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Birdieby Lauren Salinero

2012 Freestyle Academy

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For all the birds at Shoreline who’ve never known any

other home, all the golfers and employees who were

always friendly, and Graeme the bird-herding dog in

training.

Dedication

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AknowledgementsI’m incredibly grateful for the cooperation and curiosity of everyone at Shoreline Golf Links, but I would especially like to thank Clayton Leal, John Marchant, Marilyn Powell, Ed Reed, and all the guys in the pro shop for taking the time to help us make this project the best it could be. I also owe thanks to Noah Hoffman, my documentary co-director, who was with me every step of the way and whose network of friends on the golf course and knowledge of the sport were invaluable in the making of this project. And of course, this book would never have been more than a few ideas scrawled on a coffeeshop napkin without the guidance and support of all the teachers here at Freestyle.

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Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: Bird Paradise

Chapter 2: The Feeling Isn’t Mutual

Chapter 3: Coexistence

Conclusion

Works Cited

Table of Contents8

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Foreword Having grown up in Mountain View, I spent my entire life exposed to Shoreline Park and the wildlife that call it home, but I had only a vague impression of the park’s long battle with Coots and Geese until I entered into this project. It wasn’t until I visited the golf links for the first time that I realized the full extent of the problem. Driving down the road to the golf course, I was struck by the boldness of geese who calmly strutted into the middle of the road to play chicken with approaching vehicles. Nearing the golf course, the sheer numbers of these birds became apparent. Hundreds of birds of all shapes and sizes paddle around fountains in the main lake, diving, bathing, and squawking in such a flurry of splashes and ruffled feathers that I almost felt I was intruding on some secret bird conference. Once on the golf course proper, this cohabitation takes on a semblance of war. Flocks of birds stage raids, advancing out of the ponds and lakes to peck at the greens, only to be chased back into the water by border collies and volunteers waving sticks with scraps of fabric tied to the end.

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The sheer absurdity and outrageousness of the situation inspired me to undertake this project. I wanted to understand why this one small municipal golf course had attracted such a massive population of birds, and where the birds came from. I was curious about the biological reasons behind the birds infestation, but also eager to learn more about the sport of golf and golfing community. For a month and a half, I researched these questions and uncovered many surprising answers. In this book, I hope to share these unexpected discoveries, and explain a puzzling phenomenon.

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“Well, I came out here one day, and I’ll tell you what, I was all looking forward to putting, and because of the coots - which are really a nuisance - there was so much coot poop on this green, you couldn’t putt. I just turned around and left” (Conway). An encounter like this is not unusual at Shoreline Golf Links, where an infestation of American Coots and Canada Geese has golfers searching for other places to play and course managers scrambling to deal with the consequences of their avian squatters. As a result of this tense cohabitation, many a drive has run afoul of birds, coots and geese often have legs broken by golf balls, and putts are commonly planned around the larger pieces of goose poop, not to mention more serious damages to the greens and high costs to the city. Controversy over Shoreline’s birds dates back to before the park was even built.

Introduction

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In 1969, the land now occupied by the golf course was the site of a pig farm, two car wrecking yards, and a city landfill. Despite the area’s indus-trial uses, many shorebirds inhabited the area, and bird enthusiasts were outraged at the city’s plan to bulldoze their habitat to build a park. After 14 years of trucking in garbage from San Francisco to raise the area above sea level, Shoreline at Mountain View, including Shoreline Golf Links, opened on July 17, 1983. Ironically, Shoreline has attracted more birds as a park and recreation area than it did when it was undeveloped land. As soon as the park opened, golf course employees clashed with Coots, shooting 374 of them in 1985 in an attempt to exterminate the birds (DeBolt). While the construction of the park did increase the populations of birds in the area, the numbers of Coots and Geese were nowhere near their current levels. Around the year 2000, the goose and coot presence began a steady increase. Now, there can be as many as 5,000 birds on the golf course in the winter months, a mixture of American Coots and Canada Geese (Leal). Today, the greens, fairways, and water hazards of the golf course are dot-ted by flocks of hundreds of birds. Birds can even be seen calmly graz-ing on the driving range as balls fly over their heads at over 100 miles per hour. At first, unlikely scenes like birds dining on the driving range or herding dogs trotting across the greens makes the birds’ incursion and the desperate efforts of golf course management to scare them off seem almost comical; however, serious consideration of the issue reveals impor-tant environmental and ethical implications. Before these implications can be considered, one question must be answered first: what are these birds doing there anyway?

