Today's bird report

One of the three swans still has a lure attached, although it doesn't seem to be as disruptive to its swimming as it was yesterday. We heard that Martin of the Prospect Alliance was out in a boat yesterday trying to rescue Ziggy from the fishing line, but was unable to catch it. All three were swimming nicely in the lake today. We shall see what happens next.

Swan family looking good.

A small group of geese is now located on the Southern part of the lake - near to one of the meeting circles. This was where one of the huge flocks had based themselves. I am wondering if there are so many geese back that there are now two flocks? Before the massacre, it looked like five flocks. I am wondering ho big a flock needs to be before it splits into two.

By meeting circle, I mean the place south of the lake, with benches around a circle, where there's a large painted rock in the center. When we first moved to Brooklyn and came to the park, there was a tree trunk in that spot. An artist had carved the trunk into a lion's head. it was magnificent, a genuine work of art. Alas, as with so many things in Prospect, it got destroyed - first burnt a little, then a lot. For many years, it just looked like a pile of crap. I'm glad the rock is there. Not nearly so wonderful as the lion's head, but nice nevertheless.

Back to park watching

Back to the park today after a week in New Hampshire, where the lake is cool and delicious, and the last two days the weather was cool. What a shock to come back to 100 degree weather! Anyway, we got up and out pretty early, while it was still merely very warm.

The geese seem to be regrouping. I didn't count, but an article in the Times says there are 26 now, and I don't doubt it. They are playing nicely with the ducks and pigeons. The Times article also says that they want to get rid of about 2/3 of the geese in the Northeast. This seems excessive, to say the least. Hard to believe that in the 50's Canada geese were on the endangered species list. Apparently, people took the eggs to hatch them, and the geese laid a second time. Twice the number of goslings. Then, the taken eggs hatched but were not raised by geese parents, and didn't learn to migrate. So now, many Canada Geese do not migrate, just stay in one spot, breeding and pooping and becoming a nuisance. Also, feeding geese is very very bad, although everyone loves to do it. It just breeds more of them. Kind of like tribbles (from Star Trek).

I always tried to avoid feeding the geese in the park. My popcorn was always aimed at the swans and ducks, who always seem to need it and are not so invasive. Alas, the geese were very pushy and always got their share plus. Today, I saw people happily feeding the birds so much food that the lake edge was lined with crackers and bread crumbs. People like to feed animals. It's in our nature. Perhaps the Parks Dept. can come up with a way to accommodate this precept?

The Times article also referred to future goose killings as euthanasia. This is such a misuse of the word that I am appalled. This is the Times, after all. They're supposed to print good English! Euthanasia is mercy killing. Where is the mercy here? Absolutely nowhere. Let's use the correct word: killing, murder, or extermination. Maybe harvesting if the geese are to be used for food. But not euthanasia. The geese were not miserable and didn't need to be put out of their misery! Enough. I'm ranting.

The cygnets are growing beautifully. They are still living near the Audubon Center, swimming with the turtles.

There is actual repair work being done on the Lullwater bridge!! Nice to see!

Elsewhere in the park, the trash cans are not overflowing so much, a welcome surprise on a Sunday morning. I know there must have been a lot of people in the park on Saturday. And we found dozens of clean, new trash cans still in the Skating House. I wonder what they are saving them for? Wouldn't they be better out in the park, maybe COLLECTING TRASH!!!!!

All the geese in the park are dead

This seems surreal, but all the geese, about 400 of them, in Prospect Park are dead. As of last Thursday. thought it seemed quiet in the bird dept. Seems they were thought to be a hazard for JFK Airport. Also, they were molting and not flying. So the Ag. Dept. gathered them all up and gassed them, the bodies to be put into trash bags and sent to the dump. This seems crazy. According to the article in the times, these were not the geese who have been bothering planes - this was just a precautio9n. Apparently, they could have killed them and used them as food for the hungry - this has been done before. But no, they were just slaughtered and wasted. I know I had referred to them as Nazis, taking over the lake. BUT THAT WAS A LITERARY TROPE, not a call for extermination.

Of course I don't want geese flying into plane engines and bringing them down, but this seems really excessive and horrible. Don't know what else to say.