Sunday, May 18, 2008

May birds

Some of the local birds - and a couple of new ones. Like these two.

goose pair
Walking into work I spotted them. Where are the goslings, I wondered. They'd lost one, but all four? But the gander was more aggressive than usual - hissing when I was still pretty far off. So I went to detour, and the goose stood up, and I realized...

new goose and goslings
It was a different pair altogether. Two little fuzzy yellow goslings, three weeks younger than the other brood. I don't know if this is the same pair that was here the last two years, raising a smaller brood later than the main pair, but most likely it is. I don't know if they come from farther away, or what, but what I do know is that they're very protective of their small family. In fact, shortly after I took these shots I saw the gander run a man who didn't believe the warning right off the path. Hissing, wings spread, and very very serious about his babies.


mourning dove
A mourning dove

robin
A robin

crow
A crow

swallow
A barn swallow - fetching mud to build a nest

goose and goslingsThe original goose and two of her goslings

goose and goslings
All three with mom

ganderThe older gander. I don't know if he's standing on his foot like that because he just does, or because of his lame leg.

goose and goslingsThe goslings are way too big to go under her wings now

goose familyThe family settling in for a nap

killdeerOne of the killdeer

killdeer and sandpiper
Killdeer and sandpiper

sandpiper

A sandpiper near another temporary rainpond

Labels: ,

2 Comments:

At 6:20 PM, May 18, 2008 Blogger John B. had this to say...

The sandpipers in the last two look like solitary sandpipers - one of my favorites!

 
At 3:29 PM, May 20, 2008 Blogger The Ridger, FCD had this to say...

I think you're right. The white around their eyes makes them look big and startled - like the killdeer look worried.

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

     <-- Older Post                     ^ Home                    Newer Post -->