Lewiston Louie

 


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An Outdoors Niagara Exclusive!


Introducing Lewiston Louie – and
his partner “Lady Louise”
Louie is called by many as “Harbormaster Lewiston Louie”
SEE STORY BELOW and
More Pictures


Just In!
I received an email from a viewer [Joanne C.] and here is what she said,
“I saw your pictures of
Lewiston Louie. He is a Grey Lag from Europe. Look up Grey Lag on
Google”
………I did and
it sure looks like Joanne is correct in her assessment. Thank You
Joanne!
Note:
From Wiekipedia;
“Most domestic geese are descended from the
Greylag Goose

[Anser anser]
Go Here;

Greylag Goose

or go
<
below

for a nice picture of a European Greylag in London England


The fabled Lewiston Louie who turned
up from nowhere one day and just stayed around to enjoy the territory. –
It is believed Louie is a Barnyard Goose who strayed from it’s home or
was dropped off by someone. Louie has delighted hundreds!




Lady Louise – It is thought she is a Canadian
beauty landing from Canada to be with Louie.


Lady Louise was named by Lucky Eddy
and the name was voted on in the Outdoors Niagara Mini-Poll

<Go Here


Lewiston Louie
finally identified!

By Mark Daul, Outdoors Niagara

Louie has
caused quite a stir with the locals both on the Canadian and U.S.
side of the Lower Niagara.

It is found
he has dual citizenship and a landed immigrant residing in two
countries. This winter it seems he has taken up residence at the
Lewiston Landing. Last year he spent most of his time on the
Canadian soil at the Queenston landing. In fact, from a report, he
was seen with his disappeared or deceased mate in February 2008
living at Queenston. [See picture below]

On the
Outdoors Niagara outdoors forum it was first announced that this
magnificent, apparently domesticated goose, had found residence at
the Lewiston Landing. It was identified as a “Barnyard Goose”
by lifetime outdoorsman Gerald Condren of Youngstown, he said
it was so tame that it was domesticated and that is generally where
you will find them, in barnyards and such. Then an email came
through describing it as a “Grey Lag from Europe” [Anser
anser]…….. I mentioned the Gray Lag to Condren and he said,
“yeah, that’s what it is, a so called Barnyard Goose.”  

Through all
the forum postings Louie became famous and an overnight star in a
matter of weeks. He is being taken care of, fed and watched by the
visitors and boatmen at the Lewiston Landing just as he was last
year at the Queenston Landing on the Canadian shore.

One of those
email postings was from JB on January 3rd stating:
“I think you better call
Homeland Security. Your Lewiston Louie was living at the Queenston
boat launch a year ago. Lol” ……

We don’t know who “JB” is but thanks for the info JB.

…….. That posting was followed by Lucky Eddy’s post 25
minutes later with;
“JB
you’re right. That’s what I said in an earlier post, he took up with
that flusie, Lady Louise from Queenston. Maybe she has a new
passport card. I don’t know if they issue green cards anymore.”

That
“flusie”
eventually named in a mini-poll quest for a name and it
ended up to be named “Lady Louise” by popular vote. The
flusie is a seagull that seemed to take up the same space on the
dock as Louie and they are frequently seen together at the dock.
Lucky Eddy posted “I think she is a Canadian girl from Queenston”
The other seagulls mostly fly away when people try to get close to
Louie but that “flusie” Lady Louise just stays near Louie unafraid.

On January
15th. I received the following email from a Joanne
Cannings
and husband Gord Brown from St Catharines
Ontario after seeing the story on this website: 

Hi Mark,

My
husband Gord, said that he was surprised and delighted to know that
the goose was safe.  He was on the Queenston side last year for the
winter.  He would come visit the guys fishing and would eat peanut
butter sandwiches.  Someone said that he had a mate in 2008  and,
this is just hear say, but the female was caught and killed by
someone there.  The goose was so lonely and you could hear him
honking and come in for a landing.

I have
attached some pictures that Gord took of him last year (2009).  The
first picture was him and his mate that was killed 2008.  The others
were back in February 2009.  Looks like he has a new lady friend
from the US and hope he comes back to Canada to visit soon! Ed
Note:
Lady Louise?

We are so
happy to hear that his is OK and the guys at the Queenston boat
launch that fish EVERYDAY…ALL YEAR…will be pleased to hear as
well.

PS; We
are from St.Catharines

Joanne
Cannings, Gord Brown

NOTE:
Sometimes Louie disappears from the Lewiston ramp for a day or two,
sometimes three and no one knows where he goes but now it is
suspected he goes back to the Queenston dock….maybe looking for his
dead mate from 2008? If he could only talk.

Anyway,
Louie has gained many friends that are delighted with his presence
at Lewiston and one day I was there, a daddy had his boy and girl
there coaxing it and trying to hand feed it but at that time his
belly must have been full. No interest, but the children were
delighted. Shamefully, I had no camera that day.

Thank you
Joanne & Gord
for the pictures that we can all share here.

