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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
This is one of my fave pics of the little ones who aren't so little anymore, taken earlier this month. To state the obvious, they love water :
Here be feathers: |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
I went swimming yesterday (and today!) at the beach and the water seemed a little cool initially, so I lay down in the very shallow end and tried to acclimatize. Meanwhile, here comes a dragonfly, skimming low over the water, I said "Dragonfly, duck!" I lower my head back and the dragonfly landed on the unsubmerged top of my left foot and took a rest break. No camera with me, of course, I had just brought it back to the car as photo ops ended up unexpected- the geese weren't around- they hang out around the corner from the beach sometimes. Not seeing them, I decided to part with the camera and go for a swim. Typical.
But, at such times, I'm grateful still for the opportunity to see with my own two eyes. My father is blind and has been for about 26yrs now, and there's SO MUCH to see. Goslings are getting their chin straps on now and the black neck feathers are becoming prominant. Wings are now strong enough to briefly lift them from the ground and they're running on the water, doing drills, looks like. One group, in particular seems to favour that bit. It was the pieces of eight early on, I noticed running it. Initially, the goslings would all disappear underwater, then begin to bob up and go tearing across their parents tearing along beside and heading them off. Unfortunately, it seems they have lost a gosling, afterall, since I'm no longer seeing a pair with eight, but rather, it seems, one running the same drill with seven goslings. Perhaps the sore-footed one didn't make it, afterall, but I can't be sure. I don't see any limping, anymore, that's a fact. Another pair seems to have gone from 4 to 3 goslings. I'm seeing generally 5 pairs together with a total of 27 goslings: 7,7,6,4,3. At one point, however, and it may be recorded here, I'll have to read back, thinking out loud I am, again , I think I saw a pair with nine. So the possibility of different pairs is there, but I think it's the case that 29 has gone to 27, and life has been very brief for a couple there. Trying to find a way to identify individuals, and I think, really it rests with the chin straps in conjunction with other distinguishing features ie. tags, tailfeathers (male vs. female), distinctive markings or traits. |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Here's a video demo, which illustrates the "drill" in clearer fashion.
They really got me the first few times- baffled me- I had my back turned, photographing goslings on the other side of the dock, and I heard all this splashing, but when I turned around, I couldn't see anyone causing the disturbance- they were all underwater! Eventually I caught on, when I saw them popping up on the surface. Good trick. Here's a bit of it I caught early on. See how they vanished? Got one of the parents, there, going, "yep, she got a bit of it on video, she's gonna put out a DVD for us". |
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landmark Inner circle within a triangle 5194 Posts |
Thanks for the video Laurie. I thought I had invented that maneuver with my little sis, years ago in a New Jersey pool. ("Here comes the underwater shark attack! Heh-Heh ")
Click here to get Gerald Deutsch's Perverse Magic: The First Sixteen Years
All proceeds to Open Heart Magic charity. |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Well, someone's misplaced a gosling. How it happened I don't know, but Canada Day may have had something to do with it. Also, the weir falls running so much lately, which seems somewhat of an obstacle to geese on either side of it.
Seems one of the pairs with 7 goslings, left one with the other pair with 7. Perhaps "pieces of 8" have a new littermate. Poet. But, not quite. The eighth is hanging around the outskirts and pushed out by Mr. Gander. Not an original family member, it appears. And there are now two pairs with 6 goslings, whom I've seen recently on the opposite side of the weir. The other two pairs also over there. It adds up. And I do wonder if it's the "pieces of 8" family that's ended up with the stray- they seem to somewhat favour a similar location along the river bank. And, Mama Goose seems inclined to the possibility of welcoming #8. Right now we've got a little... Monkey in the middle: left to right: Mr. Gander, monkey, Mama Goose (I think I'm distinguishing correctly between Gander and Goose- you get a kind of vibe, you know ) Hopefully, with the falls off/running very low today, the 5 pairs will get back together and sort things out. I've told the stray to hang in there, doing very well, indeed. And I've let Mr. Gander know I think it could be mostly beneficial to be gentle with the little one. No need to create a target for predators. I understand his obligation to his own family, but gentility will only benefit all involved, I believe. He's taking it into consideration. Let me tell you, one thing about geese- about wildlife in general, I find- they listen to you. They are well mannered and acknowledge those around them. Awareness, yo. And the other goslings seem to be considering allowing the stray into the fold, to a degree, at least, as well. Very interesting. There was an episode of the Waltons... |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Upon brief review of my photos, it seems this pair is the one that originally had 7. I call them the "7 of 9" group. Any trekkies around? I'm not a trekkie, but my sister is.
So, not the "pieces of eight" family. If I'm correct, the "pieces of eight" group are currently a pair that's now down from 8 to 6 goslings with them. Hope they get they're 7th back with them, soon. For now, all seem to be faring well. What allowed me to make the distinction is "Mr. Gander" has a black strip right through his white face band, visible from the underside of his chin. I found it in pictures taken today, and pictures taken with the pair with 7 goslings back in early June. Distinct from markings of the parents who originally had 8. Mystery solved. |
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Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
Definite Trekkie here.
Love the pics Laurie. -Mary Mowder |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Thankyou very much, Mary.
