Non-threatening

On an early evening walk at Western Springs Lake Park, I saw a Putangitangi pair on a nearby sports field. Try as I might, I couldn't get both in the same frame with their head up. One or both had its head down in every photo, or was half out of frame and mainly both. I've put a nice photo of the drake into the extras. The paradise shelduck is known for the long term nature of their pair bond.

Onto the park itself, a couple of goslings caught my attention, and also that of a small Chinese boy running around as his parents watched. I got a hiss and waving head and kept my distance. I wasn't sure at that point, but it did seem that the little lad was tolerated and got quite close.

We went our own ways for awhile, and then I headed back. As I did, the little lad ran off from his parents back to where the geese still were. His father first and then mother caught up, and must have advised him to be slow in his approach, as rather than run towards them he approached as my photo shows. He was obviously (to an adult human) being non-threatening. Whether it was the slowness of his approach, the low profile or just his smallness, the goose parents were unfazed by his presence and did not threaten, or even particularly pay him any attention.