Why did the Greylags cross the road?

We don’t know. In the village, we have ponds on either side of the road, so why bother? I suspect they enjoy having every car, motorbike and lorry grind to a halt, allowing a small and patient queue of traffic to form in both directions. Sadly, I’ve always been just a little too far away to get a photo that properly represents the tailback.

Practising road-crossing skills on a footpath.

Our geese are less than popular here. Because of them, our mallard population’s efforts to breed come to nothing. So far this year, no duckling has survived longer than two days. I’m more hopeful for the moorhens.

A solitary baby moorhen.

The pavements are thick with goose droppings and hard to dodge, especially if you’re a toddler. The geese have spread from their traditional home down the road at Lightwater Valley, where there’s still room for them. On our smaller village ponds, they’ve chased away any of the quite large variety of ducks who used at least to call in for a while.

They’re hissy, protective parents.

Looking around the area – generally, it seems that geese – generally – are out for World Domination. They’re tough enough not to be predated, and are fierce unfriendly neighbours. Does it look that way where you are ?

I’m getting in early for Brian’s Last on the Card. Just to make sure I don’t cheat and take any more photos this month, I’ll leave my phone behind, and not take my camera with me when I go out.

Last on the Card: May 2023

And also I J Khanewala’s Bird of the Week. This is a relatively new challenge- quite a few of you have great shots of birds – why not join in?

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Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

54 thoughts on “Why did the Greylags cross the road?”

  1. Interesting. They arrive in large numbers here, but I haven’t seen them at war with other species. Could that territoriality and aggression be breeding behaviour? I’ll keep a look.

    Would you like to add these photos and the observation to the bird of the week?

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  2. Goose droppings are a problem here, too. Less on roads but in parks and on lawns, particulary near the river. Mhm… However, I know the answer to your question: They cross the road to teach the goslings the rules of the road. In Germany they take it a bit further: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JSQ0XgEMads (it’s a short youtube clip, well worth a smile).

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    1. The problem is, they are coming to dominate everywhere. There seem to be quite literally hundreds of geese everywhere in places we never used to see them.

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  8. Yes early indeed. Why do geese do anything that has any resemblance to normal. A couple of farms around here have geese and they just go off at random times during the day 🙄

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  9. Interesting – I wonder if that’s why I haven’t seen ducklings in our local park yet? We don’t get greylag geese but we do have the Canada and Egyptian ones.

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    1. I guessed as much. It goes against the grain to feel negatively about any form of wild life. But they do seem to be taking more than their fair share. A bit like humankind really.

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  12. I haven’t noticed a significant increase in numbers, and to be honest I didn’t even know they predated ducklings. It’s hard to hate those fluffy little ones.

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    1. Babies of every kind are lovely of course. And the geese themselves are handsome. But they are taking over and making our local pond-scapes, once a haven to all kinds of wildlife, somewhat monocultural, as well as being somewhat risky, as they are aggressive.

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