Ah, Spring -- abatement of Canada Geese begins

 

By Holly Hazard

Special to Barcroft News

 

Ah, Spring - and the same geese that have been coming to our Lake for years return to once again mate and nest.

Ah, Spring - and and the Lake Barcroft's nuisance abatement of Canada Geese begins its fourth season.

Returning to the site where geese were born is a normal part of the annual cycle of geese behavior and, although it may be a nuisance to some, is an important part of our nuisance abatement strategy. One of the many wonderful characteristics of geese is that they are extremely loyal to their site of birth for their annual nesting behavior. If we chase them away now, they will simply nest in an area as close to their preferred nesting site as possible.

Studies have shown that geese trucked thousands of miles away from the site where they are born, will stay away all year but return to their home site to nest. All we will accomplish by pushing the birds out now is to move the nests to a place where WID will be unable to oil the eggs. Then in May, June and July we will have all the adults we have here now, plus the next generation.

That will mean that we cannot use Dakota to move them out in early May through the rest of the summer because the goslings can't fly and mom and dad aren't going to leave their young, even if they are scared of a dog.

              In contrast, by allowing them to nest, and once WID has oiled the eggs, it is extremely easy to get them to leave. They know they will molt (lose their feathers), all at the same time in Late June/early July. They do not want to be in a place where our super predator (they think) can find them on land or water. They are used to flying to water to escape a fox or other predator but a fox does not follow them into the water. Dakota does. And as we have seen in years past, they really don't like it. Without their young, they find another place to reside.

              Once we deprive them of their roosting site (the Lake) they move away from the area that means from the surrounding schools and parks as well.

              A phenomenon called a molt migration is just being documented. This is a migration to Canada AFTER nesting season for juvenile birds and birds with failed nests. This means by having an aggressive oiling program, we are moving birds, not to our neighbors, but for some, actually out of the Lower 48. We are also contributing to the investment in fewer birds overall. Through the hundreds of eggs oiled by WID over the years, we have contributed to reducing the overall numbers of Canada geese on our golf courses, soccer fields, schools and beaches throughout Fairfax.

              Of course, as long as we have water and Kentucky Blue grass, we will have birds testing us to see if our "predator" is still around or new geese will fly in.

              However, with a strong maintenance program of volunteers going out once or twice a week, vigilant egg oiling and some supporting strategies such as plant barriers or chemicals for those hard to resist lawns, we will continue to lead the way in creating a community that is successful in Canada Geese management and respectful of wildlife.

              For information on our other programs visit our website at www.geesepeace.org.

Holly Hazard is on the LBA environmental committee.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. If you see nesting pairs on your property, please report it to WID as early as possible. If you notice nesting on community property or a site that may be hidden, let WID know. We would like to have Zero goslings this year. Last year we had some significant challenges in moving geese off the Lake because of some surprise goslings that appeared.

2. Become trained to volunteer to go out on the barge. You can drive or be the dog handler. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours on the lake once a week and help the community at the same time. Call David Feld at 703-354-0705 or Holly Hazard at 703-333-3057 to schedule a training session.