It was a very quiet (people-wise) morning at The Sanctuary, yet loud otherwise thank-you to the Canada Geese! A few days prior Calgary was declared one of the top four bird friendly cities in Canada and the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary plays a big part in that. I like this place for bird viewing but I also enjoy the area for the scenery and other wildlife. It was breakfast time for the deer as I arrived for this morning's visit.
Just like that, the goslings have arrived! The parents were fiercely & aggresively protective which meant I put my zoom lens into action to capture any photos of the babies. I saw four separate families and I assume that number will grow over the next number of days. I got myself into a pickle on this visit! After returning from strolling the pathway down by the river I was denied access by the protective parents to crossing the bridge back to the west side. I patiently waited and waited but the geese were going no where. I retreated expecting to return to the river pathway but a short distance along I was denied access to carrying on any further. Once again I waited patiently but the protective parents stood their ground. I resorted to bushwhacking through The Sanctuary to get out of the pickle I was in!
I made it back to the main pathway on the west side and remained there walking back and forth for the rest of my visit. I wondered did this have anything to do with why it was quiet (people-wise) or were all the birders down at Fish Creek Park searching for that unusual woodpecker that showed up there the other day.
I carried on with enjoying the scenery and watching the bird and duck activity.
This is a female Common Merganser.
pretty pathway
a male Downy Woodpecker
a male Wood Duck
this is a stretch of the pathway I was free to wander along
two female and one male Common Goldeneyes creating a kerfuffle
I believe this is a Chipppig Sparrow!
The Robin is looking all matchy-matchy with the bench!
Well that was quite the visit this time!
I wonder how long the adult geese will behave this way?
I wonder should I stay away for the next little while?
Looks like you had an awesome day (other than the encounters with the geese). Those goslings sure are cute though. Norma
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