“Walking On Sunshine” … I wanted to sing that song out loud because the sunshine and bright blue sky sure felt good after endless days of either rain or gray and gloomy skies.
The topic of “World Turtle Day” was trending on Twitter today. I immediately thought of those painted turtles that soak up the sun on the partially submerged log in the Ecorse Creek at the Park. On sunny mornings, those turtles climb out of the water, and line up in a neat row. All the walkers glance over at them when they pass by, and the turtles usually stay there until someone goes too near the water’s edge and it scares them, so, one by one, they slip off that log and plop into the water.
Last year I took a picture of one of them through the trees so I wouldn’t spook it. He was enjoying the sunshine – see the smile on his face.
The turtles are not the only sunbathing beauties at the Park. The goslings like to gather on the warm cement to have a wee nap … they are still babies after all, and won’t be flying anywhere until they are about ten weeks old. The parents are never far from them, often preening themselves while their youngsters bask in the sun.
Now, that the goslings are getting bigger, they are expanding their horizons past the twisted tree in the alcove where I’ve taken their pictures the last few times. They can be seen toddling after their parents in the soccer field, or waddling across the perimeter path.
Most of the time they are grazing on the grass, so no wonder they are growing in leaps and bounds. The grass was mowed Monday after I left, because all the dandelions are gone once again … for a few days anyway.
All that grass grazing makes a goose thirsty, so the whole family heads over to the cement landing that sits over the storm drain where they sip water without having to go into the Creek to do so. The water level is so high from all the recent rain, that the goslings can reach the surface of the water to drink without any effort.
I like to walk in Loop #1 because this is where all the “wildlife” action is. Each day I see at least three different families of geese. The goslings are various sizes, so it is easy to tell the three groups apart. I think the parents stay in the alcove by the twisted tree (pictured up top) as it is protected from the pathway and more secluded.
Not every day at the Park is chock full of the wonders of nature. Occasionally, I won’t even see a squirrel, let alone another human being, while walking on the perimeter path, so there won’t be any “tales from the trail” that day. But, the beautiful morning brought out lots of walkers and many of the Park’s critters. There were several antics which I’ll share in the next few posts, but suffice it to say there was a little fracas at the Park with a red-winged blackbird and a robin again, and someone got the gander riled up by stepping too close to the goslings and was rewarded with a pink tongue flapping and hissing. Oh my!
I can’t close out this post before mentioning that the robins in the eaves trough have fledged, as I suspected they would since they were so large. I think Mama robin said “let’s get this show on the road” and off they went.
I got five miles walked today as I struggle to make up for lost time in this month of May which was not so merry, but very soggy instead.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I’m glad the robins are safely out of the nest. I guess the goslings can take a little longer since they aren’t crowding each other out of the nest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I was glad too Janis – I was afraid one of them would fall on the cement driveway below. I figured it wasn’t going to be long since they were huge. Today, I saw one of the babies and his Mom didn’t tell him that humans should be feared. He sat on the fence and chirped and peeped at me for quite a while and I took some pictures of him. I’m not sure how old the goslings are. I had not seen any nests or eggs (they keep them well hidden from view) and I only saw the first ones maybe three weeks ago. They were pretty big at that time. The newer group are quite small, and still yellow and gray and fuzzy looking like a baby chicken.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! 5 miles is a good walk!
Very nice shots! 🙂 (Turtles don’t smile!) 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad to walk farther than the end of the driveway or street since there was no rain today.
Glad you liked the photos Tom. The goslings are interesting to watch. They move around quickly though and can’t get them all in one shot.
Really? I was zooming in on him … I thought I detected a little 🙂 on his mouth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Turtles don’t smile
and dragonflies don’t cry
If you listen to a frog laughing
you are hearing a lie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for sharing that verse Tom … I peered at more turtles today. Their original log is way underwater due to all the rain, so they have taken the ducks log for their benefit … two big fat turtles sunning themselves this morning. Made me smile.
LikeLike
Miss linda……………………..I sure liked the close-up picture of the turtle………………….cool………….we have our set of little goslings that we’re enjoying everyday over here too
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you liked that turtle Ann Marie. I have to start watching for more of them, but it just got warm so recently, they won’t be out on the log. A walker told me he saw a bigger turtle at the side of the path walking very slowly earlier this year. I would have liked to have seen that. Those goslings are cute as you watch them waddling around. Do you have ducklings there too at your pond Ann Marie? I wanted to go to Heritage Park to see the ducks and ducklings at Coan Lake, but I can’t do it during the week and every weekend it has rained lately. Last Sunday they had the Relay for Life at Heritage Park all weekend and it had rained all day Saturday … if I don’t get there soon, the ducklings will be all grown up. Maybe this weekend if it doesn’t rain.
