What Spring Will Bring: Ducklings and Baby Geese

Just Ducky

.... and Geese-y, to be completely accurate.

I took a walk in The Park for the first time in a long time. I've been so busy with all the other ways I've gotten involved with animals that the place that started me in this direction -- The Park and all the animal regulars in it -- have fallen on the back burner. * hanging head* Isn't that just like life... I never want to take things for granted that are that special. So I got myself there, with bread and cracked corn in my pockets.

I've written often about the ones who I developed relationships with, Mr. and Mrs Goose probably getting top billing (had to say it). So the first two I looked for were them. They are the biggest and the loudest, so they are not hard to find, if they're not resting deep within the thicket on the island in the middle of The Lake. Thankfully I saw them right away, padding around in a rather soggy patch of forest, pecking at greens, which seem to be a daily part of their diet.

However, when I held out a little bread, it got their attention!


I included this second picture because it shows both of their faces in profile. It's worth clicking on the picture to open and see how beautiful they are. And she, who is the smaller of the two and in the lower right of the picture, has features that just look more feminine, even though their markings are almost identical. She looks like she has a more almond shaped eye, or up-swept eyeliner on....


And then there was Elvis.... the Muscoy duck. Once in a while I don't see him but overall he is a fixture, never straying from the edges of the reflection pool


And I also saw the third of my top three favorite buddies, the Indian Running duck. I don't have any name for him but as I've written here, he quacks me up with his adrenalized personality. He runs faster than any of the others over to me, and can't stand still be cause he is so revved up. He quacks at rapid speed and also stamps his little orange feet. So funny.


As a result, most of my pictures of him are blurred like the one below, because he's in such constant motion. And he's in the middle of talking to me. Fast talking, fast walking, very verbal... this duck could easily be a New Yorker (said fondly, as I consider myself to be one -- a New Yorker that is).

He looks like he's saying: WHERE WERE YOU??? DO YOU LIKE SQUIRRELS BETTER THAN US NOW????

The answer is, no.

I'm quite smitten with them all.

Bachelor Dads

Almost two years ago now a new pair of geese showed up at Hermann Park. While previously there'd only been the grand and elegant Mr. and Mrs. Goose ruling the lake, I arrived one day to see two more gliding along it's blue surface. One was a Chinese goose with all the same brown and white feathers, the same black beak with a bump, the same plaintitive wail as Mr. Goose. It was also the same size, and so I assumed it was a he. The other had an orange beak and as big a body, but with fluffier feathers that were ashy-brown all over. I've come to know this as a greylag goose (but it could be a landes-- chime in in the comments area if you know). I assumed he was also a male due to his size and aggressiveness when eating from my hand. Where the other three were more gentle, he'd rip the bread from my fingers, often nipping them in the process (he didn't mean it though, he just needs better table manners).

While Geese are known to be good egg producers, I've never ever seem Mr. and Mrs Goose with chicks of their own, though there's six weeks a year, sometimes twice a year, when I only see Mr. Goose on his own. As the Mrs. was never far from his side normally, I wondered if they had a nest during those times...though if she was gone due to sitting on it, apparently nothing ever hatched.

I've read much about the goose's tendancy to mate for life, but I wondered about these two guys. Somewhere I came across a line or two that they might stick with a buddy if not a mate, filling that need to pair.

Interestingly, last spring, when all the Muscovy's begin to appear with lines of fuzzy babies waddling after them, I noticed that the bachelor buds were very interested in the 11 little ones of one mother Muscovy. Here were a few pictures I snapped.

The first few times I thought they were bullying them, but when I tried to shoo them away from the mother and chicks, they would not go. They were obsessed. With further observation, I realized that they were quite attached to the little ones. Over the next few weeks, I found them together in all corners of the park. They would stand guard as the babies slept under the shade of a tree, assist them as they got in and out of the water, or shepard them safely across the walkway, as I caught them doing here.

