Truesdale Lake  

South Salem, New York

Goose Management 2021 Program Status Update

We have six volunteers who are managing the Fish & Wildlife Service permit that allows us to control the Canada Goose population on Truesdale Lake.

The permits allow us to addle and oil the eggs to prevent the eggs from developing and greatly reduces the number of Canada Geese on Lake truesdale not only the current year but also in subsequent years as it changes the migratory behavior of the targeted geese.

The mated geese end up spending their valuable incubation time on the nest with intact but non-developing eggs. Then after a failed nesting the geese pair continues their migration to the Canadian Tundra which is their natural summer feeding grounds. (See PDF information for more detail)

Pirate Island nest with watchful pair checking our activity.

These are the nest and egg counts to date, listed by island from North to South:

Waxwing Island (northernmost island):

3/31 visit – 2 nests

  • W1 north 2 eggs
  • W2 east 0 eggs
  • 2 total eggs 3/31 visit

4/7 visit – 4 nests

  • W1 N 7 eggs
  • W2 E 5 eggs
  • W3 W 5 eggs
  • W4 E 1 eggs
  • 18 total eggs 4/7

Ant Island (middle island):

3/31 visit – 1 nest

  • A1 southeast 3 eggs
  • 3 total 3/31 visit

4/7 visit – 2 nests

  • A1 E 6 eggs
  • A2 W 2 eggs
  • 8 total eggs 4/7 visit

Pirate Island (southernmost island):

4/3 visit – 3 Nests:

  • PI-S-1: 4 eggs – south edge of island
  • PI-W-2: 4 eggs – west edge of island
  • PI-W-2: 5 eggs – west edge of island
  • 11 total 4/3 visit

4/11 visit – 6 nests: (3 existing, 3 new)

Existing nests from earlier visit:

  • PI-S-1: 3 eggs (minus one from earlier visit)
  • PI-W-2: 5 eggs (same as earlier visit)
  • PI-W-3: 3 eggs (minus one from earlier visit)
  • PI-NE-4: 3 eggs – northeast edge of island
  • PI-N-5: 6 eggs – north edge of island
  • PI-CE-6: 6 eggs – center of island (not near shoreline)
  • 26 total 4/11 visit

Summary as of 4/11 (islands listed from north to south):

  • Waxwing: 18
  • Ant: 8
  • Pirate: 26

Grand total as of 4/11: 52 eggs

Feathered nest of 5

We also noted a Swan Nest with 3 eggs on west side of Pirate Island and Mallard Duck nest with 10 eggs in center of Pirate Island. Neither of these nests were disturbed.

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