More Eggcitement on the Corner!

How many times have I begun a blog with the words...'this is not the blog that I had planned for today but life got in the way.....''?

Well, it's happened again!

Remember last month I mentioned that Pieta the goose had started laying eggs (and very tasty they were too)? Naturally they were not fertile, but Philip has geese at the nursery and they, too, were laying. The difference being that the nursery eggs were fertile, and plentiful! So he brought five eggs home and popped them under Pieta who happily sat, and sat, and sat!

Before the 'Summer Hut' was built.

Up until then we had had wonderful sunny weather, so much so, that Philip built a little 'summer hut' so Pieta was in the shade. Then the weather changed and the rain came lashing down! But Pieta was protected from the worst of it by her 'summer hut' and the roof that angled the rain away.


And she sat and sat through it all! We were all worried about keeping her strength up, and Nicola was out every day scouring the countryside for Pieta's favourite delicacy, 'dissels' or thistles, that grow freely in the green areas here. Every time we walked with Alfie, we gathered them too, and the overflow filled the Scott's fridge! Neighbours and friends dropped off the dissels and Pieta had breakfast, lunch and supper in bed, lovingly tended by Nicola!

And then, yesterday, the eggs began to hatch! The first one finally broke into the world and lay exhausted in a damp, panting heap. Nicola spent the day sitting with Pieta, she was reading and giving Pieta moral support while three more eggs cracked and split. Last night, four had hatched and one was still whole. Then as the sun was sinking into the sea, Nicola arrived with Philip, and she had the fifth egg tucked into her track suit top. And it was cheeping! The gosling was alive and telling everybody that it was time!

Beautiful goslings, and the remaining hatchling behind!

This morning I went over to take some photos of the new brood and the last gosling was still struggling.

Pieta standing on the remaing egg.

Now, and I am still not sure if this was an accident or meant to be...........Pieta went over to the egg and stood on it! Not directly on top of it, but to the side, and the last gosling popped out like a squeezed pimple! It was exhausted and lay in a damp mess of feathers and legs.

Nicola tending the last arrival, with love! Pieta has the other four with her.

I left Nicola to look after her 'grandchildren' and once again I was amazed and humbled by the wonder of nature.

And how easily we humans destroy it all.