Loading...
February 11, 1962 - The Common Canada Goose Exclusive Sunday Review Sketch by Dennis Puleston. of Brookhaven Focus on Nature by Paul Stoutenburgh THE COMMON CANADA GOOSE If I hadn't realized it was still February ' and a long way from Spring, I surely would have been on the lookout lately for one of the great sights and sounds of Nature, the return North of the geese. These familiar flights in- spire everyone and the wild and prolonged honking st i r s the 'imagination. Yet it is little wonder that my imagination could have strayed for temperatures of 50° at this time of the year are 'far from normal. The truth of the, matter is that the time this article goes to press, instead of flights of gueese we could be experiencing our usual February snow. The annual Northern pilgrimage of the Canadas usually starts in late February and builds up to a peak in March. As with a great many of our birds, Long Island is merely a stopping off place as that mystical drive pushes them on to their nesting grounds. It is indeed a shame that we ,do not have the privilege of be- coming more acquainted w i t h this statel ymonarch. If there is any place m ore favored here on Long Island by these occasional visits, it is prob- ably the south shore between Amagansett a n d Southampton. Here large flocks congregate in the fall and winter months to feed in the nearby wheat and r y e fields. As a matter of fact any open field where a green covering will provide the necessary grazing material and yet still be f a r enough away from man's long reach will suffice. I have in mind with reference to the latter, a particular golf course on t h e south side that is off limits to hunters where hundreds and hun- dreds congregate each year. Many waterfowl visit farmers' fields to feed, such as mallards and black ducks, though none are probably as terrestrial as the Canada Geese. In some areas it is reported that they actually spend in ore lime on land than they do on water. Those of you who have seen a flock of these geese on land or in the water can vouch for its sagacity. Those of you who have tried to hunt this bird can also vouch for its alertness. . Geese have established • t h e i r own system of protection which includes at least one or t w o sentries on duty at all times. So leery are these birds that it is only the exceptional hunter , who is ever good enough to get within shot of one. Although elaborate blinds and decoys are set up on land and in the water, few birds are caught off guard, particularly w h e n there is an old honker with years of experience in the lead. A close %bsepverr can usually pick t h i s leader out without too much difficulty. It seems all flocks have their leaders and apparently all take orders from him. In flight he is out in front leading the string and it is he, with his years of ex- perience behind him, who maneu- vers the flock safely through the hundreds of pitfalls along the way each year while migrating. Unlike other waterfowl, w h o mate only for a year or two, the Canada goose mates for life. Once mated, the goose and gander be- c meoetdedvopare come devoted ;parents. T h e i r bravery and sacrifice in this field are unequaled in the annals of protection. To the young, t h e snake, turtle, gull and fish are all counted as enemies and the two parents must continually be on the lookout for these marau- ders. To add to their problems, all geese make a complete molt dur- ing this parental period, which renders them incapable of flight, and it is at this time they seek the shelter of the meadows and grass. The strength of t h e s e birds is unbelievable, but conceivable when one considers their s i z e. Generally speaking, they h a v e wing spans up to 6i/ feet with an average weight of from 7 - 14 pounds. Exceptions to this rule have run as high as 18 pounds; so one can understand that when this bird makes up its mind to protect its young it is a formida- ble defender. One account I recall reading in Kortright's book, The Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America, tells of a York man who was knocked from his horse and injured so severely that a physician had to be called in to attend him. It seems while he was riding, his horse accidentally step- ped on a nest. Evidently the two adult birds swooped down on the unsuspecting man and b o d i l y bowled him over. Other accounts of people being attacked are continually b e i n g written. In Audubon's J o u r n at he speaks of being attacked by an old gander while investigating a nest. So hard was he hit that he though his arm was broken. Although we most often as- sociate the Canada goose with the geese of Long Island, we also have brant in fair numbers. Years ago when I was younger I was under the impression that brant were only large ducks. But, of course, this is not true as they are definitely a member of the goose family. Brant are almost exclusively associated with s a 1 t water and seldom stray from the eastern seaboard. So, to many, this is considered our true sea goose. It is interesting to note that the brant is another of Nature's many examples of how one member of her family depends on another. With the disappearance of e e I grass from most of our eastern seaboard in 1931, it was noted also that there was a decline in the brant population. Now e e i grass is slowly but surely coming back to our waters and likewise we are delighted to see more and more of the familiar •dark shapes of the Brant returning also. Besides the above, we have the snow geese and blue geese oc- casionally mingling with the larger flocks of Canadas. When- ever a group of bird enthusiasts get together and geese are under observation, everyone c h e c k s these flocks closely in hopes of seeing one of these rarities. Just a short while ago, when a group I was with observed a large flock of Canadas at Hook Pond in East Hampton, some of the blue geese were spotted. It's this unexpected, yet hopefully an- ticipated event that makes bird - ing the exciting experience that today more and more people are realizing. All along the way eyes are sharp and hopes are high on these trips. Usually the companionship and fellowship that travel with such a group amply replays the participants regardless of whether or not an addition is made to their Life List. FIELD OBSERVATIONS Peter Puleston reports: Brookhaven — February I & 5 Screech Owl Fred Young reports: Youngs Shipyard, Greenport January 29 — February 1 Barn Owl Martha Meinke reports: Captree State Park — Feb 4 Evening Grosbeak (50) Roy Latham reports: Orient — February 1 Snow Bunting (350) Lapland Longspur Orient — February 5 Yellow - bellied Sapsucker L. R. Ernest reports: North Haven — January 30 Snow Bunting (50) Mecox — February 4 Kingfisher (4) Ditch Plains' -- . February 4 American Eider Montauk — February 4 European Cormorant (2) Quogue — February 5 Hairy Woodpecker Brown Thrasher (2) It is encouraging to receive so many nice notes and observa- tions from followers of this col- umn. Mr Puleston, guest writers and myself appreciate them hope you will continue to let us . hear from you. Please send all comments and observations to Paul Stoutenburgh, RD No 1, Box 105, Bay Avenue, Cut chogue, N Y. TERSE VERSE A man on convention Has big decisions of his life — Should he behave himself, Or buy a present for his wit .?