I have heard quite a few Americans talking about moving to Canada, (including yours truly on occasion). But I never hear Canadians talking about emigrating to the USA. So I was very surprised when these guys showed up in force on Holler lakes. They haven’t been here before.
I also rarely see Canadians squabble amongst each other, but these guys certainly do! We were hanging out with a congenial group of happy gooseys, when all of a sudden, an invading nautical army launched themselves across the lake, to drive the peaceful gooseys away!
Come to think of it, they do kinda remind me, just a bit, of Canadian hockey players……
Anyhoo, the hockey player geese certainly did not hesitate to ram their way ashore and displace the more peaceful gooseys.
There was lots of hissing and honking, shoving, and general mayhem, just like a hockey game!
The peaceful gooseys were so upset by this hostile behavior, they just packed up their picnics, and swam away. I knew just how they felt. I tend to respond, to even a hint of conflict, in the exact same way.
The smartest goose of all, stayed away from everyone, hung out by himself, and took a nap on the hiking trail.
He made friends with my son, smart goose.
I suspect the fires up north confused these gooseys and they decided to fly further south and check out the real estate. Apparently, they liked what they saw, cuz’ there are a whole bunch of them here! I hope they decide to stay all winter, and come back every year, because I love Canadians!
Cheers to you from The Holler’s new Canadians~
I am sure that you’ll never get rid of them! I just hope the peaceful ones find some sweet real estate of their own. I love Canadian Geese! You can make pals, okay they might nip at you here and there, but it doesn’t hurt, much. Beautiful post!
No nips, but we didn’t shake wings with the hockey players……
Geese are beautiful. They fly over my place every day and my chickens get scared 😆🐔
There formations are awesome aren’t they. They are wonderful birdies, tell the chickens….. 😉
Those geese give Canadians a bad name, lol. I love when they V up and fly overhead, sometimes in large numbers, it’s an amazing site!
It is and the sound it incredible too! ❤
Beautiful birds your images are outstanding Cindy they catch the moment 🙂
Ahhh, so kind and so appreciated! I have been drooling over your recipes. Cheers to you Carol~
Thank you, Cindy …Have a lovely week 🙂 x
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We lived on a lake and Canadian geese were a big problem – mainly their droppings. They loved to come up on the grass and nothing we did would keep them off. The feces have a lot of disease in them so I hope these “Canadians” stay in Canada 🙂 After living with them for 20 years – no thank you!
I hear you. Aquatic birds have very active digestive systems! It is one reason you may not want them as domestic pets. But they are plant eaters so of course, we don’t even want to comparatively discuss, human digestive systems, and where all that goes. In SoCal, it goes partially treated, into the sea. You can smell it from miles away.
We get large flocks passing through every fall. They are quite the dramatic sight and my heart often yearns to join them on the trip south. Because of their large amount of offal, they are not too popular around here, running up the e-coli in lakes and ponds. Oh, yeah, and these guys can take down airliners, ya know! 😉
I do know the downsides, but you know me, so you know, I love them, messy poops and all….
😀
It’s such a handsome goose. I got very excited seeing them on a trip to Canada – it seemed the right place to see them, although they do live in the UK, now, too.
So many people from the UK have just told me this, which I didn’t know.
I love the fact, that forget airplanes, these goosies agreed to fly themselves to the UK, and, apparently, the Scottish Highlands!
How great is this! They fly over continents. They agree, “Hey, we’re moving to the UK.”
I love the mystery of bird migration, and adaptive relocation.
Maybe it’s true that birds are feathered dinosaurs, and will outlast us mammals.
Well, if you look at cormorants they have a most definite prehistoric appearance.
Yes. Herons and Egrets do too.
We would love the have you! These are beautiful creatures – and very smart. They take up space on the Vancouver Seawall – even on our new bike lanes. And guess who moves – NOT the Canadians.
Honestly, why should they move, when it is so apparent to every goose, that humans should! ❤
Delightful post, dear Cindy. When our weather up here in Canada gets cold, I daydream about moving to the Southern USA. 🙂 ❤
Blessings ~ Wendy
Just come down for a visit in winter. But go back to Canada. It is saner there, then here, now, unfortunately.
Hugs.
