Spring at the Ranch

The Ranch is glorious in the Spring. The winter rains are mostly done. There is plenty of water. The land is green. And the weather is gorgeous.

It is time for birth and rebirth. We spent about a month watching a momma goose keep her eggs safe on the island out on the pond. She stayed low and hard to see, but she was not moving. I can’t imagine staying still for three hours, much less three weeks, but the urge to procreate is strong.

We removed the ladder bridge to the island, so that she could have her peace and quiet (and wouldn’t have to worry about coyotes or foxes). Finally, on April 24, we got up to the Ranch and the babies had arrived! Six beautiful goslings!

I understand that geese mate for life. But there is no question that papa goose is not particularly welcome while momma goose is on the nest. He stayed in the area, but was frequently up meadow on his own. It was almost as if he was thinking, I know I need to be in the area, but she really doesn’t want me that close. Once the goslings hatched, however, both parents kept them close at hand and almost always between them.

We knew the goslings were coming. But our surprise was that we had mallard babies on the same schedule! Only the momma duck was around to keep the ducklings safe though. We did not know that there was a nesting mallard, and unlike the geese, didn’t notice a consistent male presence in the area.

In any case, the ducklings are adorable and seem a lot more capable early on than the goslings. The ducklings can really motor across the pond. The first time I saw them, Señor ran down to the pond, and I heard a loud quacking. Momma duck was moving her ducklings out of the cattails and into the safety of the middle of the pond.

We started with five ducklings and six goslings. Sadly, the world is a harsh place. Three weeks later, we are missing one parent goose and two goslings. The ducks and ducklings are good at hiding, so no telling whether we have lost any of them. We are hoping that we don’t lose any more and we have lots of ducklings and goslings grow old and come back and mate at the Ranch. — KLM