We’ve heard about the folks in charge of the golf course in Rossmoor fencing off a few of the local water features in hope of dissuading resident flocks of Canada Geese – more to the point, their shelter-seeking goslings – from putting a body of water between them and resident predators.
This was done, you may have heard, to nudge nature and the resultant goose poop that comes with flocks of geese, out of the line of play. And, in fact, the number of downy fur balls flitting about the links at Rossmoor has diminished – with bobcats, raptors and other natural predators licking their lips in appreciation of man’s latest intervention in the natural order of things.
While there’s nothing unlawful about a golf course taking such action, we and other wildlife fanciers – including a vocal cadre of Rossmoor residents – had a hard time with the decision to make it “every gosling for himself” at a retirement community that often bills itself as friendly to local wildlife.
It may not be as as outright a butchery as some of man’s better known anti-animal actions, but depriving the young of a migrating bird access to a natural hiding place seemed a little cold to us, and apparently to others.
Yes, goose poop can be hard on the eyes and FootJoys but some of the divots golfing Rossmoorians and their guests leave around are tough on the lie, too. Among species, man is by far the messiest – and hardest on others.
The damage to the most recent gaggles to land and breed appears to have been done. But we’re wondering if perhaps there’s still time to let the geese play through? What do you say, Rossmoor? It would be nice to see the animals win one for a change.
I’m not aware of the source claiming Rossmoor as wildlife friendly, but I have the opposite impression. The below SFGATE story on Rossmoor’s woodpeckers says “After months of talks, one homeowner’s association has voted to go ahead with plans to shoot and kill the acorn woodpeckers around its homes…”
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Woodpeckers-in-a-peck-of-trouble-at-Rossmoor-3174802.php
Took a tour there once and the realtor lady was pointing out all the deer and Hawks and dog run and even the geese and saying how natural the place was. Nice people but the place was a little too Stepford for us.
If goose poop is as dreadful as turkey poop, I do have some sympathy for the people who decided to take this step. Wild turkeys clearly see my yard as a rest stop on the Turkey Highway of Life and it’s rather annoying because I’m not a fan of turkey poop, much less turkey poop by the gallon. (Seriously, I don’t think cocker spaniel poop is as big as turkey poop.)
Seriously it drives me crazy that people get so upset about bird poop. The turkeys cross my property every single day and although they do leave rather large poops, it’s not an every day occurrence. When it does happen, it takes me about 3 seconds to spray it to the gutter. From this effort, I am afforded hours of interesting wildlife-watching from my living room sofa. We are not talking about my kitchen floor, people, this is OUTSIDE. How many of us moved into this area for the beauty of the surroundings? I certainly did, and the wildlife around us brings me joy every single day. If you want talk poop, how about those splatters you sometimes get on your garage door or car, that seem like they could only have come from an eagle or something? 🙂 I still don’t want to shoot any eagles (I guess hawks are more likely anyway).
In Florida and parts of the south golf courses have gators walking across their lawns and no one seems to care about that. We’re seriously fencing off goslings from water so there won’t be as much goose poo on the golf course? Disgusting.
I say we fence off the clubhouse bar. Those liquored up golfers cause far more damage after a round than any flock of geese.