Pictures of Birds: Mating Geese

Most water birds mate on water. The first sign you will notice is when two birds start to dip their heads under the water in a mating display. So if you see birds on the water bobbing their heads, pay attention, you could be in for a water ballet display. Oh if you have the kids with you be ready with your explanations!

The following photo album shows you the display of one pair of mating geese. The geese do interlink their necks but obviously not so much as swans do.

This pair of Embden geese produced eight or nine eggs in a nest close to the water edge on the opposite bank of the canal to the tow path. In this photograph one egg appears outside the egg but I don't know if it was retrieved or taken by predators. While she was laying the large male stayed with her, nipping on her neck every time she moved. I was interested to note the nest was little more than a hollow lined with down from her underbelly. In subsequent days I have seen her building up the sides more, possibly for better protection and containment for the goslings.

The day after she laid the eggs, she appeared to be alone, but when she came over to me to feed, her calls were answered by the male. I could see in the field above the canal running to her call. He duly made hism way down the steep slope that is covered with bushes, and in the company of a grey goose. This goose is much smaller than the two white ones, and clearly has some greylap goose in his lineage.

Since then the three geese are together. The female sits on the nest, the male chases off all and sundry including any other geese - except for the little grey goose. Interesting!

We two are actually THREE. I saw these two white geese come down the field in the company of our one China goose and didn't think much about it. That is until I noticed the two white geese go into a mating ritual, attended by the China goose! After the two white geese mated, the China goose mated with the female also. Now I have no idea if these are breeding geese or if this is common behavour. I look forward to following their fortunes in the next few months. Subscribe to my blog to follow along.