FIGHT DAY AT THE HONK AND HOLLER

[pontiac1940]

As nesting season approaches, pairs of Canada geese stake out turf where they hope to build their nest. They become territorial and males often engage in battle with interlopers. These fights usually only last a few seconds, but I have seen prolonged battles that go on for 2 or 3 minutes. Feathers fly! 
Across the road on "my" still-very-frozen ponds. March 31. 

Guess I could have called this one Goose Overload.  

[jim0004]

Feisty animals, aren't they! Great photos, btw! Thanks for sharing.

[cats4jan]

Wonderful series of photos

[jackscrap]

Things are getting heated over at your pond, feathers are flying! Hope they all sort it out soon and get onto the important job of raising chicks, or should that be goslings?

[pontiac1940]

Thanks all. It is always entertaining. 

Apr 1, 2023 22:00:09 GMT jackscrap said:

Hope they all sort it out soon and get onto the important job of raising chicks, or should that be goslings?

Geese seem to have a permanent attitude and the boys will never sort it out!   Yup, goslings. The females will start laying soon...possibly a couple have laid already. 

[jackscrap]

I'll be looking forward to seeing some nesting photos then. no pressure.

[pontiac1940]

Apr 1, 2023 22:10:51 GMT jackscrap said:

I'll be looking forward to seeing some nesting photos then. no pressure.

I'll try. Most nests are on small islands so I can't get close. The goslings are super cite for a few days, but the parents herd them to water if you get close 

[BuckSkin]

Apr 1, 2023 22:18:17 GMT pontiac1940 said:

Most nests are on small islands

It was a big thing for the people around here with large man-made ponds to float and anchor a big tractor tire, wheel and all, with a second tire that had the upper sidewall cut out firmly attached on top.

If no big tractor tire/wheel were available, they would use old truck tires/wheels; maybe float four truck tires with a single big tractor tire on top.

A plywood (or something similar) floor would be between the floating wheel and the cut out tire; my guess is to keep little duckies from falling through and to keep hateful old turtles from climbing into the nest.

A bale or two of straw tossed inside made these floating "islands" more appealing.

A large pond might have four to six of these islands.

[pontiac1940]

Apr 2, 2023 11:43:19 GMT BuckSkin said:

around here with large man-made ponds to float and anchor a big tractor tire

Floating nesting platforms were used here 40 years ago but I've not seen one for years. It is so windy (and open) here and that is a problem for nesting birds and the wind likely destroyed them. Small islands are used for nesting areas in artificial ponds. The old ponds across the road were built in ca 1988 and they built some nice small islands and they are heavily used by geese ... mainly.