Approximately 600 dead Canada geese, believed to be victims of avian flu, have been removed from around Georgica Pond in the last two days and buried in the sand, Jim Grimes, an East Hampton Town trustee, said Friday afternoon.
"I had 230 geese on Wednesday, on the west side of the pond. Pat Bistrian is down there dredging Georgica Pond, and he helped me out by digging a trench. Today I've collected another 316. I'm now headed over to the east side of the cut where I'm told there's another 75 to 100 birds," Mr. Grimes said. He wore a mask and protective suit as he worked.
It has been a terrible winter for the birds.
Fields where they feed have been covered in inches of snow since late January, creating food scarcity and potentially impacting their immune function. Then the uncommonly harsh cold of February froze many of the ponds where they roost at night, which pushed the birds tighter together into the few areas that were unfrozen. When highly pathogenic avian influenza, also called bird flu, hit, it tore through the flocks.
Geese aren't the only birds impacted by the flu. Other waterfowl, such as ducks, loons, and cormorants have died from it as well. However, Canada geese are by far our most populous winter waterfowl and have in recent weeks been the most visible victim of the virus.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said that is no longer coming out to pick up and test the carcasses, but the D.E.C. did offer some potentially good news, according to Mr. Grimes. As the weather warms next week and the ponds lose more ice, there will be more habitat for the birds, and they expect the outbreak to abate.
"As the weather warms up, these things are really going to start to reek. We should have most everything cleaned up today, but there are sick birds still out there, and they're will be more dying in the coming days and weeks," Mr. Grimes said.
"It doesn't seem like there is greater mortality in geese versus other species," Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said by phone Friday.
The worldwide population of Canada geese was north of five million, according to Mr. Farnsworth, who said he expects our local population to bounce back. While many bird species have seen massive population declines in the last 50 years, with estimates of one in four gone forever, the numbers of Canada geese have increased.
With the local die-off, he said there would be fewer birds occupying the same habitat and resources that once served a larger flock will become more plentiful. In the short term, this could lead to larger brood sizes until the population regulates back to a normal level.
"Canada geese are very good at responding to humans, but not all birds are," he said. "They tolerate us and take advantage of the wastelands we create. However, just because Canada geese are common now, does not mean it's always going to be that way. No population is safe."
It is rare for animals to transfer bird flu to humans, nonetheless, the Centers for Disease Control recommends keeping children and pets away from affected areas.