I wondered if I'd been mistaken, that they were indeed male and female, practicing for the future. But if they were both males, could they not also have some kind of paternal instinct? And it being nesting time, but finding themselves unable to fulfill nature's call, could they not have decided to adopt?

They often bent their long necks down this way to gently nudge the babes along --or to dicipline! After about 6 weeks they'd grown into juveniles and the mother was no where to be found. But I'd see the pair of bachelor geese right beside them, until one day, their little flock had grown too big to tell them apart from the other muscovy teenagers. And like all parents, these two guys were forced to watch as they swam away to have their own lives, leaving them with... an empty nest.

Considering how few babies make it to adulthood, these geese proved to be excellent parents and they should be proud. Oddly, I've never seen them do it again. But spring is coming and with the budding trees and sprouting flowers come babies of all kinds in the animal kingdom. I will be keeping a close on these two.

This Chinese Goose came to The Center a while back with a broken leg which happened when a dog ran after it and got it in it's mouth. I've seen it happen too often-- people are out walking their doggies and encourage them to chase after squirrels, ducks and geese. I'm not sure why. Maybe they assume the animals will be quick and get away and just provide a harmless romp for their pup. But we see some terrible stuff come in from this so I recommend bringing a ball/frisbee or tossing them a stick....

We'd had this duck for about a week. Cleaned and dressed the wounds, gave an antibiotic to fight infection and depending, an anti-inflam medication or something to help with pain. Made sure the visiting vets would check how things were progressing. This one was not stepping on the leg, so we tried to put him in a tub of water (seen below) to help him exercise the leg but he wasn't too interested at first. So we took him out, toweled him off, set him down and let him preen. We'd try it again another day.



We kept her for several weeks, and like most geese, she was very talkative. Since Geese mate for life and bond very deeply with another of it's kind, I always worry about their partner who has been left alone, wondering what happened to their buddy. And when I hear the plaintative wail from the one we are treating, I wonder if it is wondering the same thing. In a lull, I might go sit with a goose for a little, and they often calm down. I'm told that they don't relate this way, and that as a human, I may be stressing them out rather than comforting them. But I don't get this response. I don't try to talk to a goose, I just sit very still, like a friend at a bedside, and mentally I send love and thoughts of healing to them. (Don't think I'm nuts... it can't hurt can it? The world would probably be a bit better off it we all did this for each other, right?)

I'm partial to geese, since meeting and becoming quite involved in the partnership of Mr and Mrs Goose who you can read about HERE and more if you click on their names or just the label Geese on the right of this page. We've seen several cases of really bad wounds come in. But the woman who heads the center said. "Geese are really hardy and resilient." I held onto those words when I worried for them, and sure enough she was right.

This goose healed up well enough and now lives happily on that very woman's couple of acres with many other waterfowl. If I ever find a place to buy a home I plan have land and a little pond so I can provide a safe haven too. Don't think he's at all lonely now! :-)

A Moment with Mr and Mrs Goose

Springtime has hit the park. I was taking a sunset walk and it was quiet. In the distance I heard the high pitched wail of a Chinese goose. My ears perked up and my feet followed the call.

Since I'd seen the newer pair a ways back, (click HERE to read about them) I figured it had to be Mr or Mrs Goose. Sure enough, as I rounded the path near the middle island where they retire at night, there he was standing guard as his Mrs. Foraged for tender green shoots among a little field of purple wildflowers. He's such a gorgeous bird, and a great mate. I just love him. You can see her bending over to the right of the screen here and there. Toward the end, I pan out so you can see the setting -- their little island in the center of the small lake -- better.




It really is a romantic spot, with the moss hanging down from tree limbs, the flowers scattered about, the water gently rippling all around. A calming sight. What a blissful stroll I had. And hopefully, this brought a little of that to you...

Love and Marriage

Mr and Mrs. Goose. Always together, these two teach me so much about partnership. They compromise well. When he wants to go, she follows. At times, it's she that walks or swims away and he's right behind her, no matter what.

