Showing posts with label Goslings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goslings. Show all posts

Busy Morning

It was a beautiful morning by the Ponds  today. The water level has peaked but it's still high. There was very little wind and the sun felt warm. Warm enough to get the turtles out sunning themselves on the logs, all jumbled up on top of each other.

 The big news though is that the ospreys are back in residence. Lots of new twigs and most of the grass kicked out of the nest. They are still in the middle of the makeover. However, they seemed a little shy about having their pictures taken by the paparazzi and went off for an early lunch over by the river.
 























Hatching has been going on apace and we’ll soon be tripping over goslings as the grass next to the sidewalk is particularly luscious but not too long for little beaks to cope with.


The youngsters are kept under control by uncles and aunts as well as mom and pop whether they are running about near the road or sailing majestically along as a flotilla.


So far there has been no sign of ducklings, ugly or otherwise, and they may have been scheduled for next months entertainment. As usual when the Ponds are full, the cormorants have decamped to other sites. I noticed that the pond behind the Fern Ridge Dam had a log with a dozen of them enjoying an after-lunch doze. I’m not sure what that locality has to offer compared to our ponds unless the rent is cheaper outside the city.


Extreme Dates


We are all familiar with the nasty habits of female spiders and praying mantises eating their male friends after, or in some cases during, satisfying their lustful desires. However, it is always interesting to see someone bucking the trend, and when it comes to a whole species, it is even more compelling reading.

The Brazilian Wolf spider, Allocosa brasiliensis, who lurks in burrows in the sand prior to rushing out at night to grab an early breakfast, has settled on role reversal as a strategy for breeding success. Aisenberg et al from Clemente Estable Istitute, Montevideo.  In Uruguay have published a study (1) of 20 male Wolf spiders who were introduced to sprightly virgins and more experienced heavy bodied mated females.

The big boys ate 10% of the virgins on offer, but attacked 40% of the old gals and munched their way through 25% of the total on offer. The explanation is in the "extreme mate choice hypothesis" which the guys are going to go for the gals who will be most productive. The rest are lunch.

I guess guys will be guys and will be attracked to extreme sports. But these Wolf spiders seem to be determined to have their cake and eat it.


  1. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01631.x/abstract

More Gosling Pictures




First Batch Hatch


The gosling hatch has commenced and the sitting around doing nothing is beginning to pay off, if you are a goose that is. These are the early birds. Some pairs still seem to be wandering about and can’t quite seem to concentrate on the job at hand. But there is a lot less squabbling going on and the ponds are peaceful.

Recent rains have brought the river level back up and the ponds are now at the highest that I’ve seen them. Some of the recent plantings are barely showing a tip above the water level. The cormorants are on vacation. The turtles are all over their abandoned logs, like huge barnacles whenever there is a hint of sun. Even a rumor seems to bring them out.

Some of the heron’s are working hard around the edges of the ponds. Their treetop nests are now well hidden by leaf growth. It is too soon to see if there are any chicks.