River romance

The story of the two geese in this photo is the stuff of romantic legend. Mother Goose had been living solo for a few years. She tried hanging out with the swans, but that didn’t work out. She went through the motions of creating a nest, with no prospect of gosling joy. Then Father Goose appeared upstream, and we’d hear them calling out. Dog-walker gossip was all about whether they’d meet. He tried coming downstream. The cob swan chased him off. We all encouraged them both not to give up, and then they made it! Gone are the loud strangled cries, now they burble to each other. Maybe this year we’ll have goslings :) As an added note, the oystercatchers are back on the river for the spring.