Meet Alcyone and Ceyx:

Day 1 - Alcyone and Ceyx

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Canada geese mate for life and are very solicitous and protective of each other.  You can see in this shot, Alcyone is happily foraging even though I’m close-by, watching and shooting because whilst she’s eating, Ceyx is on high alert.  And vice versa.

They return to this farm pond every year (for at least eight years now) and produce an adorable brood of goslings.  They may be getting a tad long in the tooth but I’m really hoping there’s another crop of lovely babies again this year.

“Today is one of those excellent January partly cloudies in which light chooses an unexpected part of the landscape to trick out in gilt,
and then the shadow sweeps it away.”*

Today is a very cool, overcast day but, whilst I was shooting, a small ray of watery sunshine broke through the clouds and tricked out the edge of the pond in gilt.  You can see its glint on the top of Ceyx’ beak and this is my tiny beautiful moment today.

*Annie Dillard from her Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.  Yup, a favourite quote of mine!