Urban Wildlife (Part 1)

Yesterday Tom and I went to the Target on North Druid Hills. We were surprised to see on the narrow strip of grass between the road and the parking lots for Arby's and Target about 20 Canadian geese. They were walking around and pecking at the ground. I parked about 30 feet from one of the clusters of geese, and Tom said, "Do you think you should park here?" Some of the geese were walking toward us (looking for a handout? they should know that aggressive panhandling is illegal in Atlanta - but maybe that's just downtown) but then they kept their distance. Were they park geese that went on a Labor Day flight and couldn't find their way back to the park? On their way south, but stuck in Atlanta due travel delays from Hurricane Gustav? I told Tom I was afraid someone would snatch one of them and have goose for dinner. He said that's illegal. Well, so's panhandling - or at least "aggressive panhandling."

Last year I saw baby geese along the edge of Peachtree Creek near Buford Highway. I was simultaneously delighted (it's fun to see baby geese) and alarmed (neither Peachtree Creek nor Buford Highway would seem to be a safe neighborhood for geese). But they have to live somewhere, and after all, around here we have covered most of the landscape with asphalt.

So I hope they made their way to wherever they were going, and that none of them ended up on someone's dinner table.