Sadly there are only three left and six have been taken by predators.
The good news is that they now have a proper ramp and the small ones are no longer exposed to the skies on the water. The male goose cannot protect the babies on the water, as he cannot get into the air fast enough. When they are on solid ground, the dad can get into the air in a flash to protect them. We were so glad to see that they have placed a ramp in the pool for the babies to get out of the water.
There were 9 goslings when we saw them on Saturday. We checked them on Sunday and there were only 3 left. And today on Monday the 3 have survived.
The mom was waiting for the third little one to come out of the pool on the ramp.
Let's watch how the little one uses the ramp.
Done and he was out cleaning himself while his mom was watching the sky.
There he is at the left under a tree and he is a noisy little guy.
They are really such cute little ones and you can see the 3 of them together in a sunny spot here below.
One can only wonder what trauma the parents have to endure when their babies get taken one by one by a hawk or other predator birds. Normally the geese have 12-18 goslings, but from what I have seen over time, they only end up with one or two that survive. Cats also try their luck, but I have seen how the male goose attacked a cat and the cat had to take off with nothing at high speed. This is how nature works, as it has to feed everyone and the predators also have babies to feed.
I will now insist that they store that ramp somewhere for use when the next litter arrives in order to prevent the geese from having to spend long periods on the water, as this exposes the little ones to the dangers of predators.
Such is life.
And That's All Friends.
Photos taken by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon Powershot SX70HS Bridge camera.
