The old Costco building on Victoria Avenue in Regina used to be one of the east end’s biggest attractions, but since it moved locations, there’s a different sight that keeps people flocking back: Kirk and Loosey.
Kirk is short for Costco’s famous Kirkland brand and Loosey is a play on the phrase loosey-goosey. They are two Canada geese that have been calling the parking lot home for the last number of years and they are back for another season.
Bob Hinchcliffe, who checks on the geese every other day in the summertime, said he was concerned the birds wouldn’t come back after Costco moved locations. But last week while he was driving down University Park Drive, he noticed a familiar face.
“Kirk was sitting on the boulevard right by the sidewalk and that’s sort of his habit,” Hinchcliffe explained. “We circled around, came back and saw Loosey sitting on the nest and it was really good to see they were back.”
Like Hinchcliffe, many people stop by the nest to take a gander. Some even bring water and food for the birds.
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While it might seem out of the ordinary for geese to make an abandoned parking lot their home, Nature Saskatchewan executive director Jordan Ignatiuk says it makes sense.
Ignatiuk says geese can nest anywhere, as long as it’s a safe space with access to a permanent water source. Wascana Park houses many of Regina’s geese, but Ignatiuk says the booming population is why the birds are venturing out.
“They don’t want to be crowded if they don’t have to be, so it just gives them that opportunity to be off on their own and separated from any of the competition of other pairs.”
Ignatiuk says geese have gotten used to living around people, which is why they can turn a busy parking lot into a home. But that doesn’t mean people should get too close to the birds.
“They can be quite aggressive in protecting the nest, particularly the male will be there near the nest with the female,” Ignatiuk said. “They’ll come at you with the wings and there’s some power to the swing of those.”
Canada geese typically lay their eggs at the beginning of May, which means goslings will be joining Kirk and Loosey in the parking lot soon enough.
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