This walk was taken on Sunday, May 3rd. I had bopped over to Council Point Park earlier in the week on my quest for goslings. I was also hopeful the few remaining Redbud trees would be blooming to add a little color to the photos, but they were still in bud.
I walked almost the entire perimeter path, feeling somewhat sad as I tossed peanuts here, there and everywhere at all my regular “drop spots” but not a single squirrel came to see me or retrieve their treats. It was windy though – clipping along at 15-20 mph, so perhaps that was the reason? Also, likely factoring into the zero squirrels equation was a couple walking their Pit Bull mix dog. Well, that would send my furry friends up a tree in record time if they were on the ground. I passed the trio up and was far ahead as the dog stopped to sniff, stop and start as dogs usually do.
Yay – we DID have 2026 goslings, but where were they hiding last week?
Then, as I neared the cement ledge, in the distance I saw a family of geese – ahh, my first offspring of the year. I was happy to see them, but, mindful of the dog, I opened my pocket, dragged out my camera in record time, trying to both lessen my movements and get some shots before the geese were spooked by the dog.
I edged closer to the family, hoping I could get close enough to the goslings without the gander getting stirred up, nor the dog gaining ground, so this was the best I could do.
Incoming and outgoing goslings – if you blinked, you missed ’em!
As I went to move along, thinking I’d walk around again, or maybe double back after the dog had passed by, I spied a second family, this time in the Ecorse Creek and paddling in my direction! These were younger goslings – look how light yellow they are here … a fresh hatch!
Obediently they paddled behind one parent, with the other parent bringing up the rear. The lead goose, likely Mama, stalked up the Creek bank, the goslings close behind, but then I appeared, the looming human. Oh-oh. One gosling peered at me between the blades of grass …
… but, a minute later, the entire family turned around and headed out!
Well, that was fun while it lasted …. (sigh). I shaded my eyes from the sun and looked to see how far away the dog and its owners were. I figured I had just enough time to meander back to the original family, but, enroute I saw a third family. Of course, for the most part, when the goslings are this young and toddling around with their parents, they all look alike. Google tells you that it is easy to distinguish their age once they are a few weeks old …
… but, I had the advantage here as they were grouped in different spots, I could tell it was a third family. Here they are, the goslings snuggled together, a pretty puddle of precious babies.
Mama and Papa Goose weren’t too pleased to see me and hustled their offspring over to the cement ledge.
As you see below, even this adult Canada Goose did some serious peering into the water, judging that drop down (gulp) before taking the plunge. Imagine what were the collective thoughts of the goslings about that plunge – was it their first? My heart was in my mouth as I thought “I’ll back off – please Mama, don’t make them jump because I’m here – they’re way too small!”
Here, minus their daring Mama, they gathered with the mindset “if Mama says we jump, then we gotta jump guys!”
One by one they plopped into the water. It happened so quickly, I was kicking myself I didn’t get a shot, but it was a stream of goslings going down and mercifully (for them and me) it was over in seconds.
Then, off they went, safely tucked between their parents and likely thankful THAT ordeal was over!
Well the folks with their dog caught up with me and we chatted for a few minutes as I pointed out the three families which, by now, each family was in the Creek and headed in the opposite direction. After learning the walkers’ names were Pam and Bill and meeting Lulu, which they adopted as a rescue three months earlier, we chatted a little more and I took some photos of them, which came out badly. In my defense, the wind was whipping up Pam’s hair across her face and Lulu was fitful, up and down like a pogo stick and looking at Pam, not Bill or me, so no good pictures of them were taken unfortunately.
I saw a large group of kids starting on the opposite side of the perimeter path, so I said I was going to move along as the goslings were so small, they would not be paddling very long in the water and soon would come ashore.
My hunch was correct – the three families had regrouped and were on the grass near the shoreline, so post-swim, now it was time for a few camera clicks.
It was definitely dandelion chow-down time!
One family had settled into the grass near a patch of dandelions.
The goslings were all about nibbling those dandelions. I was hoping for a gosling with a dandelion hanging out of its bill as it merrily chomped away, but that didn’t happen as these little ones were enjoying the greens, not the flowery heads. Go figure!
These two goslings, their tummies full of dandelion greens, decided to pose for me, thinking perhaps I’d go away?!
As I got ready to move along to the next family, I stopped for a shot of these little ones “mooning” me. So you thought the Artemis II moon shots were fabulous – well, there’s nothing cuter than goslings mooning the photographer.
The second family was more sedate.
Papa Goose was standing guard over his little family – good old Dad, always protecting his offspring.
His mate snoozed and the “kids” rested after their swim and their big jump off the ledge. I believe these are the goslings that jumped off the cement ledge, judging by their coloring and size. Aren’t they sweet?
