Mother Nature

[packrat]

For the last month being keeping an eye on Momma goose who set up shop on a small gravel bar not far from me.

Already had some close calls with high water but she lucked out,

Just when I thought she was NEVER going to hatch out her eggs----take a look Sunday and there's three gulls hovering around and one appears to have destroyed one of the goslings.

Do my daily checkup this morning and low and behold I see one little one wandering around away from the nest. This one I wouldnt give much chance for survival either. Poppa is trying to steer it back to safety but it wasnt having any part of this. Should add Poppa wasnt being overly gentle about his attempts either.

Watched this drama unfold some more----now baby is floating downstream with the current and once again Poppa tries to retrieve it---even Momma gets in the act, leaves the nest and joins in but no use. With this they both break off and I can only guess what the outcome is going to be.

[smerchly]

Ma nature can be very cruel .....& we humans sometimes intervene to help , like the baby ducks that went down a storm sewer hole and were retrieved by the city workers . Other species aren't so lucky , like sea turtles , which only have a 2% chance of making it to maturity ......I don't like watching those little critters being swallowed up by those big gulls.......Many other creatures eat their own offspring and even kill their loving mating partner after a few seconds of hot passion ........ What's that ??????

[bigugli]

As my grandmother used to say, " nothing in God's creation was meant to be easy", even survival.

[packrat]

As my grandmother used to say, " nothing in God's creation was meant to be easy", even survival.

The last chapter of this story is not particularly a happy one which demonstrates granny's saying.

Tuesday Momma was off the nest and stayed off all day. Looked around but didnt see any survivors. When I think back to Mondays episode with the one baby I saw I believe Daddy wasnt trying to protect it but drive it off---may have belonged to another family that came close and got the same hostile treatment.