LikeLike
Little goslings are so cute.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are really sweet and growing up so fast! I wish I had seen more ducklings, but only one sighting this year. They are really cute to watch swimming or waddling after their mothers. Mostly swimming as the ducks in this park rarely get out of the water.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they are really beautiful to see in your picture. Thanks for your photography.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you are enjoying the photos. I do like all the new life going on this time of year. Unfortunately all our rain has put a damper on going out more on the weekends to the other parks where they are more ducks and swans – I had hoped to get some pictures of them with their babies, but we have had several weekends of torrential rain and storms and now this big heat wave which will trigger more storms this weekend. The babies will be grown by the time I get there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You got good pictures. It is cold weather in Bay area too. Still, it is spring here. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
California is having some strange weather this year isn’t it? But, it seems to be strange all across the U.S. We will have a very steamy weekend, with “real feel” temperatures of 95 to 100. We were shivering in coats in the morning, just a handful of days ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, you are right. Weather is so hot today. Last week we were using jackets all the time.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s crazy weather – this is weather we have at 4th of July weekend. One more day of this, then three days of rain and storms. This weather is very frustrating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is cold weather now here. Inside my house always cold weather. Outside is normal Bay Area weather. I don’t like Heating or Air conditioner air. It gives me headache.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I keep my A/C at 76 in the Summer, but I have to admit it is rather warm in her right now as it is still pretty hot outside. I don’t like the A/C so cold that you have to sit in big sweater or pants to keep comfortable, or you have to go outside to warm up in the Summer. I’ll be glad when the weather stabilizes a little – cooler this weekend thankfully, but two more storms on Sunday … just a disappointing Spring all the way around.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a good idea to use for a little while jackets or sweaters. If weather permits.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
You want to pick them up and cuddle them – especially the younger ones, which look a little like ducklings. There are three families and one, the goslings are not too old and still yellow and fuzzy looking.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I want to. I know they are so fuzzy and cuddly. I used to hold them I can imagine now that feeling.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was never that lucky to hold them – just seeing them. The geese parents are very protective of their goslings – you have to walk off the path if they are crossing because they will hiss at you and flap their wings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they are so tiny to hold them. We always used to see them near pond.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very sweet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, so big the goslings have been! Is it a real turtle yo have in the park? If, what do they do in the wintertime?
LikeLiked by 1 person
This morning I checked out the turtles. They are no longer on the same log – all that rain has made the water level higher in the Creek and the log is totally submerged now, but, the turtles have taken over a small log that sticks out of the water that the ducks perch on. So, crept along a mud path, peered through the bushes and got some photos of the two of them. They were big but zoomed in like crazy and hope they are not a blur when I upload the photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
John – The goslings are big and 90% of the time when I see them, they are grazing on grass. I wish I knew how old they were, but I think the parents kept them hidden when they were really small and still yellow and gray and looking like baby chickens. I only saw them for the first time about 3 weeks ago.
There is a newer family in the Park and their youngsters are the size of baby chickens … I saw them yesterday.
It is a real turtle and he was not huge, he only looks that way as I zoomed in on him sitting on the log through the trees. As soon as they see people nearing the water they all get off the log and slide into the water. I took some photos of the whole group of them lined up on the log last year but it looked like dark specks from far away – couldn’t zoom in on the entire group. Now that the trees and bushes have leafed out, I find my pictures are way too dark in some places of the Park and lightening the photo gives an unnatural color sometimes. Once it is really hot, there will be more and I’ll try to get more pictures. Last year there was a nature walk at the Park by a member of the Department of Natural Resources. I had scheduled the A/C guy to come for a checkup at that same time and didn’t want to cancel it, but another walker went and said he had learned some things and told me some of them. Among the questions people asked was where the turtles and frogs went in the cold months. The turtles burrow into the bottom of the Creek where there is some silt or dirt. They go deep there and remain dormant in a state of hibernation all Winter. Then sense when the warmer weather has arrived then go to the surface of the water at that time and will begin to swim, eat, etc. once again. We are having warm weather for a few days, but I doubt they will be there on the log as it only got warm yesterday – Tuesday it was still 50 degrees in the morning. I like seeing them. One walker told me he saw one had climbed out of the water and was on the grass. I would have liked to see that and wonder if it was a different type of turtle?.
LikeLike
There’s something so gosh-darn cute about goslings! Mind you, I feel that way about most lil animal babies! (Exception: reptiles; amphibians e.g. turtles etc. I like soft ‘n’ cuddly little ones!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know Ellie – they are cute, and they were even cuter when they were smaller because they looked more like baby chickens or ducklings. Now they are getting gangly looking and not as soft and fuzzy. I have wanted to go to Heritage Park with its man-made lake to check out the mallards with their duckling,s and due to the rain I never got there. I agree – all baby animals are cute and I’m with you on the reptiles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well they still look a tad fuzzy! 😀 Gangly is cute too, in its own way!
LikeLiked by 1 person