It was a quick meet-n-greet with Family #3 – Papa had an attitude.
I’ve been around Canada Geese families long enough to know when I am not welcome. Sure, a peek at their goslings is acceptable, just keep your distance. Mama doesn’t usually have an issue, but Papa watches me carefully. No one messes with his goslings! This was true with this family and the look on Papa’s face tells the story. No, he does not have something wrong with his body which is a bit contorted in this photo – the shot was taken in between him bobbing his neck up and down and hissing at me.
I’ve cropped the picture so you can see him better – note the tongue!
Needless to say I got two quick shots you see below, then decided to leave …
… just as Mama gathered up her darlings, while Papa continued to glare at me. She herded her brood down to the water’s edge. Yes, “Mama says we vamoose, so off we go!”
The first goslings of Spring are always a delight to watch and I hope you have vicariously enjoyed them as well. In this case, it was triple the fun. A few weeks’ time will have these cutie pies sporting grayish plumage, canoe-shaped bodies and oversized feet. Growing pains – sigh. We all had those not-so-cute years too. 🙂
Happy Father’s Day if it applies!
I am joining Terri’s Challenge: Animal or Bird of the Month and Pepper’s Challenge: One Step at a Time.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Wonderful to see and great photos Linda 😀
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Thanks Brian! I love the Spring babies too! The goslings are cutest at this age – now, six weeks later, they are loud and grumpy like their parents. 🙂
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I enjoyed your gosling expedition.
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Thank you Anne! Sometimes in the Spring, everywhere you look are goslings, in all different sizes, but all marching obediently behind or alongside their parents – it is so sweet to see them.
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So cute! Great picture of papa with his tongue hanging out but the goslings get the prize.
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Thank you Kate! I knew you, a person who also appreciates geese, would like these sweet goslings. The papa really had it out for me with the head bobbing and hissing tongue! 🙂
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Gosh, those gosling are so cute and fuzzy, Linda! Amazing to have watched them leap into the water from the ledge! Wonderful to watch our wild things in nature!
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Yes, they are so cute Terri, especially when they are as young as these were. I wish I would have had a video or even still shots as they went over the ledge – I held my breath. You can see the apprehension for Mom and the goslings beforehand. Nature is amazing!
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Great pictures Linda….especially the close-up ones! That was quite a drop down for those little guys….I wonder if they instinctively know how to swim?
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Thanks Joni! I was lucky to get close up to most of them, just that last set with the grumpy dad. I literally held my breath with the little ones. I don’t know why Mom herded them away so quickly but I think it was the dog more than me that spooked her and made her leave. It looked like even Mom was apprehensive about jumping down. I have read the goslings know how to swim a day after hatching. I think ducklings go in the water immediately.
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science needs to work on keeping a gosling small and cute!
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Ha ha – definitely Wayne! They are so cute at this age!
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Linda, your pictures are amazing, so close. They were all really posing for you. I was holding my breath as your babies jumped into the water. They won’t be afraid of anything after that! Animals in the wild have to grow up fast, and that seems to be the gist of what their parents teach them. This is a great post, my friend. 🙂 xxx
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Thank you Marsha! I was lucky to get so close to those babies and I was very afraid for them jumping from the high ledge and into the Creek – even their Mama was apprehensive as she peered down. I truly think Mama herded them to the water due to the dog more than because of me, but I still felt badly as they all looked terrified. Yes, animals face hardships almost immediately and that’s not even counting the ever-present fear of predators.
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Well, at least they all survived. Yay!
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Yes, I was afraid to watch the outcome!
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But you did, and what a photo!
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Thank you Marsha – I was lucky to capture it and wish I was quicker and could have captured “the plop, plop, plop” as well. 🙂
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You did well. Definitely, don’t beat yourself up. I probably would have been shaking so hard that my finger couldn’t have hit the button in time for even one shot! 🙂 xxx
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Thank you Marsha. I always take a lot of “safe shots” to ensure I at least got something, especially with birds/critters as they usually bolt once they see you. I always come home with a ton of extra shots to go through. Good thing it is a digital camera!
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Safe shots – the mark of a true photographer. It doesn’t hurt to take tons. I love digital.
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Thank you! Yes, it’s best to take as many photos as you can while inching closer to your subject … in the “olden days” of film photography, you’d be in the poorhouse doing that. I know whenever I traveled, I’d come home with many rolls of film and I never knew what I’d find after I got them developed, sometimes a lot of boo-boos too!
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My dad was a photographer in the old days, and I helped him in the darkroom developing pictures when I was a kid. It was fascinating to watch them develop, but even when you did it yourself, it was expensive. My dad always took a record shot to remember what the set was about. But I never really started taking many too many pictures of my own until digital cameras came along.
