We have seen a nesting goose at Cavendish Grove every spring for a few years now. However we were never lucky enough to see the goslings. This year my husband and I decided to keep checking back until we saw them.
Nine days after our first visit this year, we found a family of geese on the island in the pond where the goose was nesting the week before. The gander kept watch for humans and other predators, being very alert to every movement nearby.
The goose was able to relax while the gander was the sentinel.
The five goslings were balls of lemon, grey-black fluff.
They were near their mother at the back of the island. The goose moved back to the downy nest and gradually, the goslings all made their way back to their mother.
Meanwhile the gander had a position away from the goose and goslings on the island, standing when anyone stopped to observe his little family, resting if there weren’t any people nearby. He had an aggressive stance if he felt threatened.
The gander has a damaged foot, having lost part of the webbing and the toes. The bird appears to have adapted to the loss on land. I wonder if it affects him when he is in water?
We will check in on the little family again to watch the growth of the goslings.