A Story of Survival

It was spring 2013 on the small boating lake in a Kirkcaldy park. Just as every spring, birds were pairing up in preparation for the next generation of baby swans, geese, ducks, coots and moorhens. There was on severe problem they faced, and that was the limited availability of nest sites on the only island. Inevitably there were squabbles and the principal protagonist was the resident male swan who took a particular dislike to the greylag geese. The cob would propel himself with energetic thrusts in the direction of each and every goose that crossed his perceived boundary.

It was not content with simply repelling the threat. It would relentlessly pursue the goose around the lake until another individual would distract it by appearing to be an even greater threat.

This went on day after day and the cob never tired.

Then on May 17th 2013, one greylag was not as agile as previously and the swan launched a vicious physical attack on the individual that popped one eye from its socket. I mentioned this on my blip that day but spared you the gory details unless you popped over to my Flickr site.

Since then, I have seen this goose several times. It has become tamer and readily approaches visitors who come to throw bread to the ducks. Now, 16 months later, it is still coping with its disability and taking the free food handouts. By comparison, today there were around 30 greylag geese on the lake (including one white farmyard goose and one canada goose) and they were all keeping the greatest distance possible from human presence.

This blip is of its blind side. I might have blipped its good eye but then you would have said it could be any goose.