geese | jmgoyder

Father goose

by jmgoyder

Godfrey: Now, listen up, you four. We are geese! I insist that you to stop fraternizing with the ducks. They have absolutely no manners, no morals and they are filthy. Pearl, wake up – you are to stop associating with Zaruma. You’re not children anymore. You are a Sebastopol goose and Zaruma is a muscovy duck. Need I say more?

Seli: I am getting really sick of these morning lectures.

Ola: Yeah, that Godfather guy is a real piece of work.

Seli: Where is he now?

Ola: I think he’s teaching Pearl some sort of etiquette thing.

Seli: What’s ‘etiquette’?

Ola: Pearl reckons it’s something to do with standing up straight and stretching your neck up high.

Seli: What for?

Ola: Dunno – hey, there’s Zaruma. Let’s make a run for it!

Seli: Wait for me!

Wings

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“Those thieving birds”

by jmgoyder

Silverchair’s song, “Those thieving birds” is one of my favourites and I was tempted to call this blog “Thieving birds” but I thought that might be just as obscure as the weird metaphors in this beautiful song (check it out …. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCQ-TWipBhc )

For me, the idea of thieving birds, despite its darker implications, means this: These birds have stolen tidbits of my heart then returned them to me like nuggets of gold. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit cliched and twee but hopefully the pictures will do the talking here.

Top left: Pearl, our first Sebastopol gosling

Top right: Tina Turner, the rooster I thought was a hen

Left: King peacock competing with white peacock

Right: Emery, the emu chick at two months of age!

Wings

Godfrey the gander

by jmgoyder

Godfrey is a Chinese gander (that’s a male goose for the uninitiated). When we got him a few months ago, he was two years old and he didn’t have a name so I just called him Godfrey because he looked like a Godfrey. He was quiet, semi-tame and rather majestic. Soon after, we began to accumulate a few goslings and Godfrey has now changed from a gander who ate from my hand to a biting, hissing Godzilla – but only when I approach his goslings. Yes, he seems to think they are his own offspring and his protectiveness of them is incredible.

It was rather beautiful with the first gosling as Godfrey bent over and nudged Pearl and made this soft, keening noise from deep inside his rather long throat. I thought, how sweet, so brought our new duckling, Zaruma, out to meet him but, even though at two weeks of age, Pearl and Zaruma were almost identical, Godfrey spat it (literally) with Zaruma, then king-hit him with one of his massive wings whilst caressing Pearl with his other wing.

Yeah, you definitely need to be a goose if you want Godfrey’s affection!