Now, I've seen her ready to move on while he's still busy and it takes her awhile of talking to him and, let's face it, finally poking him with her beak to get him to see the wisdom of her way (amusing that I've never seen this in the reverse). But ultimately he honors and obeys. Once I saw him make her wait to the point that she gave up. After loudly squaking her discontent, she raised her proud, elegant head, got into the water and headed toward home, suddenly silent. He didn't let her get far.

Guess they never go to bed angry.

They're equal rights geese on the whole, as most of the time they're side by side in all endeavors. But Mr. Goose seems quite chivalrous too. While she often positions herself just a little behind him like this, I think it's the way he protects her, rather than that she's subserviently trailing behind. When they eat he gobbles what's offered as she fends for her own bites. But if other geese or ducks or their least favorite intruder, the nutria, are around, he stops to fight them off while she continues to eat. He respects her very much, and she is confident in her position with him. She doesn't take him for granted, but is certain what kind of behavior she expects from her man. That feminine strength is something I admire.

Like most males, he needs to take an occasional bachelor's stroll, his alone time to hang with the elements. She must be off where they make their home, resting or attending to things, since I've never seen them with goslings. And that's another thing -- whether or not they can have babies, which is why you'd think nature brought them together, they remain committed for life, choosing each other over the inherent drive to propagate.

They obviously haven't let themselves go. I think he's a hunk and she is so very pretty. While their markings are almost identical, she's smaller than him in just the right way, and has a smoother, more rounded head. Her eyes are more almond shaped and look like they're lined in a sweep of black, giving Angelina Jolie a fair run.

I'm not sure how they act if one or the other is ill, but when she disappeared for 6 weeks this summer, he was gone for most of that time. Maybe she was on a nest and he stayed close by, or if she flew off for some reason, he went with or after her. But since that wonderful day I first saw them both again, they've been there each time I've gone to visit, never far apart.

They are a pair, and in watching them, you can learn quite a bit about what that really takes. In marriage, life isn't lived soley on your terms anymore, and that can be quite an adjustment in this world of independent living.

Striving to be a little more like them might just make the swim a whole lot smoother.

If This Were Shakespeare, Methinks He'd Be The Court Jester

I mentioned here that when Nutrias swim up when I'm feeding the crew at the park, it upsets the apple cart entirely. While the geese are the biggest and the law seems to be that all the rest stand back til they're done, not so when Nutrias try to join in.  Maybe it's because they're oblivious to the pecking order. Here's Mr. Goose taking a stand. The Nurita remains nonplussed, too busy wiggling his whiskers to feel out where the bread is (lower right corner) to grok he's being challenged by the King of Everything.

The funniest thing is that these little fellas are either so dim-sighted or dimwitted (or both) that they're clueless to such advances and their complete non reaction stumps their opponent. As such, it totally deflates the situation; the geese simply give up and swim on their way, and the ducks fan out in their wake. It'd make Ghandi proud.

  

He's Safe!

Because tropical storm Edouard was headed toward Houston I went to the park so I could feed Elvis. I wasn't feeling so hot, but with a potential hurricane on it's way, and seeing Elvis standing alone on the gravel path from the telescope in our window, I went. I didn't even want to think about Mr. Goose but I couldn't help going to the edge of the water to at least look across to where he usually stands. Lo and behold, I saw a lone Chinese goose, floating in the lake.My heart leapt though my mind tried to keep my feelings in check. Could it be him??? My eyes darted around to find the orange beaked goose (Because the orange beak's partner and Mr. Goose look so much alike, and thosse two new ones are never far apart). Test #1 passed --  he was solo. Then I squinted way across to where I'd been Saturday and made out what appeared to be two geese. Thankfully they're easy to spot by size.  Then, as if the gods were patting me on the shoulder, at that very moment I heard the pair trumpet from that distance, and I knew I had Mr. Goose in front of me!

I only had grain left, but held it out and called, hoping he'd come... Sure enough he did, gliding slowly, raising his beak and trembling the way he always does.

