Goosle Family

Prettier in large ("L").

I visited the Goosles this morning: Mr. and Mrs. are definitely letting the gosling roam more freely! Mrs. got out of the water at a little beach that they favour, and Mr. got out at the next gap, and waddled around chuntering to himself irritatedly. The goslings stayed in the water, and only when they edged slightly around an outcrop and out of their parents view did Mrs. start to honk gently to herself: both parents went to the edge and craned to see them, but the goslings had already turned around to return (after hearing Mrs's soft, anxious noises) so the parents quickly caught sight of them and calmed down.
Once they were all out they settled down for a snooze. Mr. lay down first, but got up when one of the goslings came over to lie against him... Mr. likes his own space; Mrs. was wise to their game, so only lay down once the goslings had settled, and Mr. lay down behind her protectively.

They're just so adorable. They're all rather bedraggled now: the goslings are all patchy, and Mr. still hasn't finished moulting. I saw him struggling to get onto the island (to join the others) the other day, but he was unable to get up its steep side because his wings currently lack flight feathers so he couldn't get enough lift to scale the side. Mrs. appears to be starting a moult (her neck is looking a bit ragged).

I've put up a closer alternative: the goslings both kept an eye on me...
The down on the back one's head had dried funnily giving it a spiky hairdo downdo.