Residents in posh city suffering from invading geese from close by magnificence spot | UK | News | EUROtoday

Residents residing close to the luxury Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve in Earley, Berkshire, are fed up with geese droppings ruining their lawns and pavements.

The birds have been straying from the reserve onto close by estates the place homes price a mean of £700,000. Town councillors have been instructed that Canada Geese could also be nesting on the reserve to keep away from a brand new pair of aggressive wild swans.

This has led to extra geese flocking to the location in summer time, inflicting fears of mass droppings this 12 months. Residents need the pavements, which they are saying are a well being hazard, cleaned extra usually.

Steve Feltham, secretary of the native residents’ affiliation, stated: “I have never seen anything as bad as what happened last year. Lawns are inundated, but when we cut our lawns, it goes down a bit and we can protect our lawns with some string tied to a couple of posts. It’s the pavements that’s the issue. You have to dodge it to walk past it without standing in it.”

Mr Feltham, who raised considerations at a latest city council assembly, worries the droppings might pose a well being threat to kids enjoying exterior. He stated the geese have beforehand strayed so far as Lakeside, the road subsequent to the reserve.

Last summer time, the geese have been seen nesting in wooded areas of residential streets, additional away from the reserve. There are considerations that they might return in bigger numbers this summer time and create extra mess.

This has led to requires authorities to do extra to forestall them from nesting in residential areas.

Mr Feltham stated: “We’re not asking for anything to be done about the actual geese, they are really cute and we all enjoy living near a nature reserve. But they are quite prolific, you have to dodge the droppings, that’s the issue. We’re asking if they can reduce the number of sites available for nesting and foraging.”

“Last year, we saw an increase in goslings being led around the estate by their parents. They’re really cute but as they grow up, they create an awful mess and have been leaving droppings all over lawns and pathways. It can be a danger to children and the elderly. We’ve had a lot of complaints from our residents asking what we can do about it. All we’re asking for is for the pavements to be cleaned on a regular basis in the summer months.”

“It used to be only Lakeside, they’ve now gone onto the more residential roads. We’ve always had Canada Geese, Egyptian Geese and they’ve always been very welcome. But over the last few years, the number of Canada Geese has been something else and we’ve never had as many as we had last year.”

Locals have been requested to place up momentary fences round their gardens and to not feed the geese.

Earley Town Council has been contacted for an announcement.