Fidgety Feet

 There are a couple goose families living on our pond this year.  We think this is the same couple that raised goslings here last year.  In previous years, coyotes or foxes have killed the babies and run off the parents.  Another couple moved in, too, and they have two tiny goslings toddling around behind them.  A couple days ago, we saw a groundhog working his way around the edge of the yard, and unbeknownst to him, he was heading for the geese with the newly hatched pair.  Mama goose launched on him when he loped into her danger zone,  flogging and pecking him until he was well past her babies.  Poor groundhog then suddenly realized that he was separated from his home zone and he had to turn around and run the Mama Goose Gauntlet a second time.  He'll never go near a goose again.

We have noticed that the geese will disappear for a day or two and then reappear.  We found our missing geese, goslings and all, at a neighbors pond nearly 1/2 mile away (2350') when we made the loop around back of our timber.  They have been making this journey with the babies, on foot, going through two patches of timber.  It has to be tough on goslings who are just a week old, but it should make them appreciate the convenience of flight after they sprout feathers.