“Rock-a-bye baby, thy cradle is green;
Father’s a nobleman, Mother’s a queen …”
~ “Mother Goose”
~ The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales & later of English nursey rhymes
~ In 1697, Charles Perrault published a collection of folktales with the subtitle “Contes de ma mère l'oye” (Tales from my Mother Goose), which became beloved throughout France and was translated into English in 1729
Talk about the wonder of nature in action! A Canada Goose looms over her eggs just before sitting on them as the gander stands guard in the spring waters of the Monocacy Creek on a late April afternoon at Monocacy Park, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Soon precious goslings will hatch from these eggs.
Once nesting has begun, the male and female will both defend the nest. The female lays eggs about every 1.5 days. Once all the eggs are laid, incubation begins.
Between one and ten, but normally five to six eggs are laid in the nest in March, April or May. Eggs are incubated by the goose (female) while the gander (male) stands guard nearby. The female leaves the nest only briefly each day to feed. Eggs hatch after 25 to 30 days.
