Goosle Gosling: Separated

See its beautiful plumage better in large "L".

This is the now single Goosle gosling. The Goosles were definitely behaving more tetchily than usual: Mr. was fussing more, and although Mrs. was still pretty chilled, she shadowed the gosling more closely than she had been recently. The gosling wasn't being as independent of its parents as it had been when it could explore with its sibling...

Ann sent me news (and a phone picture!) of the gosling at The Swan Sanctuary: the vet x-rayed him and discovered that he did have a hook lodged in his throat, so they removed it and the gosling is now in recovery and is already looking a lot better. Phew, I'm so glad that it has been treated and hopefully it'll just put the whole thing behind it and live a healthy life. Unfortunately, The Swan Sanctuary doesn't return birds once they've rescued them; the gosling will be released onto their recovery pond, and once he is fit they'll let him join the other birds on their main lake. It is sad that he's been separated from the Goosles, but at least this way he'll live!

In spite of their wariness, Mrs. still came over to have a good look at me which seems to be her new thing: I was crouching nearby, and she sidled slowly over to me and stood very close (just over a metre away perhaps) and looked at me for ages before grazing there. It is a defensive thing I'm sure: she is coming close (putting herself between me and the gosling) and although I think she trusts that I'll be predictable, she is keeping a close eye on me... Whatever the motivation, I rather like it: it feels funny to be so closely examined by a little goose. Mrs. is v. pretty.

I've uploaded a picture of the gosling flapping; it was the start of a rather sedate flappy-dance, but I liked this shot the most in spite of more bouncy-looking ones.