Mr. & Mrs. Goosle

They're a more beautiful pair in in large ("L"). Mrs. is moulting at the moment so looks rather tufty and patchy. She's still v. pretty though, and look how handsome Mr. is! He's v. handsome...

I had a lovely time at Eagle Pond this afternoon! The little non-Goosle fledgling definitely thinks that it has been accepted by the Goosles: when passing the common this morning on my way to coffee with my mother, we saw the Goosles on Long Pond (the boating pond) and the little non-Goosle was there near them (being half-heartedly pushed away by the Goosle fledgling). It is certainly persistent, and seems ever optimistic that it will be accepted. The truth is that Mr. and Mrs. are being less and less tolerant even of their fledgling: they push the smaller (unrelated) one away more insistently than their own one, but Mr. certainly doesn't like Little G. to be near them.

This afternoon there was lots going on: the juvenile cormorant was fishing in the water, and the little non-Goosle fledgling was chilling near the Goosles. The Goosle fledgling took itself to the island and decided to climb the tree there which was funny (it disappeared from view entirely for about 5 minutes). It then flew back to the edge of the pond very impressively: it looks all smiley and excited in the air...
I also got very close to the littler fledgling: it is much tamer than the Goosles, and it didn't seem to mind me being as close as my lens would allow (1.5m) and even shut its eyes with me there. Here is a close up of its face: its eye patches have come on a long way this week, but it has a long way to go yet.
I've also uploaded a picture of the juvenile cormorant drying its wings (looking like a gargoyle/pterodactyl): it seems to have fishing line leading from its beak. Argh: I hope it is just hanging through its beak rather than being stuck or hooked.