Rose Cottage Ltd

Things run a little differently around here than from the children’s game of “Duck, Duck, Goose.”

This little male wood duck seems to have lost his own group of flying travelers and has hooked up with a sub-group of about a dozen geese. I watched to see if he was at all intimidated by the larger birds – NOT! He sort of follows along like an unwanted party guest, but has no problem doing a little “goose-chasing” if any of them get too close to his personal zone!

I get the feeling once and awhile that I have the benefit of live cartoons out my window view to the lake. Beats the “cartoons” that pass for real news most days…

After 5 weeks on the nest and a successful “hatching” on May 19th, the new goose family has moved on to the (next door) greener pasture!

After spending some time yesterday studying their surroundings, the new goose arrivals were off with their Mom – and Dad who remains on the other side of the fence – to a lagoon at the back of the property next door. Considering the fact that there are around 22 adult geese on my lake, taking the children to the quiet lagoon is probably a very good idea.

They don’t stay around very long once hatched, and will look entirely different when I see them next, most likely in about 6 weeks, but they sure are cute!

More updates and images when they return – hopefully the new 4 will survive the next two months or so…

…or rather just out – of the egg!

The one little sleepy looking goose in the middle is about 4 hours behind the rest of his siblings in hatching and looks like he’s not sure about being in the world just yet!

He, or she, is actually still sitting in the egg at the moment…

So far the parents have had the four goslings at least twice around a 4-acre lake.

I’m not sure how their little legs keep moving but a nudge from their parents seems to keep them going. Two goslings hatched so far and seen in the second nest, but they haven’t been allowed to leave just yet…

Got corn?

Click on a goose for the full-size image…