Saturday, July 11, 2009

Learning To Fly

You see the geese in these pictures? They may not look familiar, but I have very many pictures of them already. They just didn't look quite the same the last time I featured them here. These were those rowdy teenage geese that I showed you awhile ago.

Back then these geese were only just beginning to develop their adult colors. Now they look like any other adult goose, except they aren't quite as big as their parents. There are still the two families that have formed their own gaggle(flock) here on the lake.

I think they are only waiting for the younger of the two families to be ready to fly, then they'll likely move on. The younger ones are the very same that I featured here several times as only eggs. Now they are almost grown. I have pictures of both large families again, but I'll only show them in moderation. I know not many of you want another whole week of nothing but these geese.

You can see them here testing their wings. These older children are almost ready to go. Pretty soon they'll be flying high in the sky, without a care in the world. They've already probably been flying back and forth along the lake.

Their parents are still watching them all very closely, and it appears they're all healthy. All of the babies from the two families also still seem to be present. I thought at least a few of them would be lost but these geese have survived and they're almost grown now.

They seem almost like my own pets now because I've been watching them before they were even born. It's going to be kind of sad when I don't see the two pair of goose parents leading these younger ones around the lake. I still have today though. And my favorite geese are still all here with me.

15 comments:

  1. You must be like a proud father, seeing them grow

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  2. This has been pretty cool, to follow them from eggs to flight. More than a snapshot in time.

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  3. Once they have grown up, they will fly away and leave the nature park, to the wild. As a father, you cannot stop this.

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  4. I understand how you feel Ratty. I've been watching my peacocks from eggs too.

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  5. Just think, they will probably fly south and then back again in the spring and you can see THEIR babies.
    I love hearing them return in the skies every spring!

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  6. i like that you have followed these geese all the way from the beginning, but how do you tell the geese apart? that's my question.

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  7. i must have to agree with what they say, you must be like a happy father now seeing them from eggs to flight. when they finally will leave you, you already have so much treasured moments from them.

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  8. It's a wonderful post, Ratty! Like our children, these geese are leaving the nest!

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  9. I am so glad all your geese are still alive and well Ratty. They are beautiful!! They just might be back every year too!!

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  10. Ratty, a really great post. It has been so much fun watching them grow up and now ready to fly away on their own.

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  11. How wonderful to be able to follow them from egg to adult..Love the shots!!

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  12. Nice when you see nature survive and succeed. We had two nest failures this year with the tree swallows and it bummed me out. The Canadian geese appear so tough. Maybe that's why the are like lawn ornaments at our golf courses around here!

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  13. It was great to see them survive and grow healthy in the wild. A few months they will become parents for their own babies. So the population of these geese will be increase soo.

    Well done with your great photos...

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  14. How lovely to see them grow and spread their wings :)

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  15. Kruel - Yeah, I guess it is kind of like that. Inever thought of that before. :)
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    Sharkbytes - Once they all begin to fly it will all be over, but it has been fun watching.
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    Rainfield - No, I can't stop it at all. I'll be left with only fond memories.
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    VanillaSeven - Your peacocks have been fun to watch for me as well.
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    The Retired One - I was actually standing there near the dam when these parent geese first arrived. I watched them fly in.
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    PJ - I can tell the geese families apart only by the size of the youngsters and the fact that I've been watching them so often. After they are all grown I won't know one from another.
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    Betchai - Yeah, it's been a great year seeing these geese come into the world and grow to adulthood. I'll always remember.
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    Icy BC - Children leaving the nest is the hardest part, but it's also the proudest.
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    Ginnymo - They picked a great place to start their families. It's the safest place to do it.
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    SquirrelQueen - I've had a lot of fun, and I'm glad I've been able to share some of it.
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    Nipsy - The first day I saw the mother on the nest I knew I was seeing something special.
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    Julia - Yeah, these geese are probably tougher than they look. That's why there are so many of them around here.
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    Rose - Next year I'll see more geese fly into the park at the end of winter, and it will probably be these little ones all grown up and ready to start their own families.
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    Glynis - I agree completely. It's been great!

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