Not hatching this year
Eggs turn into food
For the third time, a Canada goose pair started a nest on the our small wetland pond. In first year attempt back in 2006, the nest successfully hatched 5 goslings. In the second attempt a few years back, a coyote raided the nest at night taking away the eggs. And now this morning, this year’s nest was raided again, this time at dawn which allowed me to get a few photographs of a coyote carting off the last egg.
The mother goose swam restlessly around and clucked for over an hour after her last egg was taken, obviously disturbed by the predator. Then increased calling signaled the final return visit by the coyote to see if there were any more eggs.
Coyotes are the top predator of goose nests and effective because the geese can not fend them off without risking their lives. This coyote and its pups are going to benefit from this once a year, seasonal food source.
In the dance of either being eaten or hatching on to further life, eggs are a powerhouse for sustaining life on earth. Billions of birds laying even more billions of eggs adds an amazing supply of nutritious food to every ecosystem on the planet. And of course humans get the biggest benefit from eggs having figured out how to cultivate a steady supply available to consume daily throughout the year.