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Loads of Canadians hanging out here at this time of the year Cindy. They fill up fields with their grazing. They don’t seem to do as much talking astray do at other times of the year, however. I suspect these guys are moving on, taking a few days to restock on their way south. The locals are always honking to us as they fly back and forth between their morning and evening locales. I have never seen one group chase out another. Interesting. –Curt
I have never seen anything like this behavior, but Matt (wildlife biologist) was with us, and he brought them to us. We were doing separate stuff on the lake, and I saw this man in the distance crouching, with all the geese approaching. It wasn’t until I got close that I realized it was my son, so I walked more rapidly to not scare the geese, but get the photos. When the invading domineers arrived, we just laughed and loved it all. The wild world is the best world, but I don’t need to tell you this.
Congrats on your Canadian invasion! Mu oldest best friend is Canadian so I can vouch for them.
Yes. I know this to be true ❤
I can tell whether they are from Canada or not but we have them just like these every year now. They can be very aggressive if they think you are a threat to them.
Every bird can be very aggressive if they think you are a threat to them. So the key is not to act in ways they see as aggressive. This is exactly the same strategy I used in 30 years of psychotherapy. And the same rule I follow photographing every wild animal. We are all kinda the same this way. We respond badly to aggression. But, I sincerely doubt you even have to think about this. You, by nature, are not obtrusive, aggressive, or insensitive. You probably watched other people get attacked by a bird because they were this way. You are not. Birds will like you. ❤
I miss the yearly departure and arrival of the Canadians. Glad you get to enjoy them, Cindy.
I know. I am so surprised and very pleased with their presence.
Geese just want to stay warm. They know not politics lol 🙂 x
Which is just another way animals are smarter than us! ❤
Right on! ❤
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You give me such beauteous images. I love them all!
Stunning shots! X
Thank you & be well my friend!
Thank you for taking them, gal.
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These bold, honking geese are the bane of our lives. Never mind the poop! Feel free to visit us anytime, Cindy. We Canadians will welcome you with open arms. Merry Christmas. Love xx
Laughing…..I know you will welcome me. You always do, and I love you, and your geese, for it!! ❤ ❤
It will be interesting to see if they return. They used to migrate through Ohio. Although many still do, many others are now permanent residents.
That is so amazing to consider, they might stay here! Then I could see if I became annoyed by them, like some Canadians!! Laughing…..I hope they do stay.
These birds crap all over the place. In my state, they are protected as “migratory birds” – which means the residents are considered migratory.
Yeah, frustrating. Their populations used to be in serious decline, but are not now. At The Holler organic gardeners and mulch makers come pick the stuff up free by truck load to make mulch and fertilizer, which they process organically, and then sell at a significant mark-up, to all sorts of people, like me! It makes for fabulous blooms in the spring!
Oh, I just love this collection of yours.
Geese are my favourite subject. 🙂
How wonderful! Thank you & be well my friend~
🙂
They LOVE Colorado. They are everywhere here, and they stay for quite a long time too. We live on the top of 6 ponds, and often times there are hundreds of them on just one pond alone.
WOW! What an incredible sight and sound this mus make!
Lol you’re so witty with your words.
I like watching geese waddling about for some reason too. Seemingly puts my mind to ease, if that makes sense haha.
It makes complete sense, watching contented wild creatures interacting in their natural environment is calming to the psyche of human beings, after all, we are animals too and part of the natural world.
“The smartest goose of all, stayed away from everyone, hung out by himself, and took a nap on the hiking trail.”
That’s my kind of goose!
Ditto! ❤
Very funny, Cindy. I’ve never seen Canadians with such mucky feet. lol I do wonder if it’s the loss of habitats from all the forest fires in Canada and the U.S. that has brought these strong survivors to your area.
Exactly. Human caused loss of habitat forces wild critters to relocate closer to people and sometimes the people get annoyed at their presence.
I love watching the birds fly over the farm. A little gift.
I think they are gifts too! ❤
I love these geese! They are so beautiful. I have watched them take flight and land. Canadian geese have populated.❤❤❤❤
I love that you love them! ❤ ❤ ❤
Oh, Cindy, you’ve outdone yourself on this one. This has to be one of the cutest, funniest posts I’ve seen in a while. The pictures and caption are spot on and I couldn’t help but laugh my way through the story. Thank you for sharing. If I don’t talk to you over the next couple of weeks have a happy holiday!
