We had some charming visitors yesterday
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220068)
Walnut Creek, California
April 18, 2016 8:43pm CST
I was heading out cycling yesterday when I spied this family resting in front of my house. By the time I went inside and grabbed my camera, they were waddling slowly South, toward my friend's place.
I pretended to ignore them so dad, who was kind of standing guard (more like waddling guard), wouldn't hiss at me. If you run into Canada geese with their goslings on the ground, do not get too close to them. They will attack to protect their babies. I've seen it happen in the past.
30 people like this
31 responses
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
19 Apr 16
That is just so cute and I know that Geese in general can be very mean. We had them when we were kids.
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@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
26 Oct 17
@TheHorse lol ours were mean all the time. The mailman refused to deliver if they were out lol
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@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Oct 17
@BelleStarr Maybe they had babies in the bushes.
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@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
19 Apr 16
We have them lol over Virginia my love seeing them but we look at them from a far. If we go to the petting zoo they have some to pet when they are babies.
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@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
19 Apr 16
@TheHorse we havw pounds near where we live where we can bring bread or something to give to the ducks and geese. When we lived in Kentucky we had some outside of our apartment that lived T the pound out front and every now and then we would go up to water and throw them food. My daughter loved it.
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@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Apr 16
@ShyBear88 I've taught littlies to feed them by hand, but I also warn them about mommies with babies.
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@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
19 Apr 16
Once I was riding to work, when I made eye contact with some baby geese. Mama goose flew after me. I've never sprinted that fast on a bike, before or since.
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@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Apr 16
@teamfreak16 I was curious to see how close I could get to geese yesterday. But when I saw daddy standing a bit extra tall, I backed off.
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@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
19 Apr 16
@TheHorse - The thing is, I new better and did it anyway.
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@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
19 Apr 16
Ahhh! We have them all over here. Duckies too.Some guy put up a Duck Crossing sign up the road a ways.
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@allknowing (137553)
• India
19 Apr 16
@TheHorse The parents look so protective.
My mother had a poultry and the mother hen would take her chicks for rounds and had a special cry if she spotted a worm or something and they would all come rushing to the spot.
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@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Apr 16
@allknowing Was she teaching them how to catch worms?
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
19 Apr 16
Aw that is so cute, the family traveling 
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@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
19 Apr 16
@TheHorse Are there any lakes near you? It isn't common to see ducks where I live unless you're by some sort of lake
It isn't common to see ducks where I live unless you're by some sort of lake2 people like this
@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Apr 16
@infatuatedbby There are a few man-made lakes nearby.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
19 Apr 16
I have had them hiss at me like snakes on canal footpaths - it is quite scary
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
19 Apr 16
@TheHorse apparently they kill about twelve people a year protecting their young and eggs
@silvermist (19702)
• India
19 Apr 16
@TheHorse You did manage to take a nice photo.For me that is a rare sight.
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@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Apr 16
@silvermist It's hard not to feel happy when you see life renewing itself.
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@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
19 Apr 16
so stinking adorable! And yeah, geese can get very mean if they think they need to protect their babies or nests
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@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Apr 16
Once, when I was out cycling in Iowa, I had one rush out of a bush, hissing at me and doing the snaky neck thing. I hadn't even known she was there until she came out of her bush. Later, I went back (quietly), and saw her nest. I can't remember if she had eggs or babies at the time. She just eyed me suspiciously but didn't come out when I went back.
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@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
20 Apr 16
@TheHorse I once had a run in with turkeys, ever since then been wary of large waddling birds, lol
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
19 Apr 16
they sure will they are very mean when their babies are around.
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@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Apr 16
But only if you look like you're about to move toward them. I tried to be "invisible" as I found the right angles to take the pictures. At first, they were just sitting in the driveway/parking lot in front of my house. I wondered how they decided on that as a resting spot.
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@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
19 Apr 16
@TheHorse I have also gotten pics of the babies. The geese around here never leave anymore and they have just multiplied ever since. They are becoming a problem.
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Apr 16
Yes, they are quite protective. We have a flock in our nearby lake too.
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@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
19 Apr 16
All wild animals attack when their babies are around. All except doves. They don't seem to mind humans. I wonder why.
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@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
19 Apr 16
We've had the joy of watching them in the fields around the farm. One time while they were loading chicken from th farm to take to the processing plant, I suggested that the catching crew fill a couple of crate with Canada Geese. They knew I was joking. The bio security would have caused such repercussions that it just was t worth it. I still think it would be a great prank, if there wouldn't be so much fallout.
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@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
20 Apr 16
@TheHorse I don't know, but when I was on a mission trip to the far north, I might actually have had some.....probably tastes a lot like chicken, 
@rubyriaz007 (4188)
• India
26 Oct 17
Really they are very charming visitors. The little ones are really very cute... All parents will attack to protect their babies....
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