Bailey Ranch contains 7 ponds throughout the property which totals approximately 25 acres. These bodies of water are frequently used as stop-overs for migratory birds travelling either north or south. Today a hundred or so Canada geese stopped by to rest before continuing on their journey. Although we spent a lot of our time in late spring keeping the resident geese off of our playing surfaces, migratory geese seem more easily agitated and don't stick around very long. These geese will likely keep to themselves and stay in the pond while golfers are on the course. Once we get into spring, some of the geese will want to hang around and and become "residents" to raise some goslings. When this happens, the staff will step up efforts to encourage the geese off property so we avoid turf damage, and unnecessary costs due to clean up goose debris.Although Canada geese are our most frequent visitor, we do see numerous other species of birds at various times of the year such as: coots, egrets, gulls, blue heron, and hawks. Ducks are our resident waterfowl and happen to be my personal favorite. They tend to stay in the water most of the time, and do not have a taste for bentgrass. We have several varieties throughout the year such as: mallard, gadwall, and redheads.
