RESULTS

Observations for the month of June showed very little goose activity in either zone.  Although we could not obtain geese counts from June 7 through June 19, (due to camera malfunction) it is unlikely that there was much activity, based on the previous and subsequent inactivity.  Also, when the average number of geese per observation was calculated, June’s average was .837, compared to July at 5.355 and August at 5.182.  Overall, geese were only observed on five of the seventeen available days, for a total of 41 geese counted for the month.  The vegetation buffer was very short at the beginning of the month, with some noticeable growth by the end of the month.  Thirty-three geese were counted in Zone 1 and eight geese were counted in Zone 2 (Table 1).

Table 1. Summer 2007 Goose Counts in Vilas Park by Zone and Time

Our observations for July showed much more activity than the observations for June.  We observed nearly 500 geese.  Very few geese were seen in the earlier part of the month.  All geese observed before July 17 were seen at 4:00pm.  All geese seen early in the morning were in the far end of Zone 2, near the playground equipment.  Many geese were counted at the end of the month, in both Zones 1 and 2 (Table 1).
 
During the month of August, we saw more geese earlier in the month than later in the month, with the total quantity nearly equal to the total for July. Considerably more geese were seen in Zone 2 than Zone 1.  Significantly larger quantities were observed in the morning and late afternoon as compared to the middle of the day (Table 1).
           
Our counts correlated to time of day showed that the number of geese in Zone 2 was the highest at 8:00am.  In Zone 1, the lowest number was observed at 8:00am.  The total number of geese present at 12:00pm was lower than the number of geese at both 8:00am and 4:00pm.  This also holds true when comparing the geese present at this time from month to month.  In the months of July and August there were considerably fewer geese present at 12:00pm than at other times (8:00am and 4:00pm) of the day.  The number of geese present at 12:00pm is nearly equal in both Zones 1 and 2.  Geese counts for 4:00pm showed a higher number of geese in Zone 1 for all three months as compared to other times of the day.  Overall, we observed a higher total number of geese at 4:00pm. than at any other time of day (Figure 1a-c). 

FIGURE 1. Total Number of Observed Geese in Zones 1 and 2 of Vilas Park at 8:00am (1a), 12:00pm (1b), 4:00pm (1c) during June, July, and August 2007

There appeared to be a general trend in the number of geese in Zones 1 and 2 related to time of day.  The number of geese observed in Zone 1 increased throughout the day, while the number of geese in Zone 2 decreased significantly from the morning to the afternoon with a slight increase at 4:00pm (Figure 2).

FIGURE 2. Overall Number of Geese Observed (June 1-August 31, 2007) at 8:00am, 12:00pm, 4:00pm Comparing Zone 1 and 2

The weather information recorded for the month of June shows that this particular month had an average temperature of 80.1 degrees, with the highest temperature being 90 degrees.  When comparing the average low temperature for the entire month with the average lows for the months of July and August, June had the lowest average at only 57.4 degrees.  June also had the lowest low temperature which was 47 degrees.  4.82 inches of rain fell in June, the second largest amount of rain for the months observed.  The average wind speed was 5.9 mph; the highest of all three months.  The daily maximum wind speed in June was 29 mph.
                                                             
Weather data for July shows the highest recorded daily temperature of all three months; 92 degrees.  The month of July also had the highest average temperature as compared to June and August; 83.6 degrees.  When looking at the low temperatures for each day of the month, July had the highest of these temperatures; 76 degrees.  It rained only 2.69 inches in the entire month of July, which was significantly lower than the other months we observed.  The average wind speed was 5.4 mph with the highest wind speed for the month being 24 mph.  These weather conditions appeared to have an affect on geese activity, as there were considerably larger amounts of geese in July than in June. 
 
 
The month of August had the lowest high temperature of all three months; 63 degrees.  The highest high temperature for August was 91 degrees, with the average high being 80.7 degrees.  The data for the month of August showed average low temperatures to be 62.6 degrees, with the lowest low being 52 degrees.  The highest total rainfall of all three months occurred in August; a total of 15.18 inches.  The average amount of rain per day was .89 inches.  The average wind speeds for August were 4.9 mph, with a maximum of 32 mph.
 
In general, we observed that weather did not appear to correlate to geese activity. (Figure 3)  Geese were present 20 out of the 36 days that it rained, or 56% in the three months our experiment was focused.  Geese were present on 21 of the 44 days that no rain was measured, or 48% of the time.  Of the eight days 90 degrees, or above, geese were counted on four days.  Wind speed didn’t appear to have an affect on geese activity.  

FIGURE 3. Total Number of Geese Observed Compared to Measurable Rain (June 1-August 31, 2007)

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