At the urging of a Laguna Niguel resident who drives Alton Parkway to work, the city of Irvine recently put up two signs near Woodbridge’s South Lake to warn drivers that geese often cross there.

Dawn Reynolds, who has worked in Irvine for nearly seven years and likes to take Alton instead of I-405, says she has seen Canada geese, including full-grown birds and goslings, on the roadway “too many times to count.”

In late August, she and other drivers had stopped to let a family of geese cross. But a man driving a minivan didn’t, and hit a goose.

“It was so sad to see this goose suffer as it finally died,” Reynolds said. “The other geese wanted to help and stayed by its side. We had to carry the goose off the street so the others were safe.”

After the accident, Reynolds reached out to the city and requested a fence or sign be erected in the area to protect the geese.

Irvine has a history of looking out for local wildlife. A warning sign near City Hall depicts a row of rabbits in an effort to make drivers aware of the area’s bunny population.

The city’s Public Works staff reviewed Reynolds’ request and agreed to install two goose crossing signs between Lake and Creek roads.

“The good news is that Canadian goslings are precocial, which means they can survive, eat and drink on their own at a very young age,” Reynolds said. “The goslings might have ended up okay.”

Irvine isn’t the only city in Orange County to warn drivers to watch out for geese in the road.

In neighboring Lake Forest, near Village Pond Park, similar signs alert motorists to the local waterfowl.

The park, which features a small lake, is a popular destination for large groups of birds, including geese.

Contact the writer: sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com