One month ago in May, seven high-stepping goslings were seen crossing Iowa Street behind their Canada goose mother. Today a gaggle of eight made the same northward journey in the 2900 block of Iowa Street, faithfully following their mother goose.[wpedon id=”85410″ align=”left”]
It is unknown whether today’s was the same family group seen one month ago and, if so, how the addition of a gosling is to be accounted for.
Geese mate for life, and the lifespan of a goose that survives to adulthood ranges from 10 to 24 years, according to ornithologists. Some geese return to the same nesting ground year after year to lay eggs with their mate, raising them in the same way with each round of the seasons.
The goslings enter the fledgling stage any time from 6 to 9 weeks of age. They do not leave their parents until after the spring migration, when they return to their birthplace. The annual return of swans, a species closely related to geese, to a park in western Ireland gave rise to a notable poem by W. B. Yeats, “The Wild Swans at Coole,” which includes the stanza:
I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,
And now my heart is sore.
All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,
Trod with a lighter tread.
[wpedon id=”85410″ align=”left”]
