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Home My WebLink AboutMarch 30, 2003 - The goods on the goose The Suffolk Times • March 20, 2003 e oo s on e 00 s e IF YOU TRAVEL THE ROADS fI'Olri Orient to Riverhead,you can't help but see hundreds and sometimes thousands of geese in the fields,to say nothing of those in the air.These larg .:...�. , ,: ;... numbers of geese we see now are a different group from the ones we saw previ- � � ,� . ` '�� ' �� ously.February and March �� ` '� � � '`� �' ��`��`��` are the months for geese to � `� _ migrate from the south, where they spend the win- er.The ones we see up here uring the winter are resi- ;y� ent geese;in other words, �`�� ,. they don't migrate but stay here year- .:,, � C� ound.So we actually have two group� � ` � � _. of geese,and the ones we see now are ' �� a mostly the migrating geese that are ; � �� :�' ,�� k , passing through our area.They follow � _ � >��x '� � . � �� 3 {�� ` � the 35-degree temperature line as rt ` a a� �� "�` � : � ;� � �� moves northward. �� -� ,-;�� These migrants will eventually wind ;�� 3 ��Q�� x �`'� up in the Arctic and sub-Arctic tundra �� - �� -:- .. -,:. areas of Canada,where they'll nest. - ��` They bring their young of last year _ . along with them.Geese are very fami- : ly oriented and stay together for a full - _ � year until they return north and the • < :��.: . . .. parent birds start breeding.It's then ' '� x,: � ,,.b�,,� "° ' ` '% .. � .. ,,, the young(goslings)go off by them- � ". , . , . ` r .," .; �` Times/Review photo by F i�l Stoul�nburgh selves.Next year they'll migrate north A few years ago, it was not uncommon to see a goose wearing a white iden- knowing where to nest. tification coliar. It was part of a.cooperative program to try to determine why The Canada goose is probably the the goose population had expioded. It has now been determined that there are most widely known waterfowl in the two separate groups of geese, a resident group and a migrating group. It is whole country,for it's seen from the the resident geese that cause the greatest amount of damage, for they're Atlantic to the Pacific and from here year-round. Mexico to the Antarctic.Few people can resist looking up when they hear that haunting yet magical call as the geese fly in a line,or in that familiar F'OC V$ "V"formation so characteristic of these majestic flyers. �N It was once thought that the lead NATURE bird was a male (gander) but today we by Paul realize that iYs the female that does the leading and it's the male that Sto�lteltbut'gh brings up the rear.The fl 40 to 60 east. e osprey would move about now as starte to grow its arge to keep the crow from joining in,but green leaves.If you look closely in the we could see Mr.Crow was deter- beginning of its growth from the mined to get his share.Round and frozen ground,you'll see a brownish, round they went.It was like a dog bulb-like flower that attracts the first chasing its tail.We finally left with the insects of the year.Without these early osprey and crow still going in circles. insects,there'd be no pollination and Before we leave the subject of no skunk cabbage.It has to get a head ospreys,there's one more bit of infor- start in the swampy areas for the sim- mation that might make your osprey ple reason that soon the leaves will be sightings a little more interesting. out on the trees and that will cut off There are certain small birds that will the sun thaYs needed to nurture the take advantage of the osprey'g big, skunk cabbage to fruition. astrous results.For this reason,the bulky nest and build their nest in We have already had flocks of red- newer manmade platform nests are among the sticks and debris.In doing winged blackbirds and grackles. much stronger and more secure.But so,they not only get a good place to Ma be ou've heard them in the tree- like all things that are left out in the nest but they also get the tops singing and calling. weather,they,too,occasionally need protection of the fish They'll soon separate and man's help to repair,which is what hawk that stands above The SOng Of find their own individual happened to one of the plat- them.No grackle,starling, thg r�((-winged nesting sites,where they form nests this past week. bluejay or other nest rob- bl8Ckb11"tI 8tld will chase away any Mr.Lee,who lives on ber would dare to try to intruders.Theirs is a true Halls Geek in Mattituck, sneak the eggs or young grackle is a call of spring.The male reported"his"osprey nest with the osprey above. true call of red-wing will call from its was leaning way over and We often think of the spring. lookout and then open its wondered if I had any ideas osprey as being the true epaulets to reveal that as to what could be done, sign of spring,but there eye-catching orange-red for"his"osprey was circling are other more subtle signs that few puff of feathers that tells the world, about as if asking for help.I suggested people ever see or know about.A few "This is my country,"and he means he get hold of Troy Gustayson and his weeks back a lady called me about only one particular female is welcome. crew of volunteers and seek their seeing a pair of great horned owls. The first trees to show a sign of help;which he did.They got together �ese are truly our earliest nesters. spring are again found in wet areas. on Saturday and went out on the They don't have to wait for spring Here the willows grow and their mass marsh with ropes and braces and with its budding flowers and warming starts to turn a greenish yellow.It's heavy support wood,etc.,and with temperatures to think about nesting interesting that the willows are the much huffing and puffing straightened and feeding their young since they are first to show their color in the spring up the nest.Hopefully,with these new hunters of rabbits,mice,rats and,yes, and they are the last to let their faded supports,it won't happen again,and even your cat might provide a meal green leaves go in the fall.When fall here's the best part.They no sooner for these tigers of the night.By now comes and our oaks,hickories,maples finished their work than they saw the they already have their young,for and others have dropped their leaves, osprey fly in and land on the newly they start incubating in January and look to the willows to hang onto their repaired nest.Those hardy souls who February.It's a known fact that these greenery to the last. helped straighten the nest up surely silent fliers have been seen incubating Of course,around our homes we were given their reward right then and their precious eggs under a cover of find the snowdrops have already there. snow.By the way,great horned owls popped up and the crocuses will be The next day we drove to Halls don't build nests but use old aban- right behind with their barrage of Creek to check out the nest and see if doned crows'or hawks'nests or even color.Then the daffodils,in sheltered the osprey was on it.After much scan- a broken-off limb of a big tree. spots,will push through with their yel- ning with binoculars,we finally spot- For more visible signs of spring, low beauty.It's a game played each ted it on the marsh eating a freshly take a walk in almost any wet area, year by the lucky ones who know the caught flounder,but he was not alone. such as Moores Woods outside secrets of the woods and the marsh A pesky crow was trying to join the Greenport or the Cranberry Bog in and the fields,and,yes,even the Riverhead.There you'll find the skunk waters,where the flounders and eels cabbage,one of our earliest plants to come out of the mud.They all tell us flower.It has the ability to melt its of warmer days ahead as the cycle of way free of the frozen ground and by life starts anew.