Hello there!

With momma goose standing watch behind them, her 21 day old baby goslings came to greet me and stood on this little ledge and greeted me with their sweet little trilling sounds. The little one on the right I named him Tiny. I’m within 6 inches of them. This happened on a daily basis every time I went to see them. I would feed them a little bit of cracked corn but that wasn’t the reason they came up to me. We had a special bond especially one that I established with the adults last summer. They have a great memory and are so lovable. However, if anyone else tried to approach them they would run away and then return to me when they were gone. I felt like Mother Goose sometimes…they’d follow me around the cemetery in Mystic by their pond. This is my favorite photo of them. To be able to gently pet them showed such trust. Unfortunately, due to the man who took care of this large cemetery and a complaint from a non-bird person, and during molting season when not even the adults could fly yet, he set off loud firecrackers (like M80s) and chased them with air horns. They were almost 2 months old. They fled to the Mystic River but every time they tried to come back to their summer pond of over 13 years, he chased them again. 21 baby goslings and their parents were ousted from their home and it broke my heart. Look at these beautiful creatures. They were so happy to be where they loved and then were forced out into the scary world amongst some people who really dislike the Canada goose. These birds get such a bad rap and it’s unfair because people don’t want to be educated, instead they want to dispose of them. One way the CT Dept of Energy & Environmental Protection proposes removing them is to trap them when they don’t have their flight feathers and to “humanely break their necks” and as mentioned on the news once to “feed them to the homeless.” Let’s help protect our wildlife. We share this world with them too.

Not Ready For Take Off!

What’s not to love about a bunch of baby goslings so excited to see you when you visit? Here’s another family of goslings–20 days old. They were all born around May 5. Despite what people think, Canada Geese are not disease carrying birds, they don’t attack unless you walk to fast or aggressively approach them or appear to be a real threat to them–the parents are very, very protective. Humans can learn a lot of family values from these birds. In the entire year that I’ve walked amongst the geese not once have they ever tried to attack or hurt me. As I was driving through looking for them, the minute they saw my car they came running. Here are 5 of the baby goslings so excited to see me. They surround me and even let me pet them. And no, the parents didn’t mind. People who saw them with me couldn’t believe that I could get so close to them. I felt very special and this entire experience with these beautiful creatures was magical. Again, what’s not to love about these beautiful babies. Here they are attempting to use their mini wings. It was cute to see them flap their little wings and hop trying to fly. And it’s a photographers dream to capture photos like this. They loved getting their photos taken and really liked when I used the GoPro video around them.

Goslings First Baby Photo!

4 families of Canada geese had their babies near the pond at the Elms Grove Cemetery…this was one family of six super cute baby goslings only a few days old cuddling up to one another to keep warm and take a little nap. Momma Goose was sitting nearby and Papa Goose was standing guard watching for predators. After spending so much time with them, they allowed me to get very close to their babies. They are the cutest things…and I love the face of the little one on the right! What’s not to love about these babies?