The (Egyptian) Goose Step

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This is definitely one of those ‘luv em or hate em’ birds. They’re messy, territorial, aggressive, bullies and can be just plain nasty. I once sat at a dam for over an hour and watched how a single Egyptian goose held a flock of guinea fowl at bay. They're not the brightest of birds and every time they came close to the water’s edge, the goose rose out of the water to full height, flapped his wings and charged. They scattered, terrified.

If you’re a golfer and your course is frequented by Egyptian geese you need to be wary of stepping onto the greens, which the geese seem to think have been laid for the purpose of their defecation. The same applies to swimming pools which the birds are capable of ruining within a week or two – as I know from personal experience. Their poop gums up the filtration plant. It also contains bacteria that can be harmful to humans and dogs.

 People who have to deal with these birds on a regular basis seldom have a good thing to say about them. A friend of mine had trouble with a pair of nesting geese which stripped thatch from his roof in alarming quantities. Nothing appeared to discourage them and he began to despair.

One morning there was a knock at his front door. He opened it to be confronted by an SPCA official who informed him his neighbours had laid a complaint against him for shooting the birds. My friend’s indignant denial led to a somewhat heated discussion until his wife, sitting in the lounge reading and listening to the argument, spoke up. 

‘It was me,’ she said. Appears the farm lass in her was sick and tired of the pests and she did away with them as she would have done as a youngster. I can’t condone her actions, but I must confess a little empathy.

They’re also beautiful, with amazing colours if you catch them in the right light. They make for great photography.