The Brierly Bunch

I decided to do a quick stop at Brierly Pond in Millbury after work today after receiving a beginners spotting scope and tripod in the mail by a cyber birding friend of mine who was no longer using it anymore. Anyhow, I was very excited so dashed up there to test it out while there were still a few minutes of daylight left. After figuring out how to adjust the magnification and focus, I was very happy to spot the Black Ducks and Hooded Mergansers which I probably wouldn't have seen with my binoculars as I have noticed the scope makes you scan a lot slower and methodical than your bins which I have a tendency to scan very quickly with.

The usuals were there as well including the hybrid Canada Goose x Graylag Goose as shown above. These geese have gotten a little more interesting to look at now and you can really see the orange tinge in its bill as well as its bright yellow legs. While I was there the woman who feeds these geese poked her head out from her kitchen window across the street and called out to me which caused a wave of excitement in the geese as they know her voice so she came over with bread in tow!
I hadn't spoken with her in a while so she filled me in on the saga of the Canada Goose (the one in back) who was unfortunate enough to get a fishing hook caught in its leg. This happened a month ago and I had heard of it second hand through Alan, but this was the first time I heard the story from her who had experienced it all first hand.
So to make a long story short, the geese crossed the street into her yard when she noticed one of them limping very badly and bleeding all over her lawn. In a panic she goes out there to see what could have caused it. Her husband looks at the goose and tells her its fishing wire and they get the geese back across the street.

She calls the Dept of Fish and Wildlife and Tufts and Tufts tells her they will take the goose if she can transport it there. Fish and Wildlife are too backed up with other things so she is basically on her own. She goes over there trying to figure out how to get the goose and flags down the cable guy who is more than willing to assist and he brings out a big cardboard box while they strategize their plan. Alan gets involved somehow when he goes there to do his daily scan of the pond and he escapes unharmed but emails me to tell me the local saga. I don't dare go there myself because I know me and I would have looked at the poor little goose and the grief stricken woman and would have attempted to help even though I know it would be impossible to get the goose and very dangerous no less! What can I say, I am a sucker and hate seeing any kind of creature suffer.

The goose still has the wire embedded in its leg but there are no signs of infection. It limps only slightly now and from what I hear, the hook is starting to fall out some, but is still in the leg. And who says small towns are boring!!

So, besides that, the only interesting thing at Brierly were some Canada Geese that were not part of the clan. I am guessing they took a brief stop in the middle of migrating and decided to have a little bread themselves before the journey south. This caused a lot of goose fight and flight as the resident geese flew after them telling them to back off!

Am hoping I can get to Institute Park this week at lunch at some point for some birding. It is going to get tougher now that the sun is starting to set by the time I get home. Sigh, I already long for spring and we haven't even had Christmas yet.

Take care all.