You amazing woman you!
I am so impressed with what you do.
The best of the best,
are my wishes for you,
always.
Thank you Cindy. ❤
❤
Lovely bunch of Canadians!😀
Awesome, creative woman. I love seeing your new posts. I missed them. Canadians are lovely. So are you.<3
They are wacky birds that leave such a mess and make a lot of noise. We get masses passing through each way.
I love how you describe them! ❤
There’s nothin’ wrong with Canajuns!
You are clearly, right! ❤
Really lovely
Grazie mille!
Cindy, sometimes I think Canada geese have the most attitude of any bird. I used to see them a lot when I lived in GA. Since I’ve been in DC, I mostly see them collected around the Masonic temple near the main campus of my agency.
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/13718
You got wonderful shots of them here. Hugs on the wing.
Hugs back to you Teagan and I agree with you, these are very self possessed birdies!
These are marvelous captures!
Ah, thank you Donna & cheers to you!
Did these Canadians have their passports, Cuz ??? 😉
Laughing, unfortunately no. Hugs to you sweet friend ❤
Your post made me smile, Cindy! We are just leaving Canada today after spending a few weeks with our son. A very peaceful place and a respite from the antics of Donald D.–our duck-in-chief.
I need desperately need respite from Donald Duck and his Corleone family of felons.
Understandable. Totally understandable.
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Honk Hooooonkkk! Canadian coming through, LOL 😀
These scrappy geese are missing all the snow action at home 😀 Smart ! I must confess, the golf courses here in town consider them a bit of a nuisance. It’s most likely all the poop they drop, ha! Brown golf balls anyone? We lived at a lake for almost 25 years and they were daily regulars on our lawn. They’d show up in gangs of 20 and munch on the lawn, all the while pooping. This would usually happen 10 minutes before you expected company. We’d have to rush around with a 10 galloon bucket to scoop poop ! One year, I fashioned a scare-a-crow out of hockey sticks. She wore a flowery sundress, straw hat and pearls, LOL. A day later they ignored her and marched themselves up the launch onto the lawn. I did enjoy the baby goslings swimming around the lake in formation in the spring, but they grew up so fast. Welcome to the club 😀 xK
Aquatic birds have such impressive digestive systems don’t they! No need for exlax for these beauties. And they have no hesitancy whatsoever about laying it on the line, or the grass, or the pier, or your porch! Maybe humans who tend to feel a bit, errrrrr, irregular, might follow their lead and eat a ton of aquatic grasses and plants!
ein regnerischer Gruß kommt hier für dich, ich hoffe, du bist gut in die Woche gestartet?
Hier ist alles gut. Die Sonne scheint. Ich habe eine wunderbare Woche, mein Freund.
The geese are lovely….lucky to get so close!
Thank you, my son can get even closer to wild birds than I can, and he deserves the credit for this.
I adore Canadian Geese! These photos are awesome! That is kewl the goose made friends with your son! Hugz Lisa
Yay! A Canadian Geese lover! I love people who love them, and you already know I love you ❤
Yay you made my day! I have a Canadian geese artwork in my kitchen and it is signed and numbered by the artist
I bet it is beautiful!
Mind blowing
So happy you enjoyed & cheers to you!
Please read my first post
Thank you Cindy.
Delightful!
Thank you & cheers too!
Absolutely beautiful (geese and the surroundings).
Honored, thank you! ❤
Haha I loved this!
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They are so big and beautiful. I dream about being small and riding on one…as if we worked and lived together. Goose and person. Wonderful photographs.
Like Thumbelina!!! ❤
😀😀 So funny Cindy. We could send you down a lot more and you can keep them all year round if you like. We would never miss them. We have quite the population here.
Laughing….After they all left and come down to the land quakes and fire, you would start missing them, after maybe, five years. 😉
Not so sure about that.😀
😉 😉 ❤
They are beautiful geese but often not welcome in parks here. I think because they breed too well. Not sure. Funny times for some migrants these days.
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Thank you sweet lady & Happy New Year to you! ❤
What a fun story to go with those great photos. Just goes to prove not all Canadians are nice. Just most of them. Your son looks like he’s enjoying his new pal there. I hope they stay too. Everything is confused these days with weather changes and fires, etc.
At least it’s raining in Southern California today!! Hope you are staying warm ❤