HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-11-11, Page 19, r, •
00,0,
$
•
now and the end of
NOVerritter,., seldom a day will pass
at Bruce and Grace McClinchey of
2, GOderich, won't see a flock of
Id Canadaeese- land on the pond
eidthe1r hOuse
beautiful to watch them
its Mil. Bruce smiles. "They all
land the same way, feet up, skiing
in. You'd swear they were on skis,
the way they settle down on the
water."
HIS own flock numbers 100 this
year, including 30 ordinary Canadas
and 70 Giants. The Giants are
distinctive because of their large
size. Sem welgh as much as 20
pounds and have wing -spans of 6
feet. Their white foreheads are also
••
•
characteristic markingS.
In 1950, Bruce bought his first pair
of Canada Geese from Rondeau
Provincial Park for $5 each. 170
geese is the largest flock he has
owned, and each fall his geese are
lolned by about 600 wild ones.
In addition, he raises swans and
peacocks, but he had misfortune
with them- this year. Recently he
found a dead peacock, which he
suspects one of the swans killed:
In the spring, one of his female
swans hatched eight eggs, but two of
the cygnets were kilted by the older
• swans. The others seemed healthy
until a few weeks ago they became
thin; now aft are dead but one. The
cause was diagnosed as lice, and
Bruce is now treating the lone . by enscrupulitus hunters. On the
survivor in an attempt to save its fit* day of this year's hunting
life. His flock has thus dwindled to° seagon, four or five shots were
four peacocks, four older swans and heard. Bruce thinks the hunters
one Cygnetweren't shooting at the geese, but
The geese seem easier to raise. He were hoping to scare them into an
has sold a few, and the last sale sent unprotected area.
a pair of Giants to a man living near "But the geese are too smart for
Ottawa. Any money that Bruce that," he contends. "They'll lust fly
gains from the sale of geese is put to another posted field."
into improvements for the others.. He noticed one female, though,
Fix example, three years ago he , that was shot in the back. Her wings
financed the construction of a. pond, drooped at her sides. She couldn't fly
that measures 300 feet by 100 feet with the others and lust hobbled
and is 15 feet deep. around the edge of the pond.
This summer he devised a scheme. After 26 years of studying Canada
that he hopes will keep the pond open Geese, Bruce has learned a few of
during the winter. He -and two other their habits. For example, a
local men, Lloyd Sowerby and Ken preference for a certain type of feed
Mutzelburg, installed three divides them into two groups - grass -
hydraulic rams and laid pipe un- eaters and corn -eaters. During the
derground. -They: used- a canoe to third week in September, the grass
insert the upright pipe into the pond. and .wheat -eaters arrive followed
Grace recalls watching. the around October 20 by the corn
-
procedure. "The canoe looked pretty eaters.
shaky. but it didn't seem to bother Ile can predict the arrival and
them," she laughsdeparture of the geese with amazing
Initially Bruce used plastic pipeaccuracy. if a storm is reported in
However, he learned that steel pipe Northern Ontario, the geese will
increases the rams' pumping -speed, descend on McClincheys' pond in
and he is now changing the system. three days. They always take ad -
With plastic pipe, the rams operate vantage of a. northwest wind. When
at 29 strokes per minute, while with the wind changes to southeast, they
steel, they run at 59 strokes a rest in a baited area until it swings to
minute. the northwest again. •
The height of the fall dictates the • - .,,,, .,,, . . .
heighfand amount of water that the They arrive in ftocks but leave in
rams can pump. According to a book families of 6 to 10. The ones that
Bruce studied, the five feet of fall he were raised together, leave
provided should enable him to push together.
water as high as 100 feet.4
Bruce has also recovered some
interesting bands from dead geese.
A female wore a Jack Miner tag that
bore a Bible verse and was dated
r‘,
f transi
1964. He believes Jack Miner' began
engraving the verses on the bands in
1917 or 1927. He found another Jack
Miner band .on a gender. Because
the bottom half of the band con-
taining the Bible verse was worn off,
he estimates the bird was about 40
yearsold.
A different tag bore an address in
Washington D.C. Bruce's neighbour,
John Hindmarsh, wrote to the ad-
dress and received some data in
return.
"1 haven't tried it yet," he adds,
"but I plan to experiment."
Although the rams are almost
antiques, they function efficiently
Maintaining a baited area for
migratory birds is a hobby thathas
fascinated Bruce and Grace Mc-
Clinchey for 26 years. They share
their interest with numerous people,
including nursery school children
from Goderich who visit. the Pond
each spring to see the tittle on
being hatched. Recently a group of
Senior Citizens watched the geese
flock around Bruce at feeding tirne.
Both Grace and Bruce reiterate that
everyone is „welcome.
At this time of the year, visitors
receive a special treat. The sky
darkens as hundreds of honking
Canada Geese circle the pond; then,
with wings out -stretched and feet
tucked up the flock settles down on
the water hardly causing a ripple.
As Bruce confirms, "Ws a
beautiful sight to see, when the
geese come in,"
Bruce feeds corn to his geese, while in the foreground is one of his older swans.
He receivesno payment for feeding the wild birds, who also come every fall.
•
by Elaine Townshend
Bruce and Grace McClinchey watch the return of a flock ot geese to their
sanctuary:Several thousands geese stopover every year.
t Bruce calls "almost *MI , he hopes to
ri s winter. lite rains constantly pump water into tbe pond.
le jo °pujtwater as hlgh as IN feet.
pumping a steady flow of water
through the pond. A nylon hose on
the end of the drain filters the dirt.
During the winter, one of the rams
will also supply water to the barn.
Other methods can be used to
prevent a pond from freezing, such
as pumping air into the water. But
that requires an electric motor and
means more expense. With his
unique system. Bruce limits his
maintenance costs.
'Anyone who thinks money is
made from -having a baited area is
wrong," he affirms. "No- com-
pensation is grated for main-
tenance or feed."
Although 600 to IVO geese -gobble
up a lot of corn, wheat. and peas.
Bruce and Grace feel saving the
geese is Worth the expense. No
shooting is allowed within one-
quarter of a mile of a baited area.
The two farms flanking their
property are also posted one is the
belo
ho:rsette
.of their son, Ray; the other
to a neighbor, John Hind-
_ Every year a few geese are shot.
$
•4,k. . V •
Some of .1initel Hit geese feed an earn beside thesand.
He
has tat &Mitt and 31 ordinary 'Canada*, and at well, several
- '.'ads wild Canadas stop at his farm during their
t*tiatta**