By Carol Fisher-Linn
You may be one of the many people in the area who find the large, noisy, and extremely messy Canada Goose population that has made its home in WNY a bit annoying. They are gorgeous and fascinating – just NIMBY (“not in my back yard”), right? However, if you like to watch big water birds in a setting ideal for the birds, you will want to visit Gooseneck Hill Waterfowl Sanctuary in Delevan this month and meet the geese, swans and other feathered animals who have been hand-raised and pampered by their keepers (parents), Rosemary and Milt Miner.
Schoolteachers turned bird protectors, the Miners found their calling in 1983 when three wild ducks visited their Holland, NY property. After one got snatched by an owl, Milt Miner moved quickly to protect the remaining two by building a duck house and then getting them companions. OOPS! By the end of the year, they had 100 ducks! They found a market for the ducks to go to new homes, but then Milt had a friend who was moving and needed a home for 13 exotic geese. It was Rosemary’s birthday so the “what to get her” dilemma was resolved. Once again, before long, their pond was overgrown with 175 geese and ducks. Moving from their Holland location to a larger property in Delevan and building a home designed to support the massive nets covering the sanctuary ponds, they found a home.
Aside from collecting eggs, solo, after being dropped off on the Alaskan tundra with only an egg basket and bear gun to protect all 100 pounds of her, Rosemary and Milt added bar-headed geese to their growing family. (Ask her to tell the funny story.) They have 60 bar-heads on the property who spend their days eating pounds of lettuce/grass/grain and producing babies which Rosemary sells across the US. Bar-heads are one of the world’s highest flying birds, having been seen over Mount Everest (27,825 ft). Most commercial aircraft fly at about 30,000 (5.7 miles high) to 42,000 feet.
This past year they sold 100 bar-heads. Buyers must buy them in pairs and, by law, they are pinioned (wings “clipped”). At 10 days or so they are shipped off to eager buyers who have ponds or large parcels of land and want the beauty of feathered wildlife around them. According to Rosemary, people treat them as pets, which is good because Rosemary teats them like her kids. She even names them (Softie, Cutie, etc.) and plays with them, providing duck toys, blankets, and a beautiful, heated nesting box until such time as they can be sent off. The new “parents” build protective areas for them to live in, keeping them safe from predators. She tells of a woman who has a bird living in her home with her small puppy. They are best buddies; they play and eat together and follow her wherever she goes. A man out west mows the lawn with his bar-head perched on his shoulder.
When you visit the Gooseneck Waterfowl Sanctuary, be sure to ask the Miners about their bar-headed goose adoption program and ask to meet my adoptee, Ariel. Interested in owning a pair of your own? ($150 a pair plus shipping). Speak to the Miners when you visit on the only day of the year they are open to the public, which is Sunday, August 25, from 12-4pm. Consider the price of admission well spent. $10 adults, $5 children under 12, kiddoes under 3 are free.
This event is not to be missed. This is the largest covered waterfowl sanctuary in the world. You will tour and learn much about the 700 endangered residents (78 species) on the property as well as the 1000 koi fish (some 8 years old) who live year-round in the largest of the four ponds – three are in a lower section. Wear good walking shoes (it’s 1.5 acres – some downhill), bring a raincoat (just in case). You can buy soda, water, and food from Lil’s Diner on the grounds (wings, fingers, fries, giant cookies). Music provided by Rustic Rambler with Gene Hilts on the steel guitar. You might want to bring your dancing shoes too! P.S. Take a photo with the Big Yellow Duck for your memory books. 5067 Townline Road in Delevan. www.gooseneckhillwaterfowlfarm.com