(left) newspaper articles describing golf course coot shooting programs, (right) a 1986 golfer encounters coots, (bottom) the car wrecking yard that was replaced by Shoreline Park

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(far left) an Americn Coot, (left) a Canada Goose

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Chapter One: Unlikely ParadiseAmerican Coots are medium sized grayish-black birds with white bills and red eyes, and are best known for their oversized lobed feet. Coots can be found in large numbers in the West and Midwest, wherever there are large freshwater ponds. As opportunistic feeders, coots eat mostly plant matter, but will eat everything from small fish to other birds’ eggs. Coots migrate seasonally to winter at Shoreline Golf Links, and spend only around four months on the course, but in some areas Coots can be found year round (Leal). Golf courses like Shoreline provide coots with ideal conditions: freshwater water hazards, tender shoots from regularly mowed grass, and a warm climate during the winter (Leal).

“The birds - having a great time, they love it out there. It’s excellent habitat. Not natural habitat, but habitat

that they have adapted to living in.”

-Clayton Leal (biologist)

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Every fall, Coots migrate down the Pacific coast on a course that takes them directly over Shoreline Park (Marchant). Over the years, Shoreline’s perfect conditions have caused increasing numbers of migrating Coots to make the golf links their final destination. Arriving in October, the coots make themselves at home on the golf course, eating grass kept tender by frequent mowing during the day and roosting in the ponds and water hazards at night. Luckily, the Coots leave in the spring to nest elsewhere. According to Shoreline’s wildlife biologist Clayton Leal, more than a few Coots nesting on the golf course would be a major warning sign to Shoreline employees, and would probably lead to major changes to the golf course to make it less hospitable to coots. As it is, all but a few of the coots leave every April to migrate to their summer nesting grounds. Where exactly these birds go and where they come from every fall are unknown. On the other hand, the golf course’s other tenants, Canada Geese, have made Shoreline their permanent, year round home. Because the geese nest on the golf course and rarely leave, many of the geese currently at Shoreline have never lived anywhere else. These geese are large brown birds with white necks and black heads. They have diverse diets, eating grass and aquatic vegetation, and are often see foraging for grain in areas like harvested corn fields (audubon.org). Canada geese habitate the entire North American continent, and will breed in any open areas with bodies of water. Nationally, geese are thriving, and are so numerous as to be considered pest species in many areas. Both the coots and the geese inhabit the golf course because it provides them with an environment that consistently meets and even exceeds their needs. In building Shoreline Golf Links, we’ve inadvertently created the perfect habitat for these species, a habitat they like even better than their natural habitat. The golf course has very few predators of these birds, the ponds provide shelter, and the regular mowing of the greens and fairways create an endless buffet of fresh grass shoots. In short, the birds are here in such large numbers because we created ideal living conditions for these species.

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(far left) a golfer on the putting green, (left) coots surround a golf

cart on the 9th hole

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The coots and geese love to be at Shoreline, but unfortunately golfers are less enthusiastic about their presence. The birds cause many problems for the golf course, and have required golf course management to take numerous countermeasures.

Chapter 2: The Feeling Is Not Mutual“The coots are a pest. They’re a

mess. And then you go out and

play golf and the greens, and the poop all over the greens, it’s

horrible!”-Jim Conway (golfer)

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Both species of bird eat the grass of the course, sometimes down to the dirt, requiring expensive patching. Various sprays have been used on the grass that are intended to deter birds from eating the grass with a bad taste, but little success has been seen (Leal). While eating the grass, as can only be expected, the birds poop on the course; because of the birds’ large numbers, all this poop adds up. To cope with the enormous amount of excrement being produced on the greens, hapless employees are sent out with a long flexible pole (lovingly dubbed the “poop whipper”) that they use to scrape and flick droppings off the most critical areas of grass. Additionally, the golf course has installed shoe cleaning stations where golfers can use brushes or compressed air to clean poop off their shoes, clubs, and golf bags (Leal). Not only does the birds’ damage to the golf course create an expensive problem, but just being on the course means that they get in the way. The birds are accustomed to humans and golf carts, and frequently stroll in front of golf carts or

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between a golfer and the hole. It’s not uncommon for birds to be hit by golf balls, and birds can be seen limping around the course with broken legs. Birds may even be killed by golf balls, as noted by golfer Ed Reed: “We noticed the same thing last week, when a gentleman teed off and he had what we call a ‘low burner’ and unfortunately there was a coot in the way and it became a victim. Right on the tee box” (Reed). In an effort to keep birds off the greens, the golf course has hired border collies to herd the birds back into the ponds and has organized a team of volunteers called the “Green’s Guard” to chase the birds off the greens. Removing ponds and water hazards from the golf course deprives the birds of places to roost during the night; draining ponds in the rear of the golf course successfully decreased the numbers of birds in that area, however it merely forced these birds to the front of the course, increasing their concentration on those holes and ponds. The city is hesitant to remove the ponds in the front of the course because of their visual appeal.

