June 30, 2023
Goose Island News
Hey Geese!
These photos were taken mostly in May. Now in June, the six surviving “babies” are “teenagers.” They have all their feathers and markings and are beginning to flex their flight muscles during land and water calisthenics. I expect within a week they will be lifting off the ground with short “touch-and-go” exercises.
The Six are fond of Purina Duck Chow and pester me for snacks several times a day. I trained them too well. They will eat right out of the serving can if I let them, and even eat out of my hand. If I don’t have feed in my hand, they will nibble on my knuckles just to make sure.
This photo was just a couple weeks ago as their feathers were coming in, but the facial markings were not yet “in.”
Nearly every day, as I walk to the top of the driveway, the family follows me, gathers around me chortling, and then accompanies me back to the house to be fed. It’s kind of fun to bend down and chat with them. They have absolutely no fear of me now and will even nibble on my shoestrings and pant legs.
Still a fuzz-ball last month.
In early June, the markings started coming in. They looked like teenagers who needed to shave.
We almost lost papa Ricky like we lost papa Fred last year. The brood walked across Hillsboro Road to visit the Chamberlin Pond across the road. It was a busy traffic time when I got a call from our neighbor that the family was on its way back to our place. I jogged up to the road to see if I could aid in getting them across the dangerous thoroughfare.
I got there too late to stop traffic, but was close enough to see papa Ricky and two teenagers pop out of the tall grass and start to cross. A car going over the speed limit nearly hit them and they all jumped back into the grass, ran under the fence, and headed back to the neighbor’s pond.
I hopped the fence and tried to get them to follow me, but while they came up to me they wouldn’t follow.
About an hour later, I looked out our kitchen window to see them dashing down out walkway to our porch, where they waited for me to come out and feed them.
Nowadays when I am working outside and moving about on foot to various parts of the farm, they follow me like a pack of feathered puppies. If they are way out in a field when I get up in the morning, they come running and flapping their wings when I call out “Hey Geese!”
Past Broods—
It also appears that Ethel and last year’s brood are still with us. In addition to the six current baby geese and their two parents (Ricky and Lucy), another adult female that I think must be Ethel, has long been coming up to the trough and is not chased away by Ricky like he does to others. Ethel habitually sneaks up to the trough behind me and leans in to feed while pressing up against my right leg. I can even bend down and pet her which none of the other adults hanging around will allow me to do. (The new babies are starting to allow it).
Another group of six, which I think are the young ones I fed all last year and into 2023, wait until I’ve fed the new brood, then gather around me to also be fed. They know the old drill and are also comfortable with me, but it appears that the new family has priority.
Fun times on Goose Island Farm.
— Be well. Be safe
Chip
