Propagation of the Species

I work across the street from a public park that borders on marshlands, very near the actual Bay. The proximity of water and the tasty grasses in the marsh entice lots of birds to come visit and stay.

Among others, we have egrets, herons, spoonbills and sandpipers. All so elegant and beautiful.

Here’s a rather grainy shot of a snowy egret, one of my favorite birds. This one usually keeps a beady eye on everyone walking by:

Many of the birds that we get in our beautiful marshes are on the endangered or near endangered species lists.

So it’s good we have a nice habitat here for them.

That said, ya wanna know what bird isn’t on any endangered list and is pretty much in zero danger of extinction?

Geese.

@#$%ing Canada Geese.

Or, as I like to call them, feathered poop factories.

Taken with my iPhone, this is by a walking trail:

That’s not even a small portion of the inventory.

Here’s a wider shot:

Again, to the left and right of this frame there are at least this same number if not more geese.

The one in the center of that photo charged at me, hissing, so I didn’t take any more photos.

The geese eat grass, lots and lots of grass, then they process it internally and drop the leftovers right in the middle of the walking trails.

Their drop offs equal the size of the leavings of a large dog. Only a whole lot greener.

Just. Ew.

This morning coming into work, there was a goose right in the middle of the driveway (which is a long narrow single car path). The goose moved neither right nor left, but strutted right down the center of the lane. I counted ten cars in line behind while Mr. Goose waddled his way into the day.

I was in car number eleven.

These cranky birds have certainly figured out how to continue the prosperity of their species. In a big way.

My elderly uncle, unfortunately now deceased, used to shoot bottle rockets at the Canada geese that befouled the walkway in front of his house in Indiana.

They sort of frown on that here in California, don’t they?

All photos by Karen Fayeth. Click on any photo to see a larger size.

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Comments

  • Anji

    We have the same type of pebbles, similar birds and marshes here too. Some canada geese flew over – once. I lived on a farm in England and loved to see them, they had plenty of room to poo there so we didn't consider them a nuisance. Ducks can be very messy too…

  • Greg

    interesting story about the geese and just as interesting is that you had a relative in Indiana. I'm quite familiar with geese as i live in Indianapolis, they can be a pain, mean and when they want to cross the road, better watch out.

    I also lied in New Mexico for quite some time, Santa Fe for about eight years, loved it. Wish I could go back!

  • Karen Fayeth

    Anji – Yeah, we have ducks in that park too, and occasionally they will decide to roost there in the parking lot. Makes it a bit of a slalom to park.

    I really do love all the birds, but geese are bullies and drive some of the more desirable birds away!!

  • Karen Fayeth

    Greg! Thanks for the comment!

    Geez, you lived in New Mexico and now live in Indiana? Are we relatives? LOL!

    Also…I love that fireworks are legal in Indiana.

    Pardon my tangent…..

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