tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post5130474427445063508..comments2024-02-29T22:20:01.456-08:00Comments on Union Bay Watch : A Mother's Love - Goslings +Larry Hubbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-30142757785877771262013-05-13T14:10:37.855-07:002013-05-13T14:10:37.855-07:00My hope is that we can continue to reduce our impa...My hope is that we can continue to reduce our impacts on Union Bay and build a better world for our children. If you have not read my Feb. 11th post on the State of Union Bay you might find it interesting.Larry Hubbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-6478982827080154422013-05-13T14:05:01.555-07:002013-05-13T14:05:01.555-07:00You and Ingrid both agree with what I thought I re...You and Ingrid both agree with what I thought I remembered about Canada Geese, e.g two parents in attendance. This leads to the conclusion that some thing must have happened to one of the parents, since I have consistently seen only one. Kind of like with my eyes and ears redundancy is a good thing. It improves the odds of having at least one that works well. I realize a second parent really isn't 100% redundant, but hopefully one parent will be enough for the goslings. Larry Hubbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-86634306554381580352013-05-13T13:41:47.021-07:002013-05-13T13:41:47.021-07:00Whenever I have seen Canada Goose families, both p...Whenever I have seen Canada Goose families, both parents have been present. My opinion is that they are much better at watching out for the babies than Mallards, as there is a parent in front of and one behind the flock almost at all times. Mallard ducklings seem to just wander off...At a pond near where I live, there are both species, with the geese having few or no lost young and the mallards losing one after the other till none are left. Bald eagles are usually the culprit. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-64752725637798493232013-05-13T12:19:41.690-07:002013-05-13T12:19:41.690-07:00Larry, on the goose pair question ... Canada Geese...Larry, on the goose pair question ... Canada Geese are, indeed, very family oriented and the norm is for both of the pair to raise the young. In my experience that is what I see unless harm has come to one of the pair. And both are great, protective parents. The young stay with their family for a long period, a year or more I believe.<br /><br />With Mallards, on the other hand, I'd always read that males leave the females during incubation, to raise the young on their own. But I've seen Mallard pairs with ducklings, as you document here. Perhaps someone more educated on this facet can clear that up for me.Ingrid Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02158548000920010049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-57341383241814775512013-05-13T12:15:04.496-07:002013-05-13T12:15:04.496-07:00Larry, thank you for pointing that out. Other spec...Larry, thank you for pointing that out. Other species so often get scapegoated for our sins, as it were. We raze habitat, over-develop, poison, pollute and essentially leave wild animals with swatches of viable habitat in which to survive. Then we complain when they "invade" "our" spaces. There is clearly an imbalance in many ecosystems, as Anonymous suggests, but almost without exception, we are the source of the problem.Ingrid Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02158548000920010049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-56427734084808318572013-05-12T09:55:21.592-07:002013-05-12T09:55:21.592-07:00Thank you. I appreciate the reinforcement! There o...Thank you. I appreciate the reinforcement! There ought to be a thought in there about Mother's Day and Mother Earth, but I haven't quite found it yet.Larry Hubbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-25674444116603424242013-05-12T08:03:01.358-07:002013-05-12T08:03:01.358-07:00What a beautiful photo-essay, Larry! I so much agr...What a beautiful photo-essay, Larry! I so much agree with your response above: lovingkindness and appreciation for beauty is always appropriate for all species.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-21328479181662359982013-05-12T07:29:11.972-07:002013-05-12T07:29:11.972-07:00The "invasive" species with no predators...The "invasive" species with no predators, who has had the greatest impact on Union Bay, is us. It is encouraging that in spite of all our development, over 150 bird species were seen on Union Bay last year, there are seven beaver lodges and hundreds if not thousands of migratory birds stop in Union Bay each year. Still there are many opportunities for us to be kinder to nature and ultimately kinder to our children.Larry Hubbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-19214450928325696712013-05-12T07:15:30.770-07:002013-05-12T07:15:30.770-07:00Keep in mind, however, that Canada geese have been...Keep in mind, however, that Canada geese have been essentially an invasive species which is a pest and has no predators. The ducks are somehow in balance on the lake. Canada geese should be a migratory species, but they've found year-round food and shelter here without predators and have now multiplied to become a pest invasive species.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com