Travels With Linda
postcards from the road of life
  • Home
  • Weekly Photo
  • Road Trips
    • Road Trip 2012 >
      • Route Map 2012
    • Road Trip 2011 >
      • Route Map 2011
    • Road Trip 2010 >
      • Route Map 2010
  • Route Map 2015
  • About Us
  • Where We've Been
  • Black & White Gallery
  • Map Test
  • Zephyr Write-Up
  • ExtraPics

Geese That Aren't Geese

11/5/2016

1 Comment

 
Egyptian Geese
Look at these neat-looking guys we saw today while on the boat. Linda has seen them before on the golf course, but this was the first time I have ever seen these birds. They have some beautiful and interesting markings on them, especially the brown ring around the eye.

They are called Egyptian Geese, and they were domesticated by the ancient Egyptians some 4,000 years ago. They are common in much of Africa.

They came to the U.S. in the latter part of the 20th century from the Nile Delta as captives for zoos or decorative parks and gardens. Over time some have escaped, and those in both the Houston area and parts of Florida apparently find the climate to their liking and are thriving. 

Interestingly, the Egyptian Goose is not really a goose, but a Shelduck, an Old World species that is a cross between a goose and a duck.  It has many duck-like characteristics, but it also has some external goose-like traits. It actually feeds on land because its bill is not designed to filter food from water.
​
Picture
A pair of Egyptian Geese
The slightly smaller female is on the left.
Picture
A close-up of the male Egyptian Goose
Nature's Camouflage
I wanted to show these two photos to you as an example of how nature works to protect animals from predators. I was at the nature reserve and was taking a few photos of a willet, which is a pretty common coastal wading bird, walking along the edge of the water. 

The photo on the left is nothing exciting, just this willet as it was wandering along the rocky shoreline looking for a tasty tidbit. As you can see, he was pretty much ignoring me.

But now look at the right-hand photo. At first glance the willet seems to have disappeared. But look again, and you see him, snuggled in among the rocks.
Picture
With No Threats, the Willet is Looking for Lunch
Picture
Threatened, the Willet Uses Camouflage
As soon as I crouched down to get an "eye-level" shot, the bird perceived me as a threat; he hunkered down in the rocks and virtually disappeared. He stayed there, just as still as the rocks around him, until I stood up. Then he left his camouflage and continued his prowl along the water's edge, once again ignoring me.
​
Great Blue Heron
Photographing Great Blues never gets old. They are just elegant creatures. And the nice thing is that they are far from endangered - in fact they are abundant and can be found just about anywhere there is water.

​I am not very good at photos of birds in flight, so when I do catch one, I want to show it. That's it - there's no story with this picture. Just a lovely bird.

Thanks for visiting.
Picture
Great Blue Heron with the Sun on His Back
1 Comment
Va
11/6/2016 07:33:11 pm

Awesome pictures of the Egyptian geese. You should make picture books for Jack and Tom.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Two septuagenarians and a 35 foot motorhome towing a car – what could possibly go wrong?

    Picture
    You and I have memories
    Longer than the road that stretches out ahead
    ---
    McCartney & Lennon

    Picture
    RVing America...
    one state at a time

    "On the road again,

    Goin' places that we've never been,


    Seein' things that we may never see again,


    And we can't wait to get on the road again."

    ---
    Written & Performed by
    Willie Nelson

    Categories

    All
    Alaska 2014
    Happenings
    Quick Trips
    Road Trip 2015

    Archives

    May 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013

    Previous Posts

    RSS Feed

COPYRIGHT 2007 - 2018
TRAVELS WITH LINDA
Iter est perpetua celebratione in saecula
DON & LINDA SIMMONS