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That is interesting Marsha and I know a lot of equipment is needed to develop your own photos, plus supplies and it’s messy on top of it, but your dad would have had the satisfaction of knowing he did everything for this hobby, from taking his own photos to hanging them up to dry and then admiring them.
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Aw, the goslings are adorable. Great post, Linda. 😁
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Thank you Pepper! I’m glad you liked the post. I always look forward to seeing my first goslings of the Spring, always adorable and some of these were so tiny!
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Hoping you can watch them grow over the next couple of months. 😊
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They’ll be full grown soon and mini-images of their parents!
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How long will it take for them to be full grown?
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They are full grown and can fly by 10-12 weeks, but, by that time, since most of them are born in May and June, they may now be able to fly, but their parents start to molt and lose their flight feathers around that same time, so they cannot fly until they grow back in … so the whole family paddles over to an area with water to stay in the water away from land predators. The geese at this Park are always back by Labor Day.
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That is quick! Thanks for the response. 😊
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You’re welcome! When I was at Lake Erie Metropark last week, there were easily 60-70 Canada Geese in the rocks along Cove Point. They had their goslings in various stages of growth, which always amazes me how they morph into these adult-looking geese, not long after being so tiny.
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Wow! That is a lot of geese. I need to get there again before they are all gone. 😳
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Yes, it was, but they were just gathered there, likely because it was windy. I walked along Cove Point, to the marina area and back to the parking lot/carand then most of them were gone. When the geese were there, there were swans as well, all grouped together. When I came back, some of the swans were closer to shore, but the rest were gone too. I saw some of them leave, got some pictures – they had a fracas of some sort.
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So glad you got some pics! 😉
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I did enjoy this very much – and smiling to read about papa of fam 3 having an attitude – also, dandelion chow-down time – mmmmm – great photos and words in this post that made us feel like we were exploring with you, Linda
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Thank you Yvette! I’m glad you enjoyed my tale of the trio of families at the Park. I’m always happy to see the first goslings of the new year, especially when they are as tiny as these goslings were. Yes, Papa had a big attitude and was bobbing his head up and down and contorting his neck to show me his displeasure since I seemed too close. I left to avoid a confrontation. I was amazed they favored dandelion greens over the flower part. I’m glad you felt you were alongside me – I wish everyone could see these little munchkins in person.
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Interesting – I had no idea that goslings were yellow for such a short time.
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Yes, their cutest phase of their life when they are pure yellow is very fleeting. After that, their plumage colors, kind of like their attitudes (which often mimic their parents) change rapidly. 🙂
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Sweet little triplets! So glad that little family was able to jump down to the water safely, the one looked so cute peering over the edge. I love the pictures with the dandelion greens in their mouths. So cute! And the individual portrait pics are very nice shots. They’re little for such a short time. What a great day you had!
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I knew you’d get a kick out of this post Barbara as you’ve seen your share of goslings too. I felt for those babies and yes, the one in the lead peering over the edge like its Mama, was so sweet. I really feel they were escaping the dog, rather than me, although we weren’t all that close. The parents are so protective of their goslings, even when they are older, so they herded them away. I was lucky to get so close to them and see them enjoying their dandelion greens. 🙂 A few years ago at Council Point Park I had a picture of a gosling with the dandelion flower in its beak ready to devour it. It was a wonderful walk!
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They are so cute! I always hold my breath when the little ones jump into the water, they are so tiny.
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I know, especially the freshly hatched goslings, all fuzzy and yellow and so tiny. That was a long way down to the water and even Mama scoped it out.
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Miss Linda…………………….I loved your close up pictures on all 3 families of the very young goslings…………………………..they’re adorable……………….I love how they all just do what ever Mama does…………………………….at our pond this year we’ve only had baby ducklings ………..no geese are around and I don’t know why……………………………
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Ann Marie, I thought I was very lucky to see such young goslings when they look the cutest. When I saw how young they were, I realized all the Mamas were still on a nest the last time I’d been to the Park. I wonder where your geese went? I’ve only seen Mama Ducks with ducklings once this year and that was at Lake Erie Metropark and while they weren’t all that close, once Mama Duck saw me, she steered those babies away from me, so I only got a few photos and they are darkish, but I’ll use them.
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I did enjoy your gosling-fest, Linda. We have lots of geese around here, but I seldom encounter the families.
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Thanks Eilene! They sure are cute when they are that young, but all too soon they grow up, get gangly looking and get an attitude like their parents.
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Oh my! These are so cute. I liked reading the timeline for their coloring change.
