Home Up Tundra Swans Goslings WaterFestival Snowgeese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Geese

 In many places Canada Geese are merely seen as a nuisance. But they are amazing birds, powerful fliers.  They are quite spectacular when flying in formation,  fighting, and mating. Their goslings are also particularly cute (click here).

Canada goose taking a walk along the Martinez Shoreline

 

This is a favorite oak tree for some of the Canada geese. It is a nice place to preen

  or to yell at the other geese on the ground.

 

Canada Goose in all her glory

A branch with a view

 

A Canada geese couple is warming up to each other

 

Canada geese couple

 

Canada geese couple

 

Canada geese in the moment of mating

  Canada geese moments later  

The jubilant male Canada goose 

 

See the spontaneous outburst of ecstatic water fun and games Here , And Here

Aleutian goose. His name is Elvis

 

Aleutian goose

Cackling (Minima) goose, the smallest subspecies of Canada geese

 

Cackling Goose: minima

 I

Minima taking part in water fest

 

Common Canada goose and an Aleutian goose

Canada geese flying by

Canada Geese landing

 

Canada Geese

Canada goose with her last gosling

An "Ooops moment" for 3 Canada Geese

Swan geese mating

 

He did not get the hang of it

 

Swan geese fighting

   

Brant is mainly a sea goose

Two Swan geese, one hybrid Canada Goose

 

Hybrid, the rescuer of the next two events. His name is Sergeant.

 

This hybrid is the leader of a small flock of Canada geese. Her name is Nani.

 

Hybrid Canada goose with the name BigChick.

 

Hybrid Canada goose

 

Coot, Ringbilled gulls, and Aleutian geese.  For some cute coot babies, see here

When we observe  Canada geese swimming in water or graze on a lawn they look very peaceful and most of the time they are. The next 18 photos show the temper of the geese when they have issues.

Like in the story after this one the hybrid goose which we named Sergeant is the key to stop the fight. In this case he pursued the aggressive goose who did not want to stop  fighting. So Sergeant gave him a hard lesson. The event lasted 4 minutes and took place from one side of the pond to the other.

 

Sergeant just arrived with his flock

 

A fight suddenly took place

   

Sergeant shouted at the fighters  to make them stop, but to no avail.

  He had no choice, but to take action.

They began to bite each other close to the neck.

 

           
 

 

 

Sergeant forced the head of the other goose under water many times

 

And suddenly is was over

 

Sergeant and his girlfriend did the head dipping ceremony and then swam together towards the other side.

 The following photos show an unusual outcome of a fight between two Canada Geese.  Two of the onlookers are hybrids and the one called Sergeant  became the piece maker by breaking up the fight.

 

 

The onlookers are shouting.

 

Urging the fighters to stop.

 

Finally one of them takes action.

 

He jumps right in between the fighters

 

and stands on the back of one  of them,  holding it submerged.

   

Separating the  parties

 

Last warning, and all is quiet in the pond of Heather Farm

     
 

 

   

 

 

 

Greater white-fronted geese

   

They come from Alaska and Canada

 

Greater  White-fronted geese

   

 

 

Copyright © 1999 by Fritz Wilhelm, Zero & One,
Last modified: July 22, 2012