| Just
a really georgous day yesterday,chores all done, took a rideupriver to
an area of slackwater known aroud these parts as the EyeBall Hole, very
large area where the river slows and widens considerably, and is home to
just about every type of water bird one can imagine,and a favored stopover
of weary winged travelers.
Diane and I spentseveral hours just enjoying watching the comings and goings of all the critters, both winged and four footed , quite fun to watch the antics of river otters, whose main function in life seems to be the invention and playing of water games, and there you sit watching and holding your breath lest you be discovered and cause a general alarm,but soon discover your presence was known from the minute you arrived as one of the otter kits pops it's head out of the water and looks you straight in the eye as if to say,"What are you waiting for? Slide down that muddy bank and get in the water! we'll go catch us a fish". But suddenly the peaceful quite of the river was shattered by the incessant honking of a flock of Canadian geese, circling and making their final approach on the slackwater, once all had touched down on the water,each with varying amounts of style and technique,noisily chattering amongst themselves as they swam toward an exposed gravel bar and began preening and enjoying frothing up the water with their wings. As I always try to do when seeing a flock together, I counted and then counted again, Diane also counted twice and sure enough there were only twenty three geese,odd number,someone didn't have a mate,and as we watched we became aware of a young, not quite mature lone goose sort of on the outskirts of the group as if not wanting to intrude and looking a bitout of sorts in that it wasn't taking an active part in all the festivities.After about a half hour or so the flock began to move as a group toward the upper end of the slackwater in preperation for flight. Diane said, "Look" he isn't going with them,and sure enough the one lone goose was sitting alone on the gravel bar and had not followed the flock, all of a sudden the entire flock turned in the water and stopped,all of them looking back toward their lone companion still sitting on the gravel bar. There were several loud exclamations from the group as if they were calling,"Hey Come on,we're ready to leave" then the most moving thing happened,the entire group swam, as one back to the gravel bar and completely surrounded the lone goose,there was no noise, no loud exclamations, just a soft almost musical murmuring,as the group gently pushed the lone juvenile out in the water and the group swam to the far end of the slackwater and took to the skies, whole again, all accounted for.another great day on the river,another lesson learned Ron C |