Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
concern. Cavities in dead trees and branches drilled by woodpeckers or
forged by natural decay required by bluebirds and other secondary cav-
ity nesters disappeared during this time as hedgerows were cleared for agri-
culture and forests were eliminated or neatened for housing developments.
Suppression of i re allowed remaining forests to thicken and crowd out the
open glades where bluebirds hawk and pounce on their insect prey. At the na-
dir of the bluebird population, in the late 1970s, concerned citizens established
“bluebird trails” by placing thousands of nest boxes along fence lines, road-
ways, and golf fairways where open forests remained. The birds responded
quickly, increasing steadily by about 3 percent on standard survey routes from
1980 to 2011. Boxes on golf courses were readily used; in most cases the num-
ber of eggs laid and hatched, the condition of chicks, the number of l edglings
reared, and the survival of l edglings equaled that at boxes elsewhere. A critical
ingredient in successful nesting is the presence of nearby cover, which allows
young l edglings to hide from predators, such as sharp-shinned and Cooper's
hawks. By emulating the naturally disturbed settings that bluebirds prefer, golf
courses augmented with nest boxes are making important contributions to the
restoration of a desired bird to the woodlands exploited by people.
If the bluebird is a sign of happy coexistence between golfer and bird, the
goose is just the opposite. Geese l ock to courses, nesting and swimming in
ponds and grazing the grassy fairways and greens. Where geese graze, they
crap in prodigious amounts. Their waste fertilizes the soil, but before the poop
degrades, it is messy green goo that clogs a golfer's spikes and infuriates most
players and residents of golf developments. Geese are also quite aggressive and
stand their ground as golfers come near; some birds chase and bite people or
bash them with their stout wings.
In South Africa, Egyptian geese are on the rise and frequently live on golf
courses, such as Cape Town's Steenberg Golf Estate. More than eight of ten
estate residents view geese as a problem, and most call for a severe culling of
