Canada Geese Nesting on our Pond

We have been thrilled to watch a pair of Canada geese nesting on our neighborhood's pond. In a neighborhood of 1500 homes, we greatly appreciate ANY glimpses of creation. The female goose has not left her nest in at least a week and the gander (male goose) keeps watch usually from the pond.



Did you know that the geese go through a molting phase and during that phase they cannot fly? Then they regrow their flight feathers and their goslings grow their first flight feathers and off they go. I also thought it was interesting that the gander is incredibly protective of the eggs, but once the goslings hatch, the parents will sometimes care for goslings other than their own.



The pictures on this post are (1) the gander coming to tell us to buzz off (2) the goose on her nest and (3) a picture of the landscape surrounding the nest.

The following links have info on the Canada geese which I then used to teach the kids and create pictures cards:

Kidzone
Great Plains Nature Center
Biokids
U.S. Humane Society
Canada Geese and Parasites Article
Personal Account of Canada Geese Nesting

And we found out at kidwings.com that it is illegal in the States to collect native bird feathers (to protect the birds). The site that has that information has GREAT bird information, like pictures and labels of feather types, bird diagrams, and more.

I used the printables maker at senteacher.org to create pictures cards with labels. The search engine was able to find pictures of goslings, a nesting goose, a swimming goose, a flight in v-formation, a clutch of eggs, and a molted feather (I didn't know birds molt!). I am still trying to figure out how I can post those picture cards.

I love homeschooling - I never would have researched Canada goose unless God had forced us to homeschool - now I can't get enough!

But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
    And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
    And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
    That the hand of the LORD has done this,
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
    And the breath of all mankind?
Job 12:7-10