The first parking spot for those picking up at the Walmart in Mays Landing has turned into a drop off of sorts for the time being.
An expectant couple of geese decided to make their home in the lot about two weeks ago.
That's when workers noticed Mama Goose had laid her eggs in the weeds near the pick-up spot, Assistant Manager Bill Lins said.
Nearby stood Papa Goose, keeping watch over his mate and their impending gaggle.
Sometimes he would be seen stoically standing on one leg. Whenever he sees someone getting too close, his chest puffs out, a warning hiss is not uncommon. At one point on Friday, he showed a group that they were literally ruffling his feathers.
The workers first put up netting to give the mom-to-be her privacy.
Lins said his department manager Katie Rhodes suggested they add cones to block off the area farther, including giving up Spot 1 to the birds.
She raises chicks and is much more knowledgeable about animals than he is, Lins admitted.
Not many people park on that side of the store, but the pick-up area can get busy. This was a way to protect the birds — and the customers who Papa Goose could see as a threat.
“He’s just doing his job,” said Lins. “Protecting his babies.”
