Notes about your surroundings.

Wild Goose Chase--Two articles in the newly published third volume of the “Memoirs of the Natural History Foundation of Orange County” focus on Quail Hill in Irvine, the only spot in the county where Canada geese winter.

Each year, the geese can be spotted from the San Diego Freeway, feeding on the grassy knoll south of the freeway and west of Sand Canyon Avenue. The migratory waterfowl also use the nearby Sand Canyon Reservoir, which is not open to the public, for night resting and some foraging.

The year 1988 was a good one for the geese: Quail Hill and lands adjacent to the reservoir were protected as part of the city’s Open Space Plan; also, the population of wintering Canada geese at Quail Hill peaked that year at 4,150, the highest ever.

Unexpectedly, however, numbers dwindled in 1989 to 1,350. Theories ranged from the loss of other nearby habitats to urban development to altered migration patterns caused by climatic or habitat changes along the route. The Canada goose is not endangered, but its numbers are dwindling along California’s coastal slope.

Cattle grazing in the area appears to have mixed effects on the geese. On the plus side, grazing encourages weedy species such as filaree, which is apparently one of the features drawing geese to the site; on the other hand, cattle grazing encourages the spread of non-native artichoke thistle. The geese do not seem bothered by the actual presence of the cattle.

The success of the local wintering population of geese in the coming winter remains to be seen; the birds are due to begin arriving in early to mid-November, with numbers peaking in January and February and declining through March. Help Wanted--The Museum of Natural History and Science is still seeking volunteer docents for its new interim location in Aliso Viejo, now due to open in December. The museum will be training volunteers in the coming months; for information, call (714) 640-7120.