The geese around the Reservoir have a way of interrupting our schedules. We’re headed to work, running errands, or trying to get home, and there they are, walking across the road like they have nowhere else to be. For a few seconds, our plans have to wait. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
What concerns me is seeing drivers continue toward them at their normal speed, apparently assuming the birds will move before the car reaches them. Please don’t count on that. Geese may keep walking, hesitate, or follow the birds ahead of them. By the time a driver realizes they aren’t getting out of the way, there may not be enough room left to stop.
Geese do notice approaching vehicles, but that doesn’t mean they’ll react the way we expect. Research has shown that their escape responses can depend on the direction of the vehicle and what other geese nearby can see. Our assumption that they’ll recognize the danger and hurry across is a gamble with their lives.
Honking doesn’t guarantee anything, either. Geese can become accustomed to repeated noise, and wildlife guidance describes even air horns and sirens as having mixed effectiveness. We might think we’ve delivered a very clear warning from behind the steering wheel, but we still have to slow down. The horn doesn’t take over that responsibility.
We choose to live around the Reservoir because we enjoy being near the water and everything that comes with it. That includes the wildlife. The geese aren’t just part of the scenery when they’re standing along the shoreline at sunset. They’re still part of this place when they’re between us and wherever we’re trying to go.
There’s more going on in those little groups than we sometimes consider. Canada geese generally mate for life, remaining with their partners throughout the year, and their young often stay with them through their first year. That line crossing the pavement may be a family that spends nearly all its time together. A surviving goose can find another partner if its mate dies, but those lasting bonds are part of what makes these birds worth understanding.
Nobody enjoys being late, and an unexpected stop can be frustrating. But being in a rush is no reason to kill something. Getting to the next intersection a little sooner cannot possibly be worth deliberately holding your speed and hoping a living creature beats you to the edge of the road.
Maybe the next goose crossing can be a small reminder that life around the Rez doesn’t always need to move at the pace we demand of it. Ease off the gas, leave enough room to stop safely, and let the whole group cross. Take a breath while you wait. We spend plenty of time wishing life would slow down a little. Occasionally, the geese give us a chance to let it.
