Ducks and geese are very common to see on English ponds. But like all wildlife, it’s best to leave them alone, for safety. We have lots of species of ducks (those funny exotic looking ducks are escapees from zoos in South America years ago) and geese are as protective as dogs, and will chase you away if you go near their territory, as they attach themselves to the first person they see (often a human).
Don’t eat duck, this is a no-brainer, and boycott anywhere that sells pate de foie gras. Report to wildlife crime unit (can be anonymous). Never feed mouldy/stale/crusty bread nor buttered bread (smears on feathers, affecting waterproofing/insulation). vermin.
The best way to help wildfowl (like all wildlife) is to leave them alone to stop them coming into contact with humans, dogs and road traffic.
Monomaster is a nifty invention to store fishing line, the design does not encourage nesting birds. Voluntary bans on lead shot have not worked (100,000 wildfowl die yearly from ingesting metal in used pellets (lead shot also harms up to half a million other creatures).
Nobody knows how birds migrate, but it’s thought to do with magnetic fields. But we know that when geese migrate, the ‘lead’ goose has others take over, if he gets tired. If a goose drops from the sky, two others fly down and stay with it, until it dies or recovers. They then catch up or find another flock. Isn’t nature cool?
