Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother Goose, A Happy Ending!

It all began on April 12 and ended happily on Friday, May 7.  Canadian Geese returned to our parking lot again this year.  They surveyed for a few days and finally, Mother Goose selected her nesting site . . . right near the entrance of our driveway.  Father became very protective, hissing at and chasing anyone who he felt had crossed the line he had invisibly established.  He knew exactly where it was and eventually we learned too.  

 

He spent a couple of days pecking at, and making small dents in, the cars parked near the nest.  Security solved the problem--they blocked the parking spaces closest to the nest and the geese were happier.  In the first days, some employees brought out styrofoam cups of water for the mother and someone tossed bread.  Real geese don't eat bread!  It isn't good for them.  I think Security may have advised the well intentioned employee because there were no further offerings.  We later noticed Mother Goose would disappear for a while in the mornings.  She flew over to the ravine where there is food and a creek . . . oh yes, and also a fox!  The fox appeared a couple of times in the parking lot but Father, fierce protector that he is, kept the nest safe. 

 

One morning, I saw Mother fly to the ravine at the end of the parking lot and was surprised both she and her mate would leave the nest at the same time especially with a fox in the area. The the nest appeared empty but inspecting the photo later, I saw the eggs were still in the nest--she had covered them with a mat of dirt and goose down.  She was sitting on them again when I checked at lunchtime.  We always hoped they remain safe through the weekends with few cars in the lot, and therefore few people around, which will gave the fox more opportunity.

 

Father greeted me in the parking lot entrance with an especially ugly hiss-s-s-s this Friday. He was very surly and aggressive as I inched the car by him, trying to be in the office on time without killing him. I wondered if he was irate that road work had started in the court overnight.  Mother was on the nest as usual.  Within the hour word spread quickly through the building, the goslings had hatched. Trudy called me and asked if I was going out to take photos of the goslings. I was out there in almost a flash!  Kathleen stood in my parking space (I didn't want to lose it) and I drove the car parallel to the nest.  The goslings were already out of the nest learning to walk.  They would take a few steps, fall down and try again.  It was a very happy scene!

 

I learned from our Payroll Departmet, that they had named the geese Lucy and Luc.  The goslings are Leroy, Lenore, Leo and I think Latisha!  (I may have to come back and correct the last one)

 

Father is relaxed, no longer hissing and surly.  They will abandon the nest over the weekend but we will still see them parading the goslings around the parking lot, getting them ready to for life, over the next few weeks.

 

Goslings, Mother, Father. . . and Teva Canada Employees all delighted and doing well!

 

Posted via email from How Heather Sees it

1 comment:

Gerda said...

I loved following the story of family Goose. It must've been so good for you and all your colleagues to witness the progress in the family! I guess it created a mutual interest all over the working place.
Thanks for sharing Heather, hopefully they will be back next year!

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