The first Canada Goose of the year has been spotted at Oak Hammock Marsh, marking an exciting moment for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. On March 4th at 9:40 a.m., one of the staff members at Oak Hammock Marsh witnessed this annual event, signaling that spring is truly around the corner.
Jacques Bourgeois with Oak Hammock Marsh says this sighting is earlier than usual, adding to the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming spring.
“It's been changing over the years. The earliest that it ever came back was actually in 2017, when it came back on February 21st, whereas the latest was actually in 1996, when it came back on April 6th, but usually it's around mid-March. So, I would say it's about two weeks earlier than average right now.”
The arrival of the first goose is often seen as a precursor to the larger migration that follows. Bourgeois elaborates, “This is probably a scout goose, one of the first ones that will come around and see, ‘yeah, conditions are pretty good. I guess we can start looking for nesting sites.’ It's not the bulk of them. There's probably going to be a few more coming in within the next couple weeks, but this is the first one and that's what makes it so exciting.”
The scout goose plays a crucial role in assessing the conditions and setting the stage for the rest of the flock.
Bourgeois notes the spring migration is much different than what we see from geese during the fall migration.
“In the fall, they all congregate together. Nesting is done. They're just having a good time, just flying as a big group and just having fun. In the springtime, it's a little different. They want to come back here first. They want to stake their territory, and they will defend it. So that's why they'll be more aggressive. They won't tolerate any other geese around.”
Bourgeois addresses one of the common names used when referring to these geese.
“’Cobra Chicken’ is actually pretty good because they are extremely good parents. They will defend their young, they will defend their nests. They could be aggressive.”
He highlights a couple of myths regarding the Canada Goose.
“One of the myths people often ask, ‘Do they fly in a V so it actually makes it more aerodynamic when it cuts through the wind? That's not so much the case. Mostly for visual cues. It’s easier to see all the family members when they're all in the straight V. The other myth people ask about, is with the small hummingbirds. Do they actually cross over the Gulf of Mexico on the back of the geese? No, they actually fly on their own. The geese do not provide taxi services for smaller birds to fly across the Gulf of Mexico.’”
As we eagerly await the official start of spring on March 20th, the sighting of the first Canada Goose at Oak Hammock Marsh serves as a delightful reminder of the changing seasons and the wonders of nature.
-With files from Carly Koop