Rose Cottage Ltd

Not a great photo – pouring rain outside and a bit of window glare, but I think the caption of this image should be…

“Go Back In – It’s Still Raining!”

After a stormy night, all 6 goslings still present and accounted for this morning.

I noticed that one of the lake’s two nesting geese seemed to be fidgeting on her nest this morning. She also didn’t take her evening fly-around and walkabout last night.

Now I know why…

There is at least one yellow gosling out of its egg and moving around you can just barely see. Since there were six eggs on this nest last time I got a quick look, this Mother Goose will be busy for the next few days – and no doubt doing a LOT more fidgeting!

After temperatures in the mid-80s yesterday, today’s overcast and breezy temps can’t seem to get beyond the 60s. I think this goose will be keeping her goslings “under wrap” as it were, until all are hatched and the temperatures get a bit warmer.

I’ll take some updated pictures as soon as the “Paparazzi” are allowed!

Just stay away from the nest. This doesn’t require all this useless activity – and a video news report…

Ganders WILL attack if you get too close to their mate and/or her eggs on the nest. Use your brain, pay attention to signs the gander is agitated, give them some space, and you will never have a problem…

I guess a week’s worth of well above normal temperatures have a few construction projects starting a bit early this year.

This particular goose chose this same spot last year for her nest. She was successful so, being a mother looking for a place to nest for 2012 – here she is again. I noticed her walking around the area last weekend so threw a few handfuls of straw and dead leaves in the spot. As you can see, she’s quickly put them to good use.

Her goslings were born May 19th, 2011 so as I mentioned, I think she’s about 2 weeks early this year. I’ll follow her progress and hope she has a successful “season.” Since this location is about 10 feet from the back of the house, I guess she’s decided close proximity to humans is safer for her than a more isolated location where fox, raccoon, and other wild animals may invade her nest.

There are currently about 4 pair of geese having territorial issues around the lake for nesting zones. It will be interesting to see who wins the war for the other prime spots, which locations they choose, and how successful they are at keeping the nest safe…

UPDATE: Just found last year’s calendar and nesting 1st day in 2011 was April 11 – well ahead of schedule this year as I thought.

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…