Then he lowered his grand head and gobbled from my palm. Once he was that close I checked for his distinguishing marks -- a rim of yellow on his "eyelids" and a line of white where the ridge of his black knob meets his forehead. The new black beaked goose doesn't have those.
Oh Mr. Goose, Mr Goose! Isn't he glorious?

I try not to get too attached. Early on, as I'd see little ducklings disappear each day or happen upon a dying bird, I told myself that if I were going to be a part of this, I had to respect that nature takes it's course. But to have such direct interaction with an animal as compelling as this for the last 2 years IS in fact a relationship. And to suddenly find he and Mrs. Goose both gone without a trace, at a time of year that could not be explained by mating or migration, wasn't so easy to accept.

My heart just sang yesterday to see him at last.

Hope

Had a meeting at the zoo this morning. The entrance is very close to where the geese hang out, so I bolted and checked for signs of at least Mr. Goose. He's still missing. It was high noon and one of the hottest days this year... but there were the new two, with their legs in the water keeping cool. The black beaked one even went to sleep standing in full sun so I can't say it was too hot for Mr. G. I don't know if he's flown away, or if Mrs. Goose has babies and he's in the center of the island somewhere helping take care of them. I've read male geese have strong paternal instincts (she said with hope hope hope).

Knowing I was grasping at straws, I made the rounds to their usual places. I looked across to the front end of the center island, where I've occasionally seen all four nipping at greens on the shore. Deserted.


Then I tramped to where I often saw them enjoying the shade or where they swam back to after eating my bread. It's on the back end of the center island, a place I figure they call home.

See the darkish cove formed by that tree hanging low into the lake? That's where they usually are, if not on the shore in the picture at the top.

I knew I wouldn't see them, just like all the other times I've looked. Still, there's a pathway that goes back into that brush and in my minds eye I picture Mrs. Goose sitting on a nest in the thicket, nosing at her eggs while Mr. Goose regally stands guard beside her.

Mr Goose Update

Yesterday I decided to go out in the morning this time, hoping that the hour would make a difference in the missing Mrs. Goose's schedule. Though my prior visits were midday and afternoon, it wasn't much cooler at 9:30 AM. The sunlight was such that I could, for the first time, see through all the dense underbrush on one side of the center island.  I searched for signs of her even though I know their home is on the back, where the ground remained shrouded. No luck.

The alarming thing is that I didn't see Mr. Goose this time either!  Oh woe is me.  

I did see the other two, who honked their usual greeting and swam all the way across the lake to take a few pieces of bread from my hand. I ended up walking the distance over to where they usually hang out and didn't see either of them.

On the way home I attempted to comfort myself by thinking my timing has been bad, or that she's indeed sitting on a nest, though I've known them together for two plus years yet never seen them with goslings.  I wondered if they got fed up and flew off to one of the other bodies of water that I have seen waterfowl at... but why would she go first and he stay behind for a week? Did she die and after a few weeks then he decided to fly off? Or did something happen to him too now?

In reading more about them I learned they make good meals...  is it possible that someone actually nabbed these birds to cook up? There's an awfully large mix of cultures in Houston that might find that to be quite normal.

I stopped two uniformed park people in a golf cart driving by and asked if they knew of the geese (they did) and had noticed she was gone.  Had they heard she was found dead or sick? They had no news of such a thing. 

Guess I have to hold out hope that Mrs. Goose is sitting on a nest, or this heat is just too much for her, and at the unfortunate timing of my visit, Mr. Goose -- albeit for the first time --was deep in the center island where they made their home, keeping her company.   

I'm Worried

I have not seen Mrs. Goose the last four trips to the park. Granted, when I first saw Mr. Goose, and for several subsequent visits, he was a seeming bachelor. But one day I saw him with a very feminine, very pretty gander, who has not been far from his side ever since. They swim together, eat grass in the fields together, come up to me to get bread together. If she is done and he eats longer, she'll stand by for a bit but nags him and gives him little nips in his side til he heads wherever she wants to go. They are definitely mates. And Geese mate for life. Oh where has she gone?

