Canada Geese Flying Watercolor Sally Wickham ©2011
The day a lone Canada Goose landed in my yard was a happy one. It must mean good luck. My home had been chosen by this marvelous magical goose and it would not have surprised me to find a golden egg.
The days of autumn passed and my goose guest gave no indication of leaving. There were other things passed during those weeks of residency that did not make me so happy-- goose droppings. I would not have believed it was possible for one bird to leave so many calling cards in my yard, on the porch, and especially on the big stone step leading onto the porch.
The digestive system of a goose is streamlined and transforms grass, grain or whatever into “fertilizer” in an hour or less. Their cylindrical feces, produced about 160 times a day, displays a greenish hue with a white nitrogenous coating. They darken as they age. The truth about Canada Geese is that they are capable of producing two to three pounds of excrement per day . A Canada Goose can eat about one half the amount that a sheep eats and produce the same amount of poop. Pretty impressive!
The good thing is that goose manure may improve the quality of your lawn. It contains small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Before you decide to use this method of lawn care however, you may want to invest in a few “BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU STEP” signs.
The day the goose left was a strange one. A Great Blue Heron flew low over the yard and cast his shadow on the goose. The goose took leave immediately and has not been seen since. I am still looking for the golden egg.
Read more about the amazing digestive system of the Canadian Goose. Copy and paste the following link:
www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4359E/y4359e05.htm
The days of autumn passed and my goose guest gave no indication of leaving. There were other things passed during those weeks of residency that did not make me so happy-- goose droppings. I would not have believed it was possible for one bird to leave so many calling cards in my yard, on the porch, and especially on the big stone step leading onto the porch.
The digestive system of a goose is streamlined and transforms grass, grain or whatever into “fertilizer” in an hour or less. Their cylindrical feces, produced about 160 times a day, displays a greenish hue with a white nitrogenous coating. They darken as they age. The truth about Canada Geese is that they are capable of producing two to three pounds of excrement per day . A Canada Goose can eat about one half the amount that a sheep eats and produce the same amount of poop. Pretty impressive!
The good thing is that goose manure may improve the quality of your lawn. It contains small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Before you decide to use this method of lawn care however, you may want to invest in a few “BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU STEP” signs.
The day the goose left was a strange one. A Great Blue Heron flew low over the yard and cast his shadow on the goose. The goose took leave immediately and has not been seen since. I am still looking for the golden egg.
Read more about the amazing digestive system of the Canadian Goose. Copy and paste the following link:
www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4359E/y4359e05.htm
It's wonderful to read and see a description of the Canada Goose by people who appreciate this magnificent bird and treasure it and its droppings. In the urban parts of this country, they are considered a nuisance species.
ReplyDeleteWe do not have the enormous congretations of Canadian Geese that sometimes occur elsewhere. Kind of a rock concert for geese, I guess.
DeleteI have a lone goose on the lawn and he/she doesn't seem to want to leave. May have lost it's mate, keeps looking around as if a buddy was going to show up. It doesn't move when I approach. Only go about 10' from it, I don't want to get pecked if that's the turn it would take. Even one makes a mess, but I'm feeling sorry for it and I'm tempted to feed it. I know that would be a big mistake. Any suggestions on how to get it to move along?
ReplyDeleteHi Marycay,
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if this lone goose is still lingering at your home? I honestly have no idea how to make him leave BUT whatever you do, don't feed him. If he/she is still there, let me know and if you desire, I could put out a question on VTBIRD or among my birding friends on facebook. Thanks for visiting our blog and I hope you will be back :}>