A goose nest in a London, Ont., parking lot planter? That's good for a gander

When a shopper gets too near to her nest, she will sometimes let out a honk or a hiss.

Nearby, her mate patrols in a tight perimeter around the concrete planter where she's laid her eggs.

The Canada goose is one half of a parking lot pair drawing a lot of attention outside the Toys "R" Us at Argyle Mall in London, Ont.

The goose has chosen to lay eggs in a hip-high planter filled with wood chips she pushed together to form the nest.

It's a busy spot where people stop and snap photos. Cars pass just centimetres away from the goose.

Beside the nest, someone has placed a cardboard box full of freshly cut lettuce. Another person concerned about the birds has posted a sign that asks people to kindly keep their distance.

And that's exactly the advice of Brendon Samuels, a PhD student in biology at Western University and a co-ordinator with the group Bird Friendly London.

Why a parking lot?

Samuels said while a parking lot may seem like a poor place to locate a nest, it's not uncommon. He said geese often choose open spaces so they can spot any advancing predators.

"Grass fields, parking lots, planters those can be appealing to a goose that's looking for a safe place to nest that will maybe be a bit removed from predators," he said. "The way that we design our public spaces in some ways is conducive to goose nesting."

Samuels said Canada geese are intelligent, and will fiercely defend their nest and the goslings after they hatch.

"They're monogamous, they live a long time, they've got good memories, and so they will come back to where they've had success nesting," he said.

Samuels also said Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Disturbing them in any way while they're nesting can lead to steep fines.

The birds usually move on by the time May arrives.

"It's a temporary problem," he said. "If we give them a space and respect where they belong, then they'll do the same for us."