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Instead of the typical 5 average goslings per goose pair this year I am seeing mostly 1 or 2 goslings.
I am guessing either the extreme hot days overheated eggs causing high mortality while developing, or rapid return to cold days causes death inside the egg.
What ever the reason, looking at number of goslings walking so far there seams to be a massive drop in successful hatching this year.
Around here, the survival rate seems very high. Lots of pairs with 8+, growing like bad weeds ! I have seen a couple pairs with 2 or 3 though.
Our nesting pair, that have come here for about 4 years now, had 7 goslings hatch on May 4th.
Same here on Scugog, 4-8 little ones behind two pair that I seen yesterday on the golf course…
I've noticed the same thing around Niagara. One or two little ones.
Hello Guys,
I generally see anywhere from 3 to 9 little ones per pair of Canada Geese and between 1 and 7 little "bad" ones per pair of Mute Swans here at Long Point ... they are "bad" because they are invasive through no fault of their own.
Jerome Katchin, D.V.M.
Down here is Essex County we have loads of goslings. :)
Re: Mutes. A scoped .22 cal PCP works very well for them. Thirty meter head shots and you get 100% removal from the wetland. Pop the cob first. We will have no wetlands left in this province if CWS doesn't get their heads out of the sand on this issue. Shoot, shut-up, then shovel. For Prince Edward County, we need to Hire Jesse "The Body" Ventura and his 30 cal mini-gun from Predator. Figure out some type of mount that will work on a kayak. Paddle through a wetland there and it's now "silent spring". The POS Mutes have aggressively displaced all of our nesting native birds. Time for a serious cull!
I've seen about a dozen broods of Canadas up here in the Kawarthas and they've had 5-11 goslings. No decline from what I'm seeing.
Hello Fenelon,
I was able to convince the senior representatives of the CWS last spring to consider implementing an "open season" for Mute Swans during the regular waterfowl season since it was explained to me that attempting to delist the Mute Swan from the List of Protected Species would require opening up the Migratory Birds Convention Act for review resulting in other issues being introduced at the same time ... something that they are not interested in doing.
These representatives of the CWS have agreed (in writing) to consider my suggestion with this issue being an official agenda item when the MBCA regulations are reviewed in the fall of 2025 for the 2026-27 and the 2027-28 hunting seasons. They have also agreed to have a limited (tag only) Tundra Swan season as an official agenda item at that time. I will apply for a "permit for removal" again this year ... hunting the Mute Swan will be a step in the right direction.
Jerome