 


<
More recent Pictures of Lewiston Louie from the Queenston Docks  –
Below Here on this page



   
This is an Earlier story
printed here in DECEMBER 2009

The story of Lewiston Louie and Lady
Louise
By Mark Daul,
Outdoors Niagara December 2009

Sometime in late
November 2009 a couple of Geese were reported at the Lewiston Landing
in Lewiston N.Y. just hanging out. They were beautiful it was
reported and they were pretty tame. A couple of onlookers brought
food and the geese were happy to get it.

According to some
locals, these birds came from someone’s farm, were just dropped off,
or just took off from a farm looking for a change. Barnyard Geese
because of the friendliness it is assumed.

One day, one of the
geese disappeared without a trace and to this date it never
returned. However, the one that stayed was a very friendly guy and
seemed to greet visitors while looking for handouts and a curious
guy indeed.

This fellow seemed
to take up residence there even when all the heavy construction was
going on while the Lewiston launch ramp was being renovated.

Some people grew
fond of this goose and wanted a name for it. Along came Outdoors
Forum poster “Badboy” and appropriately suggested it be named “Lewiston Louie” and
fondly referred to as the new Lewiston Harbormaster.

As Lewiston Louie
got more familiar with the seagulls, some seagulls started hanging
out with Louie and it was noticed one of them was seen frequently
with him. If Louie moved to the south end of the pier, the gull
would move with him. If Louie moved to the north, there was the same
gull, just following him around. Admittedly, it is hard to tell one
gull from the other but this one seemed to nonchalantly move when
Louie moved, and watching his every move. It was suggested the
seagull be given a name too. Outdoors Niagara held a name the
seagull contest and names were suggested and of them “Lady Louise
was voted to be the most wanted name.

Out of 94 votes
cast within a week, “Lady Louise” accumulated 37% of the votes and
“LouLou” came in a close second place with 32% of the votes cast.
Lady Louise was submitted by Lucky John Eddy and LouLou was
submitted by pen name, Louie. Badboy had a great name “Sidekick”
however votes weren’t enough.

So now our resident
seagull has a name too as Lady Louise and Lucky John Eddy suggesting
“I think she is a Canadian girl from Queenston”…….. Could be Eh?

Louie disappeared
for few days and a small panic set in. The weather got down into the
teens and windy and some felt he was gone, either it left or
succumbed to the cold or someone was having a New Years feast and
Louie the guest of honor. But none was correct because a few days
later, there he was perched at the end of one of the boat launch
piers grooming himself and looking fit. [See pictures below]

Someone suggested
The Village of Lewiston prepare a bedding spot for him but knowing
that was unfeasible it was suggested the people that enjoy him build
him a way out of the weather but no one has come forward to do it.
We’ll wait and see.

In the meantime,
get down to the Lewiston Launch Landing and say hello to Louie and
he will eat out of your hand. He likes grain, likes dried corn off the
cob and some breads. Remember, Louie isn’t like other birds or
squirrels, he can’t peck the corn from the cob.

What a friendly
attraction.

To sum
things up – Lucky Eddy won the lure offered for naming Lewiston
Louie’s friend “Lady Louise” Close second was “LouLou” by Louie and
the guy that named Lewiston Louie the Harbormaster” was Badboy. All
three of these guys will receive a new Heebee Jeebee bass lure
compliments of Outdoors Niagara

Look at the
pictures at the bottom of this page and you decide if Louie is a
wild creature was he someone’s pet? Regardless, if he is to stay, he
needs shelter.

 

Please enlarge all
pictures for a great view –

<

“Anser Albifrons”
A.K.A. Greater White
Fronted Goose [Wild]
<

Lewiston Louie –
A.K.A. Barnyard Goose
<

Lady Louise the flusie

and Lewiston
Louie

<

Louie speaking out
Maybe talking to Louise?
<

Pretty feet on
a cold day huh?


<

Looking toward
Queenston
<

Bill Issacs hand feeding
<

Bill Issacs and concerned
Village of Lewiston
employeechecking on Louie’s welfare
<

Issacs feeding rabbit
food

NOTE: I met and was talking to
Bill Issacs at the Landing and he said he approached someone at the Lewiston
Village Hall and asked if it would be OK to put a bale or two of straw out so
Louie would have a good place to get up off the ground. A little box or house of
some kind was thought of but then maybe Louie would get trapped in there in case
of predators of some kind.

The pictures below
were sent in by Joanne Cannings & Gord Brown from St. Catharines Ontario showing
Louie in Queenston, Ontario, Niagara River – Click pics to enlarge –

<

Louie Being fed
Peanutbutter sandwich?
<

He has something to
say?

<

Take Off!

<

Cool Picture!
Looks like just trying to keep warm

<

Enjoying the day


Louie and his mate
Picture taken at Queenston in February 2008
It is assumed his mate has
deceased in some unknown way


GREYLAG GOOSE


GreyLag
Goose
picture from internet

A Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
in St James’s Park, London, England

<
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