The sighting of an Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) with goslings on a lake is hard to beat! The sight of the proud parent, surrounded by its young, is a beautiful reminder that spring is full of life and renewal. The goslings, usually between 8-10 in number, are so small and fluffy that they look like little cotton balls with yellow beaks. They all follow close behind their mother, learning how to find food and survive in their new environment.
The mother goose is protective and attentive, watching over her goslings as they explore and grow. She provides an important role in their development, teaching them how to swim, fly, and find food.
The first young can sometimes be seen as early as April. In the first two weeks they are mainly reared in the shallow water area and between the riparian vegetation – not always easy for the photographer to find. It is easier if you photograph the geese while they are resting on land, because after an extensive search for food in the short grass, during which the agile young animals are very keen to explore, it is time to cuddle up and rest. If the observer behaves appropriately calmly and patiently, these moments can be used excellently for photography. Sometimes a gosling will approach the observer without hesitation until it is called back by the gander.
The bathing spots, which are regularly visited by the birds, are also interesting for the photographer. Here they extensively clean their feathers so that the water just splashes. Against the light, the dynamics of the splashing water come into their own. Due to the striking white upper wing with black and gray markings, the flight pattern is unmistakable and also a worthwhile photo motif. However, Egyptian geese are not frequent fliers and taking a flight requires patience. Fortunately, they like to call out during the flight and thus announce their arrival from afar. Their color combination may make these birds look unappealing at first glance, as does their shape, which deviates somewhat from the usual image of ducks or geese. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of this, these birds are extremely fascinating study objects for bird photographers: the combination of earth tones and shiny metallic colors of the plumage, coupled with pink legs and an orange iris, convince the observer at second glance that they are very attractive birds
Originally native to Africa, the Egyptian Goose has been on an invasive rise in Europe for more than 40 years. At that time, its sporadic appearance was a sensation, but today this so-called half-goose is often encountered in many places. Its distribution in Europe started in Great Britain, where it was released into the wild alongside other duck species and took control of its new homeground rapidly. As the English Channel does not represent a serious geographical barrier for Egyptian Geese, it was only a matter of time before the first birds appeared on the European mainland. Later, captive refugees and feral park birds joined them. The Egyptian Goose has been established in Germany since 1980 and its population has already reached an impressive size. Egyptian Geese are now part of the usual picture of many suburban lakes and ponds.
To cope with the growing demand for top shots of the rarer species of the Palearctic Bird-Lens is keen to enrich the range of pictures of birds you can find in the western palearctic. Trips to remote places like this one to capture images not only of rare birds of western palearctic were very successful. The nice image of the blog is only a first impression, what you will find in the gallery in the “Picture Shop” very soon. Just give bird-lens.com a message, if bird-lens.com could serve you with an image needed before the new pictures are online.