Tuesday, March 04, 2008

ABC Wednesday Letter “G”

So I was thinking about the letter “G”.
Then a few days ago this happened: Last Thursday actually!
This is a rather normal occurrence here; well anymore it seems to be. We are located along one of the many migratory paths of the Canada Geese. I suppose I might add I call them this since they are not residents of Canada per say. The vast majority of English speaking people call the goose that is large and has a black head—Branta canadensis—a Canadian Goose. However, its original name was a CANADA Goose. Oh gosh I sound like quite the snob, sorry ‘bout that! Blame it on the fact I am an educator…

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A teacher is: a person whose occupation is teaching.

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An educator however is: A person or organization with responsibility for developing, managing or delivering learning resources…

At one point in time the Branta canadensis was called a Canada Goose, because it was often seen flying towards Canada and living there. You could now just as easily call it a North American Goose since it is found all over North America and lives just about anywhere. It has adapted to live all across the US and into Mexico too.

So over the years, the name has changed to be Canadian Goose in English. Just like people in the 1600s used to call pumpkins "Pompions" and call vegetables "potherbs", we have changed what we typically call the Branta canadensis to Canadian Goose.

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Remember, the official name for any bird is its Latin name. So the "real" name for this creature is Branta canadensis. That's because the bird probably has 200 different names in 200 different languages, based on its colors, its sounds, its habitat or many other reasons. Birds