Speeding across the water of the cove a line of Canada geese, one adult ahead, five goslings in the middle, one adult behind, swims directly to the beach. Reaching shore they all hustle out of the water up on to the sand, where they begin drying and smoothing their feathers. After a time, the female lowers herself to the ground, whereupon the five youngsters press themselves up against her. She envelops them with her left wing, pulls them close to her body, tucks her bill under her scapulars (shoulder feathers), and they all nap, with three small heads peeking out from between the mother’s wing and body. While resting the female exhibits a behavior known as sleep vigilance, in which, while half her brain sleeps, she briefly, but repeatedly, opens the eye controlled by the waking part of her brain, takes note of her surroundings, and closes the eye again.
Several minutes later, the most exposed gosling attempts to preen in the confined space between wing and body, thereby disturbing its neighbor, whose squirming movements annoy its neighbor. Before long, the female, becoming bothered by the fidgeting, stands up abruptly. First one gosling drops to the ground, followed by a second, then a third falls. When the female takes a step toward the water, the fourth gosling hits the sand, and the fifth finally shakes loose as she takes a second step. The five goslings each pick themselves up, shake themselves off, and run after the female.
Posted at: 08:48 PM | Add Comment
