Canada geese return to nest in Regina Costco parking lot

They’re back and it’s not for the hot dogs. Two Canadian Geese are once again nesting outside of Regina’s Costco.

“They’ve been coming back for, I think this is the third year now,” explained Sara Burkart, who works at a nearby business and is all too familiar with the feathery duo.

She guessed they returned about two or three weeks ago.

“If you’re an animal lover it puts a smile on your face seeing them back here every year.”

The birds have nested near the tire department along the outside of the building, just inches away from where vehicles are parked. The female goose rests atop a nest of leaves and twigs, while pieces of bread and empty margarine containers including one containing water, lay strewn about. The bird is warming about half a dozen eggs.

The second goose keeps a watchful, guarding eye on things not far away, perched in the parking area for the tire centre surrounded by intentionally placed seeds to which it pecks at, mere feet away from where the bustling Costco traffic drives.

“I see so many people stopping taking pictures of them,” said Burkart, who occasionally feeds the animals buns from a bakery in the area.

She revealed her father stops by quite often with buns and water. In fact, Burkart said her dad walks right up to the mother goose on her nest, with water tilting it down to make it easier for her to drink, without any course of reprimand.

When the eggs do get around to hatching, people seem to be prepared.

“There was another year I remember that we stopped the traffic and kind of like helped them walk across the street,” she said.

Some employees said the birds were initially named Goose and Maverick after the characters from the movie Top Gun. However, the workers now believe, but with a shred of doubt, they might be called Maverick and Kirkland, with the latter named after the main brand sold within the store.

Not everyone knows what exactly the geese are doing there. Shopper Martha Neovard took a long, puzzled look in her van as she was trying to park.

“I’m hoping that it doesn’t get hit, honestly,” she said, confused as to why they chose Costco to nest.

“I kind of wondered if it would attack people as they were going by too.”

At first, Neovard thought either the birds were hurt or that they were attracted to food left behind.

She’s not the only one. Employees said a number of people have gone into the chain box store thinking that the birds were injured. Shoppers are known to buy spinach or lettuce inside before coming outside and feeding it to the geese.

Complaints about the birds have been received by Costco according to employees. The birds are migratory and therefore fall under the federal branch of the Canadian Wildlife Service.

News Talk Radio has put in a request with the service to find out what, if anything, is recommended to be done in this type of scenario.

Burkart wants the geese to stay and welcomes them each spring, almost considering them to be a part of the neighbourhood.

“It’s nice seeing them back and hopefully they’ll be back again next year.”