HAPPY GEESE

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Douglas Lake is almost filled with water.  The lake has lost its brown mud shoreline appearance and has assumed a cloak of beauty transforming it into a temporary, normal valley lake.  It is a facade, a temporary change that hides reality - the reality of mud and ugliness.  It could be called an ugly duckling when the water is drained.  Speaking of ducklings - Spring has instigated strange actions among the geese of the lake.  After all - its springtime and a time to reproduce for creatures in the natural world.

All over the lake, the geese are pairing up and acting strange.

Above:  What a strange posture this goose is assuming!  What could this be all about?

He is winning a mate.  The goose is powering up behind her at full speed.  He's impressing her.  This is how the act of mating begins.  The act is eons old.

Geese are standing tall while flapping their wings in attempts to gain the attention of females.  He is trying to appear as large as he can by standing on the tips of his toes and raising his wings as high as possible.

The males swim on the water assuming odd poses while contorting and stretching themselves out full length.  I'm not sure what they are trying to achieve with these actions.  They do make a lot of noise splashing around in the water.

The females simply sit upon the water quietly and watch the antics of the males.  Its quite Humorous.

.  The end result of all this posturing is the continuation of the species.  As I said before - it is spring time and spring marks the beginning of new life.

 I found this little family in an odd spot.  They were dead center in the middle of the lake.  This is unusual.  Normally geese stay close to cover on the shoreline.

 There are only 3 babies.  Normally there are seven or eight born.  Proof that only the strong and crafty survive and that nature is sometimes cruel in her wisdom.

 I am surprised to see these parents taking their young across this lake.  There are fish large enough in these waters to take all three little goslings for a single meal.  Possibly they were displaced from their shoreline haven by boats or osprey.  Its hard to say.

And life goes on.  Its going to be a long hot, interesting summer on the lakes of Tennessee.

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