When you first walk through the Dingle Park or Lakeside Park in Oakville, you might think they trim the grass very close to the ground. That’s until you round a bend and meet the lawn crew at work. No lawnmowers, no noise to speak of, just a crew of very industrious locals.
By my count, the large flock held 23 goslings and there was another 2 still kept under close guard by their own parents. Combined with the 10 adult geese in charge, that makes about 35 geese working to trim those pesky fescues. I don’t think Oakville will need a gasoline-powered motor any time soon.
You may notice that most of the goslings are in one large group. Several pairs of parents were guarding the periphery of this crèche. Sometimes assertive Canada Geese parents will end up with a super-size family and no extra help. In those cases the original parents have either deserted their offspring or been driven off by a more aggressive pair.
The water droplets fly as this gosling preens after a refreshing dip in chilly Lake Ontario.
According to Cornell University, one of the oldest known Canada Geese lived for 30 years. That’s a lot of lawn grass!
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Have you got geese? Is the poop a problem or is the beak-trimmed grass worth a little inconvenience? Please share your experiences with a comment.