"don't be afraid of the dark" Some of you may not like my view, and then I suppose it follows that some of you do! but the above video, absolutely, to me, confirms what I know, and that is: Elvis Presley is not dead. He's still here. And so are the rest we know who've moved forward. They're here with us. Back to 7 goslings only present (physically, whatever ) with the "7 of 9" group. I haven't seen the other pairs opposite this side of the weir since, so here's hoping the little stray's family came by and is back intact. "7 of 9" group is the only one I've seen since my last post here and #8 was noticibly absent from them the next day. I read something last night, finally, that syncs quite well with my philosophy: "If every man devoted to his affairs, and to the affairs of his city and state, the same measure of intelligence and honest industry that every warm-blooded wild animal devotes to its affairs, the people of this world would abound in good health, prosperity, peace and happiness." p.3 of ebook copy of The Minds and Manners of Wild Animals by William T. Hornaday, copyright 1922. |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
5 pairs back together today with: 7,7,6,4,3 goslings! Yay! Looks like they got things sorted out safely. I would have liked to have seen the reunion, but I see the results, and that will do. Going back for a closer look now, hopefully before the rain, but if not, oh well. I like a walk in the rain, Mr. Denver.
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Quote:
On Jul 9, 2014, magicalaurie wrote: I'm not keen on the rest of the book, though- I've stopped reading around page 50. :/ I might peruse the rest a bit but not sure I'll read it through. So many books, which ones to read? I'll see what I can find, but perhaps I shall write my own- I've at least made a start at that, I think. The whole gang was running "the drill" on the water yesterday and I got video. Fun, fun, fun. I might bring some here, but the focus doesn't always stick on the action vids. Still worth watching, and there's time maybe for me to get a clearer one. |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Oh boy- I'm not sure why I didn't see this coming, but, the little "stray" has done it again. At least, it seems reasonable to expect that the stray this time is the same individual as the stray last time. Somewhat unimpressed with travel, perhaps, and a little in-de-pen-dent minded. Stay tuned.
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
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tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
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Marlin1894 Special user 559 Posts |
It's not uncommon to see Canada geese mix their broods, especially in areas that are dense with geese. The young don't necessarily stay with their actual parents. For whatever reason geese, and to a lesser extent ducks, form what are called "creches" where a few adults will take care of a large mixed brood of goslings. Canada geese will readily adopt, and even "kidnap" goslings to create a larger group, usually from younger parents. I've seen pairs of geese with a creche of over 20 birds and I've heard of creches of over 100 goslings being raised by as few as 8 adults.
Typically, if a creche is going to be formed it will happen soon after the goslings are born because it's believed the parents do not recognize their own young until they are a few weeks old. But a pair may form a creche even after the bond between the offspring and the young has been established. I don't think anyone knows why for sure. |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
I think I've read something about there being safety in numbers, especially during the molting season. I call these strays, and last evening when I went back to the park, there was another one, so 2 strays- because they are not with their original (at least original upon meeting me) families but rather hanging around the outskirts and pushed away by some members (usually the gander, I suspect, and have witnessed, I believe) of the families they are staying with temporarily. There's a main group, "creche" if you wish, of 5 pairs with a total of 29, now 27, goslings and they've remained so since I began documenting them in June. I have many family portraits you can believe it, and while together, the separate families are quite good at keeping "separate", to the point of taking family turns at the swimming hole. So while the other parents will allow their company while their families are away, and the strays have elected for whatever reason not to travel, it's certainly quite clear that they haven't likely been adopted or kidnapped at this stage of the game.
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Marlin1894 Special user 559 Posts |
If they weren't under the care of one of the adult pairs or another, they probably wouldn't be alive right now. There is one easy way to tell, pick one of them up and see what happens.
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
O.k. here's the (small perhaps ) adventure part. This is the obstacle:
Last evening is the first occasion I've seen the geese attempt to climb the weir. Why? Because: The rest of the "creche" was on the other side. No problem, just fly, you say? Can't fly... molting, can swim and walk, flying's not all quite in sync yet, getting there, we'll be ready to go for the fall, no worries. Well, then, how did "they" get over "there"? Did they cross the road, that's another obstacle- the bridge road directly above the weir, pretty well. Can't say for certain, but I doubt it highly. My guess is this: This railing borders the park river below and above the weir. The geese can drop down onto the water above the weir from here if they wish. One evening the pair with six disappeared from the park and this was my top suspected "escape" route- a lot of people around pushing them and I was down at the riverbank, they didn't go that way. So, this way they can get up river, and I suspect that's what the travellers have been doing. Little one's not keen on the jump, maybe, I think. When the falls aren't running it's easy for them to come downriver, slide down over the weir and some have told me they've witnessed as much from the time goslings are quite young. I haven't seen it but I take their word for it. Climbing the weir doesn't work to get upriver- too slippery. They don't seem to want to go ashore and around- they could do at the end of the bridge we see them at in the photo above- that side has land passage- a small walking path- right under the bridge to the upriver side- saves crossing the road above. The park end (where I hang out mostly with the geese) of the bridge has no such walking trail, just the escape hatch pictured. Hope that gives a little more insight. June 26, 2014: Shall we jump? Fourspot: Nah, let's not and say we did. |
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Marlin1894 Special user 559 Posts |
The road is no obstacle to them. If they can't walk or drop into the water they will use the road. Geese walk on roads all the time even when they have the ability to fly because it's easier for a goose to walk a short distance than to fly a short distance. A bridge/road is no more an obstacle to a goose than it is to an automobile.
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
You're wrong, there, Marlin. Traffic, man. They have to cross the road to get to the other side. I don't doubt they'd use a road or sidewalk, otherwise, though.
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