May 9: I decide to start documenting the nesting geese on the first island at the end of the pond. A family with 2 surviving goslings nest in this area as well as a few pairs of ducks.
May 17: the female covers the eggs with down before leaving the nest to forage for food. Oddly, after covering the eggs, she walked away, then ran back and pulled the down off with almost aggressive motions, exposing the eggs. Then she entered the water and remained off the nest for the next half hour.
May 17: the gander watches protectively as the female forages. He always placed himself between me and the little female and did not begin to forage for himself until she slipped back into the water to return to the nest.
May 17: I would love to know what was going through his mind at this time. I don't think he felt threatened though. It was hard to resist the urge to touch him, I probably would have lost his trust immediately.
May 18: This was my second visit to the pond today and the nest has been abandoned all day. A lone goose stood on the far side of the pond just standing on the edge of the water as if watching and waiting for something. The goose family with the two older goslings paddled past but the goose remained motionless. When I left the pond in the late afternoon it was still standing there, in the same spot. I fear there will be no goslings hatching from the nest this year.
2 comments:
Perhaps the geese are a young inexperienced pair, who still have much to learn. Even so, it is still a shame.
:-) Sandra xxx
I am replying to not only the pictures of the goose family but to all your photos-wow you are one great photographer. really! Just thought I would write to say this I am a photographer too. oddly, we have taken many similar photos garden of the gods, local wildlife, flowers etc. I enjoyed the tipi photos they are great Keep up the photos! KNoxville TN
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