Silly Goose

Each year, in the early spring, a goose couple generally spends their days hanging out in and around my pond. I don’t know if it’s the same couple each year, but none the less, it’s a couple.

 They fly in some time in the morning, and fly back out in the evening, to where I assume is the spot that the entire flock gathers for the night.

They have a distinct call out to each other signaling when it’s time to leave, and then in perfect harmony, they take flight side by side, heading for their nighttime destination.

You can usually expect that same thing to occur each evening, except tonight, when it didn’t.

The couple headed away from the pond as usual, although the female, moving slowly, lagged behind to graze for a bit longer. The male honked and flapped his wings as if to signal to her that it was time to leave. She just kept grazing, walking behind him. He honked once more, and then took off!!... She stopped grazing, and looked up to see him flying away.

He kept flying. She kept watching him. He was gone. She stood in the same spot looking toward the sky, as if she was trying to command him to return and get her.

I sat and watched her for over 20 minutes, not sure what to think or expect.

She continued staring up at the sky from the exact spot where he left her.

Of course I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do some narration in my head as to what she must be thinking, and what he was going to think when he turned around and she wasn’t there. I giggled... Aahh couples.

Anyway, after I found some humor in the situation, I started to get concerned for her. What if she has eggs in her and now she lost her mate?

She still stood there.

My internal dialog went something like this:

"What should I do?"

"Nothing, Meg, you have to let nature take its course."

 "I know...The poor thing!"

Just then, after 20 minutes, I heard a honk, and she looked up towards that honk.

Oh, please let it be her mate!

He flew in and landed right by her side, and without missing a beat, she resumed grazing, barely acknowledging him. He lowered his head in a sign of aggression and I wondered if maybe that wasn’t her mate, but then he calmed down as she kept grazing.

 I thought to myself, she really looked worried while he was gone, but as soon as he showed up, she acted like she didn’t even know he was gone. Silly Goose!

They waddled toward the pond for a quick dip, and then, together this time, they flew off in perfect harmony.