Thursday, May 14, 2009

One Odd Duck


Two posts in one day! Woo hoo! This was too good to wait though and I know this group will understand my excitement.

I went to Lucy Park today at lunch and was treated to some entertainment. In the center of an open grassy space in the park is an old scraggly Cottonwood tree that has been through several Texas wind storms - so many that it is mainly one big, leaning trunk with leaves and no large branches. About half-way up this tree is a big knot and a cavity that looks like it would be a great place for a squirrel nest. On top of this knot stood a large Canada goose, looking into the cavity and squawking. I don't know what she was doing up there but she did not look very comfortable on that perch. Meanwhile, there was one goose who sat at the bottom of the tree and was talking to the one in the tree. He would flap his wings and chase all the others away. Periodically, one of the other geese (there were 12 - 14 of them) would fly up and dive-bomb the goose in the tree. I sat there and watched about 30 minutes but they never got her down. I don't know what it was all about but they were all excited about it. I might have to drive by after work today and see if she has come down yet.

And, yes, I do know the difference between a duck and a goose but I liked the title too much. :-)

This is just a pencil sketch done in my generic sketchbook.

7 comments:

  1. You're too funny! Let me know the rest of this story please. Great sketch.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have my own "duck" story! I cleaned out my fireplace one spring and left the outside ash door open. I really didn't think too much about it as I went about other tasks. I also had the ash trap up in the fireplace itself, so there was an opening from the outside into the fireplace. Of course, by now, you know where this story is headed. I took my dog out for a walk and when we returned, a female mallard had gotten into the fireplace. She apparently had panicked some as one panel of the glass fireplace screen was shattered and she had some frayed feathers. The problem now was how to get her out - she wasn't going out the same way she came in! We decided to "bag" her and got a large tote bag and tried to capture her in it. We were almost successful. But in all the commotion, she made it to the our patio door and I was able to let her out. My cat was terrified by the biggest bird he'd ever seen that close up. It was all rather comical.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Their territorial actions do seem almost as if they wanted it for a nest but I never heard of geese nesting up high, have any of you? Geese with a dream of a High Rise?
    annie

    ReplyDelete
  4. **UPDATE** I went back to the park yesterday afternoon on my way home from work and the goose had finally gotten down out of the tree. Two geese were still nearby and one was really talking and tossing his/her head around. I don't know what was going on, but I think the other goose was getting one heck of a lecture.... maybe it was a "teenager" goose!

    I have never seen a goose in a tree and it was just the funniest thing. Those webbed feet don't do so good on bark.....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ha! Great story! What was that goose thinking?
    I'm also giggling over Jan's story of the duck and her terrified cat!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm enjoying both of these stories! ;)
    The sketches add a lot to my visual picture of the goose in the tree! LOL

    ReplyDelete

We'd love to hear from you, your questions, comments, observations! Please feel free to comment, feedback is important to us.