Canadian Geese and their Goslings

In springtime, extended families of geese take over the Ottawa-Gatineau riverbanks, lakesides, and the bike paths that connect the two. They claim this territory in gangs, eating large amounts of grass and leaving wet, green turds wherever they go. Geese are typically vicious, and it is wise to keep your distance. If you are on a bike, best etiquette is to ring your bell and wait for them to clear off the path.

As with all baby animals, baby geese can be forgiven for their rudeness, as they are adorable. Their yellow-brown feathers allow them to camouflage in the long, yellowing, riverside grass, and they can be seen cuddled together for warmth. It is interesting to see the liminal time between when the gosling is transitioning from down to feathers. They become more filled in, darker gray in color. They grow wings, and learn to fly!

This picture was taken with my iPhone camera in the summer of 2020, when there was little to do other than spend entire days outdoors. On this day, Mum and I had driven across the river to a park in Gatineau, Quebec to spend time hiking beside a lake. We decided to walk up to the water and found this family of geese. Around us other human families had picnics and barbecues some of them had also begun photographing and filming these geese. I took this photo taking into account the photographic rule of thirds, having the older goose in the left third and the lake and trees in the top third.

One of the most amazing things about geese is their ability to create their own goose daycares, also known as “gang broods.” Geese typically hatch four to six goslings each year. Because goslings walk around finding food for themselves, they end up joining other families, eventually forming these broods. Often one or two of the year’s parents take care of these large gang broods.

I had had a previous experience interacting with goslings in may of 2017. After school I went with a friend to walk around Dow’s Lake, Ottawa’s small, man-made lake that is attached to the Rideau Canal. In the spring there is an annual tulip festival there, and we had come to see the flowers’ remains. It is also an annual location for gosling spotting. The geese we saw were unperturbed by our interest in them, and the goslings even began following us.

On this occasion, I had brought my new Instax Fujifilm camera to try out. Instax photographs are more difficult to control lighting-wise. If you are photographing outside, I recommend shooting with the sun behind you. Because of the goslings' boldness I was able to take this photo at gosling eye-level. Despite the flaws in this picture, (the overexposure giving the goslings a washed out quality), I like the way it puts the viewer face-to-face with the curious goslings, painting them as equals.

Experiences and photographs like these broaden peoples’ perspectives, allowing them to appreciate animals as living beings, deserving of rights. In pop culture this is best seen in David Attenborough’s films, where he shows you up close various animals in their environment. Attenborough’s message is simple. In our ongoing awareness and project to protect the Earth and stop climate change, it is important to protect the habitats these animals belong to. Through up-close filming, people are better able to empathize with the animals. I do not claim to have the same impact as Attenborough; however, I do believe that these wildlife photographs, the photographs entered by my Vocal peers and the photographs of professional wildlife photographers like those of Melissa Groo, can increase awareness of and caring for the animals with whom we share our planet.