CANADA GEESE—
Odd Behavior in Breeding Season, cont.

In the past several days the goose attempting to nest on the stone point has deposited three additional eggs in her nest--unmolested by the established breeding pair.

But, several days of soaking rain brought her a new challenge when the pond level rose about 10 inches; inundating the lower half of her nest.

In the top photo you can see her attempting a goose version of sandbagging in an attempt to raise the walls of her nest and keep out the flood water. Note how much higher she has raised the left side of her nest.

The tan colored stones visible in the foreground below the surface are usually above the pond's normal water level.

In the small photo you can see her four moist eggs in the nest now surrounded by the rising water. Amazingly, she continued her nest reconstruction until those eggs were elevated several inches above the raised water level.

I remain curious about the identity of poppa goose. I have not noticed any breeding activity yet she now has three additional eggs; presumably fertilized. The likelihood of successful incubation is questionable however. Those eggs have suffered exposure to pond water near 40 degrees for several days--hardly the toasty-warm conditions of normal incubation.

Meanwhile, a much wiser female goose (lower photo) chugs along merrily in incubating chores on her island nest a foot or better above the flood level.

Actually one failed nest, while sad in some ways, is a bit of a relief.

That’s one less family of goose chicks contributing to the prodigious quantity of goose poop guaranteed to be generated by the rest of their existing and yet to be clan.