A few days ago, I got a few closer shots of the goslings at the park. As you can see, Mom and Dad are very protective, so I wasn't able to get very close. I love watching the families of Canada Geese that live around the lake. But I wanted to know more about them, so I went online, of course, and here are a few fun facts about these geese.
They are called Canada Geese, not Canadian Geese. In the 1960's, they were declared an endangered species. Since then, their populations have grown so much, they are commonly inhabitants of golf courses and suburban parks with lakes, like mine. These geese mate for life and are devoted parents. The bonding with begins at the nest. Mom may lay and hatch the eggs, but Dad is a fierce guardian and protector. I often see the Dads parading up and down in the lake directly in front of their nests, which reminds me of the old movies where human Dads pace the hospital waiting rooms while their wives gave birth. A pair of geese may have 4-7 goslings in one nest and once hatched, Mom and Dad take equal part in parenting. In fact, if another pairs goslings need a little watching, the geese will share the duties as a community. It's not unusual to see a large group of 15 or more goslings surrounded by several pairs of protective parents. I just love these little fuzzy darlings!
Another love...my lilacs are blooming and beautiful! A confession: I love lilacs so much that when I was in college, I used to go on late night 'lilac runs' cutting handfuls of the fragrant flowers for my small study room. Luckily, I never got caught. Now that I have my own yard, I have 3 different purple lilacs and one white one. Here's a picture of some of the cut beauties.
So, right now, I'm in Lilac Heaven!
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