Goslings and Ducklings

The first sign of this year's Egyptian goslings in Reading University grounds.  The female has nested on the island in the large lake.  For the past few weeks, Zoe and I have been going up there once or twice a day.  The male has been moping around on the shore near the island but there has been very little sign of the female.  This morning Zoe pointed out a reddish-brown patch in the bushes on the island, that she said was the back of the female.  Then she said that she thought she saw some grey goslings moving around, so I started taking lots of photos, one of which (the above one) clearly show the head of a gosling.  Zoe said she say at least 3 goslings, and there were probably more.

Traditionally, the Egyptian geese have been the first birds on the lakes to produce young each year, but this year a mallard beat them: yesterday Zoe and Liz saw a female mallard with 11 ducklings in tow. This morning I got this photo of them. It appears that all 11 survived the night.