Canada Geese

["Tom and Mandy Wilson" <>]

To reply to Tony's note:
your mail was top of mind as I'm just off the to UK for a family event - the 
pond near my in-laws' place in central UK has been steadily taken over by 
Canada Geese since the late 1980s.  At my most recent visit (2003):
- when I first visited the site 20+ years ago there were Mallard, Tufted 
Duck, Pochard and even the occasional Teal & Mute Swan.  Now there are no 
other waterfowl on the pond -
- human users are aggressively pursued for either free handouts or to move 
them on
- the whole park in which the pond is located is covered with goose 
droppings (nice!)
They are an aggressive and dominant species.  I think that's why we could do 
without them as a feral introduction.
Yes, there are other introductions that have done lots of damage (ourselves 
included) but that does not excuse another one. Remember, they have not made 
their way to Australia from their natural range - they are feral in NZ too.
Cheers
Tom Wilson