Goose bay

Several families of Canada geese have taken up residence here in a sort of bay along the river between Stephanie's Cabin restaurant and some industrial warehouses. I took the photo standing on the River Walk, which at this point is an elevated wooden platform holding up the Riverfront Trolley tracks. In recent years, it's been widened and fenced to create an easy way to see the river's sights by foot or bike. Just beyond the top of the photo is Marine Drive. The tide is low at the moment, but the river will cover the pilings. This huge log has drifted in on the current, and one day will probably find its way out to the river again to be carried to the sea. You may have to click on the photo to see the geese. It seems only a few days ago, but it must be longer, that walked this way and saw the parent geese with their half-grown goslings all yellow-brown and fuzzy. Now they're fledged nearly the color of the parents. I think one reason they like this bay is because food is so plentiful. They were pecking at the pilings one at a time in almost freaky unison before settling down.

One of the interesting things in this photo is the tufts of grass growing on the pilings - one is at the lower right, and a more spectacular lopsided one is growning on a piling towards the upper right. The pilings collect seeds and turn into forests, not only of grass, but even of small trees and other leafy plants. If the area around them were not so unforgivingly tidal, the whole place would be forested by now. Nature sure does have a way of taking back its territory if you let it - even on a piling in the river. And with 70 to 100 inches of rain per year here, it doesn't take that long.

Hop on over to Think Green Thursday and Nature Notes and see what others are thinking about today.