Duck, Duck, Goose – Which is Cuter?

A new clutch of ducklings over on South 40 — just prior to dropping out of the nest

Dennis-Bayer-Duckie-Afraid-To-Jump-June-2017

"Whoo boy, do I really want to go?" | these photos and video by Dennis Bayer

It's no wonder the ducks feel right at home here | these photos, and post, by Jenny Stein

High spots make for ideal nests, avoiding the predatory raccoons

More often than not nesting geese choose the planter boxes over on East and West Pier

Geese, exercising their right-of-way to the gravel paths — expecting everyone else to get out of of the way

Ever territorial, the geese feel no compunction about claiming the Kappas Green as their own

Many more goslings survived this year than in previous years

(insert joke here)

Out for a swim in the inlet between the Richardson Bay Marina Office and East Pier

With the babies tucked away safely, it's time for a swim into the sunset

In our own version of “Which is cuter: puppies or kittens?” I’d have to say that the duckies have it over the goslings, at least on the first day out of the nest. A second clutch of ducklings recently hatched over at South 40. Must be something about that giant bird nesting on the roof, or those delightfully colorful planter boxes, that attracts them. This time Caroline Hall was home to give the ducklings a kindly nudge from above—as mama swam below, quacking encouragement.

This seemed like a good a time as any to haul out the snaps of the goslings, as they were getting the lay of the land (and water) back in April and May. General opinion was that more of the youngsters survived this year. And if I were to take a poll—and we took the ferociously protective parents (Mother Goose and her Gander) out of the equation—the answer to “Which is cuter: ducklings or goslings?” might come out dead even.

South 40’s Caroline Hall Helps Duckies, June 2017 from the Floating Times on Vimeo.