Wednesday, April 16, 2008

   day 2
Just an own personal note. I'm documenting the geese because that's what Biologists do. Duh.

The pair is gander; Fennel (Faust & Florice AKA The Spice Group) and the goose; Ember (Attila & Lilith AKA The Fire Group). Ember is also known as "Ember Kitty" due to the purring noise she makes when she's happy.

April 15, 2008:
Ember lays eggs.

Today:
I went to feed Ember twice today. The first I was in the car. I pulled over and crouched about a foot and a half away. She stood up and came over for food. I counted five eggs; one was was and three were off-white. She sat back down before I clearly saw the other. There may be six eggs, but for now it's a confirmed five.
The second time I walked over. I stopped at the pond near the nest first. It's a good twenty feet from the nest. I gave half the slice to Fennel but without being able to see Ember he's becoming skittish. I sat about a foot away from Ember and fed her. Walking away, Fennel came up to me to get more food but I was out.

Side Notes:
A big problem with this is the location of the nest. It's on a small island surrounded by very active roads. The nearst pond is twenty feet away and that's where Fennel stays. The nearest source of food is about seven feet away. The area also is gardened and mowed by a company. People walk their dogs and small children by there.
Another problem, relating to location, is how public it is. This is a newer area and the geese are wild. The parents of the pair didn't know what bread was. Ember gave me the chance to hand feed her today but due to people I didn't. If they see me hand feeding the nesting goose they're going to try it. The only reason I have her eating from my hand, the only reason the gander is standing there watching, is because I worked with them when they were goslings. Ganders are a lot stronger and heavier than they look. If he feels Ember is threatened then he'll attack. She'll do the same. I don't mean to brag, but no one in this area can do what I can with this pair. It's dangerous to the pair, to the eggs, and to the person if they try. Fennel's brother, Basil, was sitting in my lap as a huge gander for crying out loud. He did that only with me. I'm going to have to come up with a way to let people understand that being able to get that close to Ember without being attacked and without causing her or Fennel distress isn't normal. I'd gladly help them get to a level like that, but no one ever wants to listen to common sense. It wasn't very hard getting their parents to warm up to me. A lot of patience, a lot of time, a lot of consistancy, and a lot of knowing when to back off.

SGAH
FYWR
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