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Canada
Geese Decorate
the Cove
By Bonna L. Nelson
Honk! Honk!
Canada geese herald
the seasonal changes
of fall and winter
with their honking
overhead on the
Bonna L. Shore and in our
Nelson cove off of the Tred
Avon River. Floating
geese for as far as the eye can see fill our
cove and surround our pier in late fall and
well into winter. The cacophony of their
serenade fills us with joy as the last crisp
leaves fall. We know that soon the ground
will be covered with snow offsetting the silhouettes
of the geese with their long black
necks, white chin strap from ear to ear, dark
brown wings and white belly.
A frequent guest, Isabella, our spunky,
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two year old granddaughter, likes to walk
along the shoreline near our pier, flapping
her “wings” and honking with the geese.
She calls “Goose, goose, noisy goose.” She
is hoping that one will come up for petting
the way our dogs do.
A nuisance to some, a pleasure to us.
Some migrate further, some stay. Some nest
nearby and show off their young in the
spring.
Among the Chesapeake Bay’s best
known waterfowl, the Canada goose has
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adapted well to civilization, nesting near
developments, parks, golf courses and
ponds. Their favorite habitats include bays,
rivers, coves, marshes, ponds and farm
fields. They like to nest and feed near water
and, for protection, it’s the water where
they usually sleep at night, rotating sentry
duty.
According to Ken Kaufman in Lives
of North American Birds, Canada geese
feed mostly on a wide variety of plant material.
They eat the stems and shoots of
grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants. They
also feed on seeds and berries. Cultivated
grains are also a favorite which is why you
see them in corn fields around the Shore.
Geese add tasty insects, mollusks, crustaceans
and sometimes small fish to their
plant diet.
I guess that’s why geese like our cove.
The aquatic foods and marsh grasses are
present and cornfields are nearby. And they
feel safe.
As for migration, in the past Canada
geese followed a rigid migratory path with
traditional stopovers and wintering areas.
As the climate has changed many geese
have become permanent residents in urban
and suburban areas and wildlife refuges.
Other geese populations have changed
routes, wintering sites and habitats. Our
cove must be a stopover for some, since
there are fewer as the winter progresses, a
wintering area for some and a permanent
home for others that we see year round.
Canada geese (Branta Canadensis)
usually mate for life. Both male and female
look alike, unlike many bird species. In
length they average 45 inches with a 68
inch wingspan. Nests are usually built by
the female and usually on slightly elevated
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