A Tender Young Family of Canada Geese

Canada Goslings were just hatched near Schwartz Park on Lake Paradise in The Villages, FL.  It certainly seems to be that time of year when babies are all over the place here!  I think these fuzz balls were probably less than three days old.

While I was out taking pictures last evening at about 7:00pm I saw a Great Egret, a very determined and hungry Osprey, a bunch of Whistlers (the pics will be here on Wed. of course) and a few Mallard Ducks.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

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The Family of Canada Geese in the Yard

These are the same two families of Canada Geese that were hatched during the first two weeks of May, 2012.  They are almost adults.  I have shown many pictures of this same group in the past several months.  This morning I watched the youngsters practice flying by taking off from the far shore and flying half-way across the pond.  They paddled right back where they had come from, and repeated the flight a second time.  Like all geese in flight, they honked with great gusto!  I did not have my camera along when watching the flights.

These pictures are of the same geese grazing in the grass in my front yard.  I had to go out onto the porch this morning to make my presence known, gently letting the geese that I would prefer them to browse a bit farther from my front door then they had been doing.  This is necessary as they can be rather messy.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!  UPDATE:  I was just now out on the porch and saw the geese fly from the backyard to the pond.  I will post pictures tomorrow.  Funny to see these short low flights – very earnest birds!

The Canada Goslings Now are Almost Grown Geese

The Canada goslings are nearly fully grown geese now.  The families come and go between the little farm pond here and the small neighborhood private lake down the hill.  The flock walks between the farm and the lake since the former goslings are likely just learning to fly now.  Canada Geese learn to fly at about three months old, which is about how old the former goslings now are.  They were hatched on May 2, 2012 and also a few were hatched the following week.  I took these pictures yesterday in my yard.  The geese are usually here early in the morning and at about twilight.  They graze in the grass on both sides of the pond, but usually sleep on the cow pasture side.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

The Canada Goslings Are Growing Up

There are now two families of Canada Geese here.  One is the family with seven goslings that were born just at the first of May and the other is a family with two goslings that are now about almost two weeks old.  They are so cute!  I often see the families here in the early morning.  I was surprised to see the geese under the bird feeder yesterday morning!  Guess it is a big draw for more than the songbirds.  I also know that the parent geese have taught the youngsters about the driveway and cars.  Mom and Dad geese hurry the little ones away from the driveway whenever a car is nearby.  The geese are fun to watch!  I took these pictures in my yard or from my living room window on May 22, 2012 and May 24, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

The Goslings

The family of Canada Geese is doing just fine here on the little farm pond and around the grassy pastures here.  The seven goslings are two weeks old and are growing a lot.  They are beginning to look a lot more like geese then they had earlier when they were little yellow fluff-balls.  The Canada Geese eat grass and certain tender plants as well as some of the grains.  They are content here eating the grass.  The goslings have been out on the pond several times a day with the parents.  At least one adult is always with the goslings.  The Canada Geese are devoted parents.  The goslings won’t fly until they are between three and four months of age.  I have enjoyed seeing the babies here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

The Newest Residents of the Little Farm Pond Have Hatched!

Canada goslings have hatched yesterday here on the shore of the little farm pond!  Hooray!  Mama and Papa goose took the babies out for a walk and breakfast yesterday late in the morning.  I took these pictures from a long distance so as to not disturb the new family.  As best as I can tell, there are seven little ones.  They won’t be able to fly for another three months so they will be waddling and paddling around the pond.  When the goslings get a bit older, the family may make the trek down the long driveway and across the street to the little private community lake down the hill.  That would be a long haul for the babies but sometimes geese are pretty athletic.  I am thrilled to have seen the new arrivals!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Canada Gosling Teenagers

Oh how fast the Canada goslings have grown!  It seems like just yesterday the goslings were just fluff balls with legs and bills.  Now the goslings really are feathered out and the older ones closely resemble the adults.  The slightly younger goslings do retain a bit of the immature look, but even they are getting quite big.  Won’t be long now until they all are independent individuals and full-fledged members of their flock.  I took these pictures from my windows on June 12, 2011.  As you can imagine, today these gangly goslings are even more developed in just another week’s time.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!