All five goslings made it to maturity that summer, probably assisted by the fresh water fountain which was their daily waterhole during the dry months. From September on, 6 of the original 7 geese frequently returned to the island, and have been seen here as late as January 2003. Update: Successful hatches of 4 nests occurred in 2004. In 2005 at least 4 pairs are nesting. Now when they hatch, the young are immediately taken off the island by their parents since there is no fresh water source on the island.

In the spring of 2008, and addling cull was done on permit from Canadian Wildlife permit arranged through BC Parks. There were no successful hatches that year. This had to be done because of the serious level of overpopulation of geese on the island. The integrity of the vegetation was starting to be impacted.

Physical Characteristics: Canada Geese have a black neck, bill and head with pronounced white patches and strip under the chin. The body is usually brownish-grey. During flight the tail shows a white half-circle just above the black tail. These colour patterns are unique to this species. Females are usually somewhat smaller than the males, although both are similar to each other in colour. The mass of the Canada Goose varies in every species ranging from one to four kilograms. Goslings, or baby geese, are yellow with some greenish-grey colourings on the top of the head and back.

photo by Raisa (PC 31)

Food Habits

When on land, Canada Geese eat mostly grass and wild barley. They are able to grab a hold of each blade and pull it out with their bills by jerking their heads. They also eat wheat, beans, rice, and corn. In the water, the birds stick their head and upper part of their body into the water leaving their tail and back end extending in the air. They stretch their neck out, under the water, and slide their bills across the bottom silt. They also eat a number of aquatic plants such as eel grass and sea lettuce.

Behaviour

Sharing a spot in the sun with the Black Oystercatchers, spring, 2005	Sentinel near tower.	A nest covered up while the parents are foraging.	Eggs, April 2007

On June 3/08, PB captured these images of the goose eating her own egg which had not hatched.	This goose had only one egg, and had sat on it for at least 40 days.

Males in this species are very aggressive. They use their bills not only to eat and groom, but also in attacks. They also lay out flat and still on the ground with their necks stretched out to be less visible to the danger. Most geese mate for life. They form pairs during migration or on wintering grounds. Males fight over females with their wings and bills. The winner approaches the female with his head down and neck undulating. He makes hissing and honking noises. They usually mate either before or after they have found a nesting location. Mating occurs in the spring on the water.
References

The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta, Ed. Glen P. Semenchuk. Edmonton: Federation of Alberta Naturalists, 1992.