Hatched!

When we came back to work yesterday after the long weekend, we discovered that the goslings had hatched.  I didn't see them myself but my boss, whose parking space is located very near to the nest, told me she had seen little heads in the nest when the momma goose stood up.  I had to take her word for it because every time I looked at the nest out my office window, the mother goose seemed firmly planted on top, just as she had been for the past few weeks.

I read on the Internet that once hatched, the parents will move the babies quite soon, usually within one day but sometimes after about a week. As a result, I knew it would be a good idea to bring my camera into work this morning but when I arrived, I could see right away that the nest was already empty.  I couldn't see the geese and I was quite disappointed that I had missed seeing the babies.  All that was left was the nest, a cozy looking spot with lots of soft feathers and several broken eggshells.

Then I realized that the geese were nearby on a grassy patch, although I could only assume the goslings were tucked underneath their momma (I'd read online that they need to warm up under her every 15 minutes).

She kept a close eye on me, to make sure I wasn't a threat to her brood.

I went in to work and by the time I got up to my office a few minutes later and looked out the window, I could see the geese were on the move. Back downstairs I rushed, in time to take these photos.

5 cute little golden goslings, stumbling about, taking a few steps then plopping down for a rest, then up on their feet again.

The adults were very aware I was there and kept a close eye on me. I was careful to stay between two parked cars, hoping not to frighten them.  My last sighting of them was as they made their way to the opposite end of the parking lot.  

I didn't see them for the rest of the day. I'm not sure they will return, as they tend to move on very soon after the hatching, to find a water source.  There's a creek a few blocks away but it's hard to imagine those tiny little geese making such a long journey so soon.  I hope they stay safe wherever they go, there's so much traffic on the block around where they were born, I'd hate for any of them to end up under the wheels of a fast moving car.

Good luck, little goslings, be safe, be happy!