Regrettably, details about the location or the individual who filmed it are unknown.
Peaceful at the pond
We received a sequence of three videos, the first of which suggests a scene of tranquillity. Under the watchful eye of one of their parents, a clutch of newly hatched Egyptian goslings is paddling about in a pond.
At this tender age, although they can swim very confidently, they are still very vulnerable to a host of predators.
Adorably fluffy, the young birds don’t seem to have a care in the world. After all, they’re too young to have responsibilities, much less think about them. I mean, isn’t that what parents are for?
As it happens, they couldn’t have hoped to have a more protective pair of parents. Like all geese, Egyptian geese have a reputation for being aggressive, especially when defending their offspring and territory.
This is especially so during breeding season. They firmly stand their ground against all threats. Even if the supposed threat actually poses no threat whatsoever.
Finder’s keepers
Being a responsible, protective parent means thinking ahead. And so, they sought out a piece of lakefront real estate on which to accommodate their brood come nightfall.
Soon enough, one of the parents laid claim to the intended overnight accommodations: a tangled island of reeds, waterlilies and miscellaneous muck.
But, just as they claimed the spot, it became clear they had competition.
For, in the next video clip, we see that the goose is ‘having words’ with a pair of redknobbed coots.
Much smaller than geese, redknobbed coots are also aquatic birds, known to forage among the reeds. In other words, exactly where the goose had decided to set up camp for the night.
And, despite the goose’s insistent honking, the coot was not giving way.
No shrinking violets
Easily identified by the two red knobs on their head that give them their name, coots also have something of a reputation for aggression.
And so it was that the smaller pair decided that they were not about to shy away from a confrontation. As the goose lowered its head in warning, the coots closed in to deal with the interloper.
Note that the bird in the foreground is carrying a reed, an important clue in the behaviour that followed.
That escalated quickly!
Not used to being ignored, the goose was alarmed when the coot pair got ever closer. Continuously honking and hissing, it raised its wings in warning.
However, its increased display was met with stubborn belligerence. With neither species prepared to back off, things were escalating quickly.
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Surprise assault
Now, you’d think that it would be the smaller birds that would emerge as losers in this dispute. So, it comes as a surprise when one of the coots launched itself out the water, heading directly for the much bigger adversary.
Surprisingly, the goose was easily chased off. Honking, yes. Hissing, yes. Flapping, yes. But definitely retreating.
With that, the coots reclaimed the island.
Now, remember the reed the coot was carrying earlier? Well, that was a piece of nesting material. And, the island the goose had occupied was their future nest. Little wonder they were so incensed, they were expecting.
All’s well that ends well
In the last clip of the sequence, we see the goslings still going about their way amongst the waterlilies. Thankfully, no harm came to any of the birds involved.
Except perhaps the ego of a certain grumpy goose who was still out there looking for a place for their family.
