The Ocean Pines Association and members of the Environment and Natural Assets Committee are working to protect the neighborhood’s geese and duck population.
Geese are pictured in a pond in Ocean Pines.
Courtesy photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
The Ocean Pines Association and the Environment and Natural Assets Committee are working to control the neighborhood’s geese and duck population.
Earlier this year, the advisory group submitted a charging document to request the purchase of yellow sandwich outdoor A-frames that read “geese duck crossing.” The committee hoped the signs would indicate to drivers where there are often traffic holdups due to the birds’ search for food.
Most of the banners were positioned around the community’s South Gate.
“Sudden stops could potentially lead to rear-end collisions,” ENAC board liaison Jeff Heavner said. “Road crossings become very frequent following the spring breeding season and the arrival of goslings. This action was also meant to protect the geese and ducks from being struck by vehicles.”
“You can imagine that it can be very emotional to accidentally hit, injure, or kill a goose or duck,” he added.
However, much to the committee’s dismay, OPA removed and repurposed some of the safety signs placed on properties not owned by the neighborhood.
At an ENAC meeting last month, then-chairperson Tim Peck, who officially stepped down from his role on Aug. 12, expressed his frustration with the decision, arguing it signaled disrespect to the project. Members asked the OPA administration to restore the signs. Their request was denied.
Heavner cites the reason for the posts’ removal as a Worcester County-enforced ordinance to control signage on county-owned roadways. He said the action to repurpose the A-frames was not ultimately up to OPA.
Signals set on areas operated by the neighborhood officials remain in place.
The association has also started using the new Northside electronic sign to warn drivers of potential geese and duck crossings.
“Should the board approve additional electronic signs, they could also be utilized to alert drivers of crossings,” the liaison said.
To manage the bird population further, the environmental committee has submitted a charging document for “egg addling” for the 2025 spring breeding season.
Egg addling is defined by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as a method to “manage birds that cause damage to property, agriculture, and natural resources or are potential threats to public safety.” The process includes oiling, shaking, or puncturing an egg “during incubation to render the embryo unviable.”
The eggs are put back in the nest, so the adult birds believe they are still developing and do not feel the need to lay anymore.
The technique is considered humane if completed early enough in the incubation period.
Heavner said that the recommendations for goose population control are developed from the committee’s close attention to the increases and decreases in their presence. The Ocean Pines Association is still considering the egg-addling ask.
“It only takes a few seasons to increase our population of geese significantly,” Heavner said.