Canada Geese

Canada Geese often get a bad rap.  I've even been known to be fairly critical of the species myself.  But they have a lot going for themselves, and perhaps we should pay them more respect.  I was checking out the harbour in Meaford last week, and quickly realized that the geese were pairing up for nesting season.

We've lived near populations of Canada Geese for some years, and the sudden break down of the flock that spent the winter together, into pairs who go off to find nesting sites, is one of the marks of spring arriving.  Canada Geese pairs mate for life, start breeding in their second year, and can live for over 20 years.

They're also very territorial, and the males defend their territory noisily.  This is aftermath of the little drama I witnessed in the harbour, but I was just too late to get a photo of the confrontation when this annoyed male flew across to chase away the pair above.  They can be quite aggressive!

He then swam rapidly back to his mate on the far side of the docks, by the stone breakwall.  I can't believe they would nest among these rocks, 50 feet from the sailboats, but Canada Geese have adapted well to urban areas and the presence of people.  And of course we create excellent goose habitat, like urban parks and golf courses.  Why blame the goose?

Meanwhile, the first pair swam happily on to another corner, peace momentarily restored.   Geese are herbivorous, so grass they can graze, preferably right beside the water, is ideal for them.  And of course we humans do get annoyed at the droppings they leave behind.  Often, just a narrow barrier of taller vegetation at the edge of the water would be enough to keep them off the grass, because they lose their flight feathers in the annual molt during nesting season, and have to be able to walk to the water to escape predators.

And behind the geese I spotted another interesting bird, a Horned Grebe in winter plumage.

It looked downright bedraggled, but then it dives for food, so its feathers are not light and fluffy.  I was surprised at how clearly the red eye stood out.

The little Grebe swimming by did not bother the geese at all, but let it be another goose and then there's trouble!  Male geese help guard the nest during incubation, and will attack people who come too close, again with lots of noise.  And families of geese will gather their goslings together to raise them after they are hatched.  Meanwhile, the 'teenager' geese who haven't mated yet, form separate flocks, and just make a lot of noise.

 Here a group that looked like unmated 'teenagers were resting on one of the docks.

Outside the breakwall you certainly wouldn't find geese nesting!  The waves were rolling in steadily on that day.  But perhaps inside the protected harbour they do nest successfully in spite of all the boats and people.  I'll have to watch for that later in the season.

But on that day the harbour was deserted; no boats in the water yet except the one lonely fishing tug.

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