The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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November 2018
Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest
Gooses are on the loose in my neighborhood. Never seen anything quite like it. We’re talking massive numbers and even a life bird! So what’s it look like these days? and why?
Usually we have a bunch of Canada geese here and there and that’s it, not counting the odd domestic goose escapee. Like much of Washington and the West in general there are quite a few Canada geese who have settled down to breed and live here all year. The ancestors of these were introduced in the early half of the 20th c after the goose population plummeted due to overhunting (bcbirds.files.wordpress.com/...). But here’s the thing: geese only learn to migrate from other geese, and with no one to show them where to go, we now have permanent resident populations which are proliferating and causing poop problems, especially in urban areas. Other geese show up in winter, as migrants from northern breeding grounds as they have for millennia, although in much greater numbers now. Archeological studies of middens show minimal goose remains, the most common bird bones being from mallards and Scoters. Why have goose numbers skyrocketed in the past 50 years? Human development and urbanization. They like the numerous parks, golf courses, fields and other convenient habitats we humans have provided for them, where they have lots of food and few predators. Honk honk.
I suspect the reason a 140-goose flock has taken up residence in my local bay is for the newly sown field of grass behind the bay. The grass is almost fluorescently bright green, and obviously attractive to a lot of critters, including a dozen deer off and on.
So, the greater numbers of Canadas are one sign of gooses on the loose here. But wait — there’s more! For a couple of weeks there was a small flock of Cackling Geese. This was my first sighting of Cacklers on the island. They are cute, pint-sized versions of Canadas, with a little button beak.
The Cacklers were hanging around with a varying number of Snow Geese, who I’ve never seen here before either, aside from a lone Snowy a couple of years ago for a few days. Snow Geese congregate in gigantic flocks on the mainland river lowlands, most notably the Skagit River Delta where 60,000+ were counted last year. These few Snowies may have cut short their trip from Siberia to enjoy of delicacy of this fresh grass — it certainly would have shown up as a bright yummy beacon below, along their way.
And perhaps these few prefer a bit of elbow room, or some peace and quiet. I have noticed, though, that they don’t stray far from the flock of Canadas or the Cacklers, when they were around.
Snow Geese are bigger than Cackling Geese....
...but smaller than Canadas.
But wait! There’s even more goose looseness this winter, that is, a loosening the normal migration patterns we read about in books. A few days ago I noticed a goose I’d never seen before paddling around on the outer periphery of the Canada flock. Turns out it’s a Greater White-fronted goose, considered a rare incidental here. They breed in the Arctic as most migrating geese do, and fly down to California or Mexico for the winter. Surprising to see just one. But it flies, swims and walks just fine.
Again, attracted to the freshly reseeded green grass?
There are many beneficial reasons for reseeding – fields
ii) are 25% more responsive to nitrogen compared to old permanent pasture;
iii) have higher feeding quality;
iv) faster re-growth;
v) support higher stocking rates.
www.teagasc.ie/...
Even so, this lone GFGO must be feeling a bit out of place, geese being extremely gregarious birds. But when you’re a goose, any port in a storm.
There’s an angle of goose looseness I don’t even want to broach: the many subspecies and the interbreeding that complicates those categories. For anyone interested, Sibley has attempted to make sense of the seven subspecies of Canada geese and four subspecies of Cackling, all of which can interbreed creating a continuum of individuals grading between them (www.sibleyguides.com/...) plus another article about the five subspecies of Greater White-fronted geese (www.sibleyguides.com/...).
One last remarkable goosiness lately I have no explanation for. Thoughts?
🌤 ☔️ 💨
Blustery today with spitting rain and more coming into the Pacific Northwest. Wind currently 28 knots and gusting. May affect the ferries.
What’s up in nature in your area today?
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Note: I’ll be away this afternoon, on the road/ferry. Catch up with comments later. You all know what to do!