Canadian Geese Seasonally Come and Go

Silence is broken in this sleepy neighborhood as the unmistakable HONK, HONK of sixty or more Canadian Geese fly directly overhead. When this crew flies by breaking the sound barrier forget about sleeping in and hold onto your coffee cups. Houses shake and families run for cover to avoid any goose gifts from above.

They circle the block preparing to land in the shimmering pond below turning precisely in perfect time toward the water. One by one the geese land effortlessly hitting the surface stopping in the nick of time as if it’s an air craft carrier in the middle of the ocean.

Forming small groups the geese float off in different directions staking out territories in the pond. When one group tries to enter another group’s chosen spot on the water feathers fly. They honk, hiss, and hit each other with their wings. Yes, geese have fights over pond space even though there is plenty of water for all of them but some just want it all. Eventually they sort it all out and settle down swimming around the pond.

The geese love this area where they can spread out on the banks of the pond and eat as much fresh cut grass as possible.

Open spaces around the pond and neighboring yards offer safe spots for the geese with young ones. If a predator approaches they have a clear view of the whole area. Some possible predators to the geese besides man include; dogs, raccoons, foxes, owls and weasels.

The homeowners next to the pond aren’t all that happy to see the geese because they leave quite a mess on their lawns. One of them even stuck a fake life size fox in their backyard to deter the geese. It's hard to say if it worked for them or not.

Watching the Canadian Geese come and go with the seasons is a real treat for me. I think they are absolutely beautiful birds and fun to watch. Many of my neighbors think otherwise because they have to deal with the mess they leave behind. With so many birds and other creatures on our planet becoming endangered and extinct I don't mind a little goose poop on my shoes now and then. It's a small price to pay to see these magnificent birds living in my neighborhood a few months out of the year.