New and improved?

It’s the time of year when many waterfowl, such as Canada geese, are molting. Several years ago, before the county rebuilt the bridge on Hwy 36 over the Sunrise river, and “improved” the shoulders of the road by removing some trees and extending the guard rails, molting adults and fledglings still growing flight feathers would sit around roadside and, too often, wander into the road. Those scenes looked like this.

Canada geese loafing along Hwy 36

Photo by J. Harrington

For a few years, we didn’t see any geese hanging around the edge of the road near the bridge. We assumed the guard rail deterred them. This morning, we noticed a flock of geese near the end of the guard rail. We also noticed what looked like a road killed goose body near the centerline. Maybe we’ll at least have fewer goose fatalities with the roadway “improvements.” I would have settled for no sightings as a tradeoff for no collisions but that was obviously too much to hope for. Let’s just hope that whatever scavenges on the roadkill goose doesn’t become another victim of a road made safer for vehicles in the middle of a wildlife management area. Maybe the county can at least put up some “GOOSE CROSSING” signs someday soon.

In happier news on the backyard feeder front, the glass dish for the grape jelly feeder magically appeared today as the sun was at a better angle to reflect off it. [Yesterday, we theorized the squirrels had absconded with  it.] It’s not going to be returned to service until and unless we figure out a way to keep the squirrels from dumping it again. That may be easier said than done, plus, the young orioles seem to be acclimating nicely to the sugar water feeder.

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

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