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Kirstin, I love seeing the first goslings of Spring. It is a joy to see them, especially the tiniest ones. I find that timeline interesting too. I included it because judging by their coloring, I’m sure the tiniest goslings were only a day or two old, if not freshy hatched. 🙂
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Such wonderful photos! What absolute treasures those little goslings are.
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Thanks Ari! They are so sweet at this age, especially the newly hatched, lemon-colored goslings. You want to pick them up and cuddle them, but you’d never get past the parents. 🙂
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Yes, I did enjoy this virtual excursion in the park to see the gosling families! I wonder if all of them will stay all summer. ‘Hope they don’t make too much of a mess where you and others walk. (That’s the biggest complaint about the Canada geese that hang out where humans like to hang out too!)
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I’m glad you enjoyed the virtual excursion with these sweet goslings Nancy. They sure are cute at this age, but all too soon they become “teenagers” with a bit of attitude, especially when they mimic their parents (especially Dad). 🙂 The goslings at this park should be leaving soon, in July sometime, with their parents. The adults start losing their flight feathers in late June/early July – the Park becomes littered with huge feathers, so they can’t fly. So, all the geese paddle down to the Detroit River, just about two miles away and stay there until their new feathers grow in. They stay right on the water, away from any land predators. They usually return around Labor Day and by then their goslings look just like their parents, just smaller. It’s quite a transformation to watch. I like it because it is not a large park and you can see how quickly they grow, change color and shape as there are usually only a few families to keep track of. Yes, it is messy here, especially once the goslings are larger. I find myself checking the sole of my shoes all the time and especially before I get into the car anywhere I’ve been where there are geese!
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It’s remarkable you found these goslings in the first week or two of their lives (at least, according to AI). The bright yellow is so distinctive, albeit short-lived. Reminds me of the particular flower or plant – can’t think of the one – that only blooms for hours in a given year.
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Dave, I was lucky to find the goslings all at one time, on May 3rd, especially after I had just been there recently. I was especially happy with the tiniest yellow goslings, likely newly hatched or one day old at the most judging from their size and color (and jumping off the ledge no less). Today I was at Council Point Park and all the geese and goslings were gone. The adults are molting, losing their flight feathers, so they risk land predators attacking them. So the families paddle down to the Detroit River, a couple of miles away and stay in the water in groups. The families will be back, the adults will be fully feathered, flying again and the goslings will look like the adults only smaller. They will be back around Labor Day. I know there are several flowers that only bloom for a short time and some only bloom every so many years. We have a flower at a large botanical garden in Michigan. It blooms very infrequently and people come all over to see it for that short blooming time, despite it having a very putrid smell once it blooms.
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Yes, you’re remembering the same flower or bloom I was thinking of. Forgot about the smell but recalled how it blooms for mere hours. Those geese are smart in how they relocate their young to somewhere safer until they’re big enough to fend for themselves. A lot goes on in those first few days and weeks of life!
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The botanists here are ecstatic when this flower blooms and people flock to see it. I think the geese are amazing too. The geese at Council Point Park routinely moved their families – one day they’re there, the next they all are gone and it’s noticeable as it’s not a large park. Like clockwork, all families return at the same time. Once I was at the Detroit River at Dingell Park and saw huge groups of Canada Geese in the water as they were awaiting new feathers. There is a seawall, so they are protected against land predators. If they get tired of being in the water, they can go to the kayak launches and are safe there, just moving aside for humans. I am amazed how quickly the goslings acclimate to their environment and its challenges and the same for ducklings.
A few years ago at Dingell Park, a Mallard female made a nest in the planter’s box at the pavilion area. A walker at Council Point Park fished at Dingell Park daily after he walked, so he told me to go see her (I did, took pics and did a post about her). People would bring her tidbits from the nearby restaurant, or people would picnic there and give her food (not necessarily duck food, but she didn’t leave the nest that way). When the ducklings hatched, they all jumped down from the planter’s box which was waist high to me (I’m 5’9″ tall) … the walker told me he actually saw them hatch, then jump down to the ground. At least the goslings that jumped into the water, would have an easier landing!
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Your encounters make me think geese have some subtle way of communicating with each other. Any threat whatsoever, esp to their young, and they go, “Let’s skedaddle!”
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It is interesting to see them herd those goslings in an instant, or wonder what makes them depart so suddenly. As to departures, I often jokingly write that “the signal caller said ‘let’s go’ and off they went in a flurry of wings” but there must be some type of communication that signals these movements – silent communication before the raucous departure and honking ensues? I see goslings of all different ages, much older than the ones pictured here and they are always obediently trailing after their parents, not straying far, even when they return in late Summer and are much larger.
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