It is July and very hot. At first I hoped that she was just cooling off in the shade of the trees on the center island. I also wondered if she might be sitting on a nest, though it seems doubtful that this would be the time of year for that. (I've read everything I can find on Chinese Geese but there are no straight answers about WHEN they mate, or IF they do under these conditions -- apparently they are only found in Asia, so I wonder how the heck not one but now four have been living at our pond).

The new pair of geese are usually in the vicinity of Mr. and Mrs. G, but he is usually making it clear that this is HIS property, and his lady and he get to eat from my hand before the other two. Now I see him hanging around them, and they eat first. I make a point to feed him first anyway, and well, asking him softly where Mrs. Goose has gone.

I will keep you updated, but for now, I'm praying she's OK.

Googling Geese

Last night I couldn't sleep so I sat up researching to see if I could identify what Mr. and Mrs. Goose (and the new pair) are and if the orange billed goose is different... I have also been wondering about their mating and parenting cycles. 

I've been involved with Mr. and Mrs. Goose for about 2 years now and they have never had a chick, as far as I've seen. I think they settle in at night on the small island in the middle of the lake so I've never been able to see if Mrs. G has ever laid an egg, even if it didn't hatch. When I first spotted Mr. G, he was alone all the time. He was so big and regal, I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight and ever after, sought him out in my walks.  I always found him standing around, the only one of his kind, usually in one of two grassy areas on the park shore. 

One day --the first day I brought bread and Husband realized the goose would eat from his hand -- he swam out to greet us with a lovely gander. I didn't know if this was a new mate and he was no longer a bachelor or if she'd been around all this time and I'd only caught him on his solo forays.   24 months and many interactions later, I've only seen them apart once, so I got to thinking that maybe she had been sitting on a nest back then. If that was so, I never saw any babies. You figure eventually they would get big enough to come out and swim, learn to eat and fly before they might head to parts unknown.  But there are few baby ducks who survive of the MANY that are born year round. I'm still trying to figure out who the predators are.  Maybe these big geese's babes are no less immune to whatever fate befalls the rest.

Looks like they're called Chinese Geese, due to many distinctions, the most prominent being the unusual knob they sport on their beaks.  (pls. excuse the piece of bread sticking out of his)

Still working on the orange billed bird.

There's a new Goose in Town

Came back from New Zealand to find a new pair of geese showed up at the park's lake. While I believe they mate for life, they look like 2 males in size. One isn't smaller than the other, which would be the obvious way to spot the female. If the slightly smaller one is the female, she has something I've not seen before -- a traffic-cone-orange beak. The other has a black beak with the horn-like protrusion, just like Mr. Goose (refer to previous posts). He eats very gently from my hand but the orange beak is grabby.

It makes me have great fondness for the gentle one, because he's quite big, and they are both wild. Having flown over our pond and stopping for what I imagine was a few night's stay, they quickly learned there are lots of people who bring food, and that they are the biggest of the competing mouths. Watching the 4 geese we have in action amid the muscavoys, black bellied whistlers, wood ducks, those white Afflack kind of ducks, coots and nutrias, I understand where the phrase "pecking order" comes from.

No fear of their bite when it comes to me. Besides that I am the "biggest" of them all, they have no teeth, just little ridges about half way back on either side of their bills... looks very much like the teeth in a hair comb, Barbie sized. When they open up I can see a slim, long, rather human looking pink tongue, so at the very worst it feels like a weak clothespin shutting if they grab your finger when you're handing out bits of bread.

What amazes me is that wild ducks in New Zealand also ate from my hand (though the Pokekos (behind them) didn't. This is a morning feeding from our camper van), and these wild geese greet me and take from my hand too. How is that possible that they seem so tame? They see me coming, start to honk and lumber quite deliberately toward me with their big, rubbery feet slapping the ground and their fluffy white butts wiggling, which amuses me to no end. I have to admit, I feel quite amazed and lucky to have this kind of interaction with them.