Monday, May 16, 2011

five goslings marching


five goslings marching 
in a row guarded on both
ends by their parents

When I saw these Canada Geese on Adams' pond, about five miles from our place, I thought they might be the ones who went missing from the many little ponds in our neck of the woods, but when I looked closely I counted five goslings instead of four. Perhaps this is the same pair of geese who raised a family on this pond last year. When I first saw this flock, they were standing on the lawn, the parents guarding the youngsters while they nibbled grass. As soon as I stopped, the parents herded their offspring to the pond and they all paddled away to the far side. The goslings have grown quite a lot but are still covered with down and their stubby wings are unable to fly, so safety lies in vigilant parents and a big, sheltered pond.

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