The environment of a golf course, anywhere in the world is quite nice.
In the above picture, notice the lake to the left.
In the lake -- and, unfortunately for the golfers, sometimes on land -- are some guests that are beautiful to look at.... but, not so beautiful to follow as they walk the golf course. Also, the unwelcome guests can do "damage" to the grass/etc.
In our part of the country, we are getting each year an increasing number of such guests.
Although nice to look at, we wish they would float away -- or, better yet: Fly away.
They are peaceful to watch, that is certain.
Why are they welcomed? They are "loners" and appear to be lost.... and, they probably will not multiply!
These two birds showed up at our golf course a few months ago and it has been interesting to watch how they "stay on their own" and do not at all join in with the hundreds of Canada geese.
It seemed as if every golfer I was with when we saw the two birds had a different "official name" for the birds. It was a challenge to find out what kind of bird they were.
We looked up the birds in books of North American birds -- and could find nothing similar.
We found a match in a European bird book as identified below.
How did the two Egyptian/Nile birds get to a lake in Raleigh, NC, USA? Who knows.... I assume that some local person owned the birds and dropped them off at the golf course or they somehow got lost in the wind!
We were in hopes that as the club tries to get rid of the hundreds of Canada geese -- they let these two Egyptian/Nile birds remain for awhile.
Unfortunately, I think local children/animals/etc. "got rid" of the two shortly after the pictures were taken. A few days after I took the pictures only one was around and I heard than a pellet gun had gotten one of them. Shortly thereafter, neither one was seen. Too bad. They were not harming anyone!
The "Canada Goose" problem (we had over 300 "year around guests" the last couple of years) was taken care of (for now) quite well. Our club had a permit issued to "dispose" of 200 -- but, a volunteer group ("Geese Peace" or something like that) came into the situation and assisted our staff in bothering the 300+ guests enough that they went somewhere else! I guess a new batch will come in over the next year or so -- but, thanks to "Geese Peace" we are Canada Goose - free for now.
Too bad about the two Egyptians.... they would have had a free range!
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