(opposing page) golfers clash with birds and an employee picks up poop

by hand ,(top left) a drained pond, (left) employee cleaning with the

“poop whipper”, (above) Graeme the bird chasing dog

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Programs to directly reduce the bird population have been attempted in recent years, but have sparked a lot of controversy. Last year, in an effort to reduce the number of geese hatching on the golf course, volunteers participated in an “egg addling” effort. In order to addle the eggs, volunteers coated them in vegetable oil after testing to determine the age of the egg. Unable to get air through the pores in their shells, the geese embryos would fail to complete development. While this effort was highly successful in reducing the goose population, measures like this are considered a last resort (Leal). In addition to these measures, many other tactics have been tried, but with little success. Fog machines, radio controlled boats in the ponds, coyote decoys, owl decoys, broadcasting sounds the birds don’t like over the PA system, and reflective Mylar tape have all been tested (Marchant). Biologist Clayton Leal states, “we’ve kinda almost gotten to a point where if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Despite their numerous and creative solutions, golf course employees are limited in what action they can take. Laws such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protect the birds from any of the drastic measures golfers and many golf course employees may be tempted to attempt. Violators of this law face heavy fines and penalties (Marchant). Not only does the golf course have to comply with laws designed to ensure humane treatment of the coots and geese, but they also must take into account the sensitive endangered species that also live at Shoreline. Fragile species like burrowing owls have been less successful at adapting to urban development than the coots and geese and may be negatively impacted by measures taken to decrease the populations of the better adapted species . Between the Migratory Bird Treaty act and sensitive species, many proposed countermeasures have to be taken out of consideration (Marchant).

(top) Canada Geese(middle) Burrowing Owl(bottom) American Coots

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(far left) Marilyn Powell chasing birds into a pond, (left) coots

grazing on the golf course

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Chapter 3: Coexistence

“It is frustrating when you are on the fairway, and you hit a nice shot and it hits a coot and it just stops rolling Or a

goose, a bigger target, and it just stops dead”

-Marilyn Powell (golfer)

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(left) Coots graze on the putting green26

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Biologist Clayton Leal is quick to point out that the coots are not plotting to ruin golfers’ scores and that the bird infestation is the result of human actions, “To hear a lot of negative feedback on their

behavior from the golfers is really tough, because it’s not the bird’s fault that they’re here. We’ve created this environment for them and so we have to do our best to facilitate their needs as well are ours. Do I like seeing them out here? Do I like seeing the mess that they make? No, but birds are doing what birds do.” (Leal). Despite joking about shooting the birds and

feeding them to the homeless, the golfers that still patron Shoreline Golf Links are resigned to the continued presence of the birds. Shrugging, one golfer says “That’s just Shoreline.” (Pellerin).

Despite years of coexistence, or perhaps because of them, golfers have developed an animosity towards the birds. Everyone, including Shoreline biologists, wants the birds off the course, and the city is working hard to get rid of them, but for many the problem isn’t being solved fast enough. The birds have driven away many golfers, and those that still play at Shoreline are not happy. Golfer Marilyn Powell confesses, “There have been times at this golf course, when the birds’ population is really high, and I have said four letter words under my breath more than once” (Powell and Reed). Other golfers are more antagonistic, “I think they should change the law, and be able to get rid of them, just eliminate them, because they’re just a nuisance. I don’t think they’re good for anything, you can’t eat ‘em!” (Conway).

“They’re just a nuisance. I don’t

think they’re good for anything, you

can’t eat ‘em!”-Jim Conway (golfer)

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Conclusion In a world where land development has put thousands of species in danger of extinction, Shoreline’s coots and geese have managed not only to survive the conversion of their native habitat to a golf course, but to thrive in this new environment. In building Shoreline Golf Links, the city Mountain View inadvertently created the perfect home for these birds, a paradise with a warm climate, few predators, a never ending supply of tender new grass shoots, fresh ponds to roost in, and even attendants to pick up disease-causing excrement. Golf course employees are doing everything they can to make the golf course less appealing to birds by using plastic decoys of predators, spraying various chemicals on the greens, draining ponds, and harassing the birds with dogs and human volunteers. Many golfers wish that more could be done to get rid of the birds, but legal restrictions prevent the city from doing much more than they already are. Both coot and geese populations have stopped increasing, but it remains unclear whether this change occurred as a result of the golf course’s efforts or because of other reasons. Now that the coots are settled in for the winter, little can be done except attempt to deal with the problems caused by the geese. However, golf course management remains hopeful that additional efforts at harassment next fall will convince migrating coots to bypass Shoreline Golf Links and spend the winter somewhere else.

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Works Cited“Canada Goose” birds.audubon,org National Audubon Society, n.d., Web. 26 March 2012

Conway, Jim. Personal interview. 9 March 2012

DeBolt, Daniel. “Shoreline Celebrates 25 Years” Mountain View Voice. Embarcadero Media, 25 Sep. 2008. Web. March 2012

Leal, Clayton. Personal interview. 15 Feb 2012

Marchant, John. Personal interview. 15 March 2012

Pellerin, David. Personal interview. 21 March 2012

Powell, Marilyn. Personal interview. 24 March 2012

Reed, Ed. Personal interview. 24 March 2012

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