A most wonderful surprise.

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Imagine waking up to a sight like this?
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Sally did not come to eat last night and Harry waited here until dark for her, so we feared that something bad hapenned to her.
But now we know why as she arrived in the rain this morning with her new babies. 11 of the little ones and Sally was a very proud mommy.
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Hi, good morning Zac and Marian, she said, look at my babies.
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It was raining off and on as the real storm is on the horizon and will strike us soon, but look at this. Sally was baptising the babies. They are called goslings by the way.
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Quick, get under mommy as it is raining again.
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And of course Harry, the warrior was at his post and beware anyone that comes near.
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Nature is certainly the most wonderful gift in our hearts and we are both so happy today. Harry and Sally are an Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) couple that we feed here every winter when they arrive for the breeding season.
Sadly last year they lost their enitire litter to predators and raptors and it is so sad to think that many of these liittle beauties will not make it.
But for now, join us in appreciating the wonders of nature.
Such is life.

And That's All Friends!

Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved
Camera: Canon Powershot SX60HS

We hope you have enjoyed the story and the pictures.

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36 comments
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Oh how proud she is bringing the family to do a formal introduction, Harry the protector will stand guard. Egyptian Goose fierce protectors of their young.

!LUV
!BEER
!PIZZA

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It was indeed a lovely surprise Lady Joan and Harry almost attacked me now, as I blocked their walk towards the gate. If they go out there, they will lose their litter again.
We keep guiding them to the garden of an empty house in here and they are fairly safe there.

!LUV
!PIZZA
!BEER

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Pity Troy was not a wee bit younger you could teach him to shepherd them around 😁watch the male closely they can get aggressive, or learn to run faster.

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Beautiful. Thank you very much for showing us the family. All these youngsters :) I do hope they will all grow strong.

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Thank you my friend :)

Sadly we will lose half of them in the first week to raptors and predators and eventually only two or maybe three will make it.
Such is life in the wild.

!BEER

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The are just darling! We have a guinea fowl pair that hatch broods every year - around Christmas and New Year. This year 16 and, I think, 2 survived. Raptors, animals, bird brain behaviour...nature.

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Thank you and yes we saw that a few times, as Guinea fowl babies mean an early Christmas for the raptors. They are lazy mothers.
We had an issue with a cat last night and discovered today that some previous tenants moved out two years ago and they left the cat here. We were told that the cat fends for herself in the bushes here all this time and it is a very sad story.

Some people should be banned from having pets and Marian will contact some cat rescue people.

!PIZZA
!BEER

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That's a lot of babies to care for and keep track of. I wonder if she can count.

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Well if you hear how dentally they carry on when one gets taken by a raptor, then I think that she knows exactly how many she has got Sir Steve.

Sadly most of them will get taken again.

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Those who have big broods tend to expect a high rate of attrition. Just how nature works and the predators need a chance too.

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Exactly right Sir Steve, nature knows how to regulate her populations and how to make sure that everyone can eat. A weird concept to us.

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Well, they are beautiful as adult geese, but now they are adorable babies. I'd love to have a few at home who would never grow up :)

!BEER and !WINE - both make a nice dinner with !PIZZA :)
!invest_vote

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Hahaha, yes they are cute little tykes and it was fun to watch how they copy their mother today.
Tonight Harry rushed at me with his mouth open and his wings wide open to scare me. I blocked Sally and her babies from walking out of the main gate, as last season they did that and they lost all of the babies to predators.

So now they are sleeping here again tonight and we can keep an eye on them.

Cheers and thanks.

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I hope this year they they will all stay alive, but I think as long as you can take care of them they will be fine :)

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

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We hope so Hannes, but we have to sleep at night and that's where the big danger lies for the little ones. Sally was just making a noise again, and can you believe that they want to eat at this time of the night. So I went outside to give them some seed and bread, and now they are quiet.
Greetings to you, and I am just helping Zac quickly.
Blessings and thanks.

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Hi Marian, I thought it is you, because there are no typos anymore 😁

I know only human babies, but they eat also in the night and they would also make very loud noise until they get something ;)

The !PIZZA is out, but I still have a !BEER left - cheers :)
!invest_vote

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