Whatbird.com

Cackling Goose

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Mitch Waite

It's a separate species now? Where have I been?

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New Additions to Life List: semipalmated plover, prairie warbler, belted kingfisher, ruddy turnstone

This is about Canada Goose, not Cackling Goose. Why isn't Canada Goose here I wonder?!

I was driving home when all of a sudden I felt prompted to go drive down to an area by the water at the Marina. I am glad I did cause I saw a pair of adult c.g.'s with 7 goslings. I never saw that before. I got a good look too....they were not too bothered by my presense (I kept taking baby steps closer).

They were cute....and tiny compared to mom and dad. I wonder how old they were.

When I first saw them they were in the water by the "shore"...well and a few were on some rocks. The babies dive in with a quickness and strength. I was surprised by this.

So much to my surprise and even though I was standing there the parents moved out of the water and into the grass and the babies followed. One of the goslings on the way from the water got distracted and did not keep up with the rest. What it finally took note that it was left behind it took off in a waddling run to join them with a tiny panicked "chirp". After feeding in the grass mom and dad headed back to the water and all but one gosling marched along. LOL...it took awhile for the one still poking its beak in the grass that it was left behind. OMG"dess....it suddenly realized and a waddle waddle run with panic call began. I kept telling the parents they were leaving one behind but only one parent led out a very mild trumpet call and turned around when it heard baby cry. I wonder if it was the same one who lagged before. Guess it marches to the beat of its own "drummer".

I love the trumpet like symphony of Canada Geese as they cross the sky......

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* laughs like crow, soars like eagle with vision of hawk, haunts like loon & lulls like nuthatch ....tickle tickle, feather has most powerful medicine of all...makes you laugh *

spottedowl:

It's a separate species now? Where have I been?

Yes, the 4 smallest forms of the canada goose were recently seperated and are now the Cackling Goose.

In all of my life I have never seen baby Canada Geese and yet.... now I am graced to see two new families. I saw two sets of parents with goslings down by the marina. They are fertiles ones too 'cause one family had 7 babies and the other had 6 I think.

Those baby goslings are so freakin' cute. I was looking at them through binoculars even though I was not far away from them at all. The downy babies have these things that look like "wing buds". They looked like little body "ears" or something. There is nothing cuter or cozier than to see an adult sitting with a bunch of babies sitting on top or trying to become "one" with mom (or dad) by sitting within the adult's feathers and body.

These two families seem to peacefully co-exist too....(humans let us take note of this wisdom, lol)

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* laughs like crow, soars like eagle with vision of hawk, haunts like loon & lulls like nuthatch ....tickle tickle, feather has most powerful medicine of all...makes you laugh *

Aion-Nara --

I agree with the "so freakin' cute" part -- I ran into these guys while at a local park today:
 

I thought this was just the funniest picture -- it looks like they're headed off to school or something:

 

There must have about about 30 of them overall, plus a lone mallard mother with 8 ducklings. 

LOL...IndianaBirdLover.....fabulous photos....that new camera is fun I bet!   Wish I could show mine here too!

They are "freakin cute"....I was down at the marina this morning and I saw (((( 3 )))) Canada Goose families! One had 7 goslings and the other two had 6 goslings each. They grow so fast ....I didn't realize how much in even less than a weeks time.

Well I sat and watched the behavior of the 3 families...very interesting. As one of the families moved from the water around the boat launch and up onto the grass, one of the babies remained by/in the water grazing at who knows what. When it realized it was alone and wanted to get to the rest (this time no panic call), it couldn't figure out how to do so though it seemed straightforward to my "eyes". They really do have to watch what the parents do. So what happened...the parents were communicating with the gosling and then the parents went into the water to rejoin it and the rest of the goslings followed. Ha...so the whole family rejoined the one who was slighly lost....interesting.

I still can't get over the babies "wing buds".

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* laughs like crow, soars like eagle with vision of hawk, haunts like loon & lulls like nuthatch ....tickle tickle, feather has most powerful medicine of all...makes you laugh *

I am still having fun with these Canadian Geese & their goslings. I have fed them a coupla times....so amazing to have these "children" at my feet and one of the adults took a piece of bread out of hand when I offered it today. I disturbed a fishermen when the adults started competing a bit.....oops, yet we must share....and he asked me; "aren't you afraid of them?" and I shook my head because I do not like to use my "physical" voice when I am with the  birds and animals.

*Hiss* these ones say to me and yet they take food from me and bring me their young for snack time.  These downy fluffy ones....they grow fast and their wing buds which look like "body ears" are growing a little beyond miniature wings. I laugh inside when they flap them. I also laugh when babies have a tug-o-war over a piece of bread that does not split so easily because it is of the crust. Laugh yet again when bread lands on one youngin's body upon my toss and another eats from its sibling like it is its own dinner plate.

After I fed them something that was supposed to be 3 breakfasts for me I went back to the car to ask my sister if she would give me some of her lunch to give to the geese.....alas she would not.

Tommorow I am thinking it is good old fashioned natural rolled oats for them....I bought a nice container at the dollar store. Still not enough for 3 families with 19 "babies" all together......

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* laughs like crow, soars like eagle with vision of hawk, haunts like loon & lulls like nuthatch ....tickle tickle, feather has most powerful medicine of all...makes you laugh *