When to Say When

Sometimes things don't work out the way you think they will.  This week, we've had to come to grips with the fact that our little goose family is going to stay a family of two for the time being.  Looking back at my blog, I realized that they've been out there for nearly 7 weeks - far too long for a goose to sit a nest.  Concerned, I contacted the National Wildlife Federation and explained what was going on and included a link to our GooseWatch streaming video. 

They also came to the same, sad conclusion.  The eggs were duds.  They suggested that we take the fabric construction fence down and that the geese would move on eventually.

I was not the only one who was contacting authorities.  Our Chief Engineer put in a call to the Florida Wildlife people who said we could cover the nest so that the geese couldn't get to it and that they'd move on.  He put a piece of plywood over top of the nest and for a day we had two very confused geese wandering around in our parking lot.

This morning, they were gone.  The fence came down and life is getting back to normal around the station. 

I wonder if them placing the nest so close to the satellite dish had anything to do with the eggs not making it.  There is a certain amount of radiation involved there.  Another question to ask.

Once geese have settled on a nesting spot, they usually return to it over and over again.  I hope these two find a better spot to nest next year.  It would be heartbreaking to have them try every year and never hatch a gosling.