EVERY SPRING, I FIND myself drawn to pond or river’s edge to watch the goslings, the newborn offspring of Canadian geese navigating the shoreline and water.
They are just so darned cute. Downy yellow. Sometimes huddling in a circle of sibling closeness.
Still in the protective care of their parents. And, yes, geese can prove fierce when safeguarding their young. I steer clear of these young families, preferring to frame family photos from afar.
The ponds of River Bend Nature Center (especially the one along Rustad Road) are good spots to spot geese and ducks. When I see young waterfowl, I am reminded of Robert McCloskey’s children’s picture book, Make Way for Ducklings. It won the 1942 Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book and tells the story of a duck family in Boston.
While River Bend lies a long ways from McCloskey’s Boston Public Gardens pond setting, the universal appeal of ducklings spans the miles between Massachusetts and Minnesota.
Whether in a city, rural area or nature center, downy babies in the care of their parents create, at least for me, a sense that all is well in the world. That no matter the worldwide challenges—especially during a pandemic—no matter the community and personal challenges, the cycle of life continues.
Every spring I make way for ducklings and goslings, celebrating their arrival by documenting their arrival. With my camera. But even more, by framing them in my memory during this season of spring.
© Copyright 2021 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Hi Audrey,
Wonderful photos of the goslings…I, too, have photos of those recently hatched in our neighborhood. So cute and cuddly from a distance. 😉
For some reason, the way I comment on your blog has changed and I guess I won’t comment there for a while and wait to see if it changes back. I do not get a full screen so I cannot read what I am typing (only the upper half of the letters – which is weird! and hard to know if I’ve misspelled a word) and I have to reenter my name and email each time….which is different than before. So for now, I will be reading your blog, but w/o comment though.
The book about the CO family of 12 sounds interesting. I hope to get it sometime to read.
Enjoy the sunshine and beautiful blue sky. Warmer weather is on it’s way…finally!
Love, Valerie
Valerie, I’m sorry for the issues you are having with commenting and wish I could help. You might want to google the WordPress help desk with this issue. I did and found another person having the same problem, albeit quite awhile ago. On my end, the way comments show changed a few weeks ago also.
I was doing duck, duck, goose in my head while reading this. Now I probably have this stuck in your head – ha! It is babies season and oh such cuteness! I have not seen baby ducklings in the hood. We do have a baby gator and the turtles are busy laying eggs. Then the three otters are back in the pond too. Happy Exploring – Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
Oh, you made me laugh. It sounds like you have plenty of interesting wildlife to watch in your hood. I’d keep my telephoto distance from that baby gator, which seems possibly more threatening than adult geese.
Yes, a few animals down here with lots of teeth!
LOL. I expect you get used to them.