FRIENDS OF WILBUR
HELLO, WILBUR!
Friends of Wilbur is a volunteer group dedicated to the nurture, care, and promotion of the geese, ducks, and other waterfowl at White Rock Lake, Dallas, TX.
CONTACT US: E-Mail: friendsofwilbur@yahoo.com
Phone: 972-890-4429.
If you would like to be advised when this website is updated with news of the birds, please e-mail us at friendsofwilbur@yahoo.com.
Become a Facebook friend of Wilbur! Find him under Wilbur Goose.
GEESE ABDUCTION
Four geese were abducted from White Rock Lake on April 15, 2012, sometime before 11:00 a.m. Someone took our beloved Wilbur and 3 young female geese---2 white Chinese geese and 1 African geese. The African goose was returned on April 22 with a slight wing injury.
Several media outlets are assisting in the area-wide search for Wilbur and his friends.
We ask anyone who lives near a lake or pond to look carefully at Wilbur's picture and see if he is there. If you spot him, please contact us immediately. His family, both human and goose, need him back.
Wilbur, a white Chinese goose, is the big gander that heads up a large gaggle of geese at the lake. He has lived at the lake for many years. Most of the geese at White Rock Lake have been rescued from poor living conditions. These geese have been carefully rehabilitated and released at the lake. Some of the geese and ducks have been raised in volunteers' backyards.
Several varieties of geese reside permanently at the lake: Chinese, African, Toulose, Pilgrim, and Emden. These are domestic geese and do not migrate. Most cannot fly easily.
Friends of Wilbur strives to educate children and adults about these delightful waterfowl. Through nightly public feedings, many adults and even more children have come to appreciate the beautiful waterfowl of the lake. Children are taught how to feed and treat the birds. In turn, they are often rewarded by a big goose eating gently from their hand or a goose attempting to carry on a conversation with them.
It is our desire to repay these wonderful birds for the many hours of joy they provide for all of us.
WILBUR'S FRIENDS
Wilbur has several friends who look after the birds at the lake. Charles Fussell is the head "goose man." He has personally rescued most of the geese and rehabilitated them. Daily he feeds the ducks and geese to supplement nature's offerings. During colder months, he often puts out over 200 pounds of corn daily. Word quickly spreads among newcomers and just before sunset at Sunset Bay, hundreds of ducks and geese wait in the water and on the shoreline for Charles' arrival with the corn. He often resembles "The Pied Piper" as he walks to the shoreline with ducks often tugging at his jeans, all anxious for the food.
Charles is joined by several other friends who help feed the geese: Judy Forrester, John Forrester, Barbara, Loy, Gerrit Visser, Glenn Harding, and Annette Abbott. Numerous other friends join them on occasion. The geese eagerly run to their favorite "friend" to get the whole-grain bread bites they have provided. It is a big social hour for birds and humans alike and has become a favorite time and place for nature photographers.
Annette Abbott has fostered several ducklings and a goose in her back yard. Annette is the designated "goose" photographer. Anna Palmer also contributes some terrific pictures.
Judy Forrester patrols the lake several times a day checking on the geese and other birds to make sure all are well. Judy's sharp eyes spot any new birds and she does a daily headcount of the geese to make sure all are there. Most evenings Judy can be found patiently teaching a small child how to carefully feed the birds and teaching them about the birds.
Meet Wilbur and Priscilla
Wilbur and Priscilla are the reigning royalty of the goose gaggle. They are the clearly defined leaders and take their duties very seriously, constantly watching over, caring for, and training the other geese. Wilbur is a Chinese goose with beautiful blue eyes. Priscilla is a beautiful African goose with brown eyes. They are very friendly to people and love eating crackers from your hand. Wilbur is especially fond of 7 grain honey bread. Their natural diet is grass but they love the whole grain breads supplementing their diet.
Sadly, Priscilla passed away in January, 2010. She is sorely missed. She was one of a kind!
Wilbur Enjoying Crackers
Here, Wilbur eats crackers his favorite way....straight out of the package! He plows through a package, leaving crumbs in the wake for the other geese to clean up.
SUNSET BAY GANG (a.k.a. THE HISSERS)
