It’s beginning. The Canada Geese are starting to amass on the calmer shores in the area, preferring places with less salinity than the open ocean. Soon huge groups of them will take flight in their famous V-shaped formation as they head south for the winter. In some areas of the U.S., they are a year-round feature due to habitat and warmer weather, but here in Maine the flocks that are still migratory come and go, signalling Spring and then Fall.
They are bold geese and noisy and even confrontational. Many people don’t like them at all, but I
absolutely love them. For me, it’s not
Spring or Fall unless the Canada Geese have arrived or are leaving. In Spring I turn my head up to the sky
constantly--waiting, waiting. I look for
the Canada Geese, and when I see their familiar formation, my heart leaps with
joy! Then in Fall, when it is time for
them to go, I look again to the sky for signs of their departure. I know then that it is time to tighten things
up around my house and get ready for the snow and ice.
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| The Canada Geese are gathering on the pond. |
Canada Geese mate for life and they live anywhere from 10 to
20+ years. Each year, the migratory
birds will return to the same resting, staging, and mating spots. The female lays an average of five eggs a
year, and while there are many predators who love to dine on the eggs, the
aggressive behavior of the Canada Geese, especially the males, often chases
them off. With a wingspan of 5 feet or
more, they can be pretty impressive.. Adult
birds have a few predators, but for the most part they are left alone.
Except by man. There
is one poacher who comes here every year.
I saw his spent shells this morning when I went down to the pond. He has begun his yearly take, as usual. Geese can and will attack humans if they get
the chance, and I look forward to the day they finally get him.
But that aside, it was good to see them gathering this
morning. It is time for them to go. I’ll miss them, but I look forward now to
apple harvests and pumpkins and ghosts!
