The only thing really predictable about Canada geese is that they are unpredictable.

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But, it isn't just me saying that.  Its also the experience of some hunters:

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http://www.kcrg.com/sports/local/Great-Outdoors-Hunting-for-Geese-on-the-Cedar-River--232754671.html

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Like the hunter in the above video, I too, got some surprises last night when walking through Central Park.

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Arriving to the Jackie Onassis Reservoir around 6:PM, I was suddenly beset by the sight of dozens of new migratory Canada geese in the water!

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But, wasn't migration supposed to be finished by now?

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Almost everything ever read or heard about bird migrations cited October as typical fall migration time.

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But, geese have been arriving to and leaving the Central Park Reservoir over the past month in bands of unpredictable waves.  

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Just when one thinks the last of the migrating birds have come and gone, new ones show up!

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But, most of the visiting geese did not stay long last night at the Reservoir.

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I knew by the chorus of short, loud and dog-like excited honks, most of the geese were preparing to leave.

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Sure enough, within minutes, one flock took off for the dark skies and then another and another.

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The "flocks" ranged in size from as many as 25 geese to as few as a pair.

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After all the excitement subsided, some geese elected to stay last night and roost at the Reservoir.  Presumably, the 25 or so geese left this morning some time after sunrise.

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But, I need learn not to make any "predictions" about these wondrous and mysterious birds who apparently adapt behaviors and flying patterns to whatever the circumstances are.

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After all, ain't it funny, that the one skein of geese flying close enough for the hunter to shoot at in the video, kept their mouths shut? --- Something highly unusual for flying geese.

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Never believe, no matter how long in observing Canada geese, that you know everything about them.

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Just when dumb enough to believe that, the geese will come, knock your beliefs to rubble and prove you wrong. -- PCA

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Appreciating the Otherwise Mundane and Taken for Granted

Conner, Cochise, Connie and Carol at Harlem Meer  -- OK for another day.

A nice piece from the New York Times today:

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/opinion/sounds-from-the-sky.html?emc=edit_tnt_20131119&tntemail0=y&_r=0

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These days in Central Park, I rarely hear anything, save the occasional sounds of overhead helicopters or airliners.

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I am missing the migratory Canada geese, who for the past several weeks, made brief rest stops at the Jackie Onassis Reservoir en route to mysterious points further south from New York.

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It was a very exciting and exhilarating time, but all too brief and transitory.

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I don't anticipate seeing more geese at the Reservoir until such time lakes and ponds upstate ice over and the geese (and other waterfowl) are forced to search open water in NYC. (Usually, mid December or early January.)

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Thankfully, the Jackie Onassis Reservoir rarely freezes entirely over during the winter.

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In the past, upstate geese would also take up brief residence at Harlem Meer during the harshest days of winter -- providing there was some open water there.

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But, now with "Geese Police" patrolling all other Central Park water courses every day, it is unlikely any wintering geese would be allowed to stay at the Meer. -- A situation that would be very misfortunate for the four domestic ducks there for exactly one year now.

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With absence of large, heavy birds like geese (or even Hector, the swan who was at Harlem Meer last winter) to help break up thin sheets of forming ice and maintain some open water, the Meer is likely to become a solid block of ice and that would surely place the four flightless ducks in immediate peril.  

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Mallards who are currently at the Meer have option to fly out when the going gets too tough and based on past experience, they surely will.  (Only "Mister, Mister" the mallard with a broken wing would be, like the four domestics, forced to stay to be ultimately stranded on ice.)

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Should the Meer freeze over this winter, (as is highly probable under current circumstances), all five ducks would require immediate rescue -- something not easy to accomplish when waterfowl are huddled on ice.

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Additionally, a frozen lake often results in some irresponsible dog owners, allowing their dogs to freely run on the ice (a situation very dangerous for the dogs, as well as waterfowl). 

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Three years ago, "Joey," a flightless, Pekin duck had to be rescued from the Meer when attacked and bitten by a dog apparently allowed to run on ice.  The rescue was a difficult and precarious one for Park Rangers trying to navigate carefully on snow and thin ice to capture Joey as recorded in the videos below.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-55OxJu8XAM

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSKtIgT0wN4

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Temperatures in New York City are predicted to fall below freezing by Thanksgiving, next week.

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Depending upon how long the cold spell, things could rapidly change at Harlem Meer. 

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Already, the mallard population is significantly down from what it was more than a month ago as duck weed and other foods sources dwindle and/or slowly disappear.

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Perhaps it is no small wonder that I always feel sense of relief and gratitude when seeing Cochise, Carol, Connie and Conner (the four barnyard ducks) waddle up to me each night at the Meer.

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"My" duckies have survived another day and are OK!

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In the absence of immediate urgency and trauma, one has to be thankful for and appreciate the small things of life and the otherwise mundane.

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One learns in growing older and hopefully wiser, never to take anything for granted as, like the weather and seasons, things can often and rapidly change -- usually without warning.  -- PCA

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