Not exactly the sheepdog trials

Lunch in the Auckland Domain today. On a park bench in the sun. Very pleasant. Must remember to bring a book.

On the way back I was greeted with a strange sight. Six white geese standing in a bunch looking as if they were about to jump down onto the road a metre or so below the pedestrian path. Behind them were the two black muscovy drakes I've been seeing for the last few weeks. Then one (the one which I have shown as an extra today) raised its head with beak wide open, and wagged its tail. There was no sound (they are said to be silent). The geese looked disconcerted, bunched up and then the second muscovy did the same as the first had. 

The two muscovies continued to do this while I watched, and then the geese headed in single file down the path as can be seen. Turning to go down the path which leads to Grafton Gully. The two muscovies followed almost casually, with no further head raising or tail wagging. And they didn't go between the posts.

This reminded me of what I saw as a boy at the local A&P shows. Two sheep dogs herding six sheep into a pen. No dogs; no sheep; no pen; no shepherd, no judges. Otherwise, it was the same.

The reaction of the geese suggests to me that they were hearing something from the muscovies. Just because it was inaudible to humans does not mean that there was no sound audible to other species.