Katharine and I set off for a short walk after lunch. Just a quick walk around Rawcliffe Lake. But I had forgot just how many people in this area Katharine knows from the time she was manager of the local playgroup and had lots of contacts in the local churches and schools. We may only have had a brief word with each of them (socially distanced of course), but it meant that the walk took twice as long as expected, and my hands were so cold that taking photos became a problem. Still, I did manage to get a shot of this Graylag Goose, stood amongst the rocks at the west side of the lake.
The Graylag Goose is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is the ancestor of the domestic goose.
Greylag geese travel to their northerly breeding grounds in spring, nesting on moorlands, in marshes, around lakes and on coastal islands. They normally mate for life and nest on the ground among vegetation. A clutch of three to five eggs is laid; the female incubates the eggs and both parents defend and rear the young. The birds stay together as a family group, migrating southwards in autumn as part of a flock, and separating the following year. During the winter they occupy semi-aquatic habitats, estuaries, marshes and flooded fields, feeding on grass and often consuming agricultural crops. Some populations, such as those in southern England and in urban areas across the species' range, are primarily resident and occupy the same area year-round.
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Hope you had some hot chocolate to get warm
Thank you for all your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
There are only a small number of graylag geese on the lake at the moment, and no sign yet of the many Canada geese found here in the summer.
Ian
Thank you both. With relatively few geese on the lake at the moment, it is easier to get a shot than in summer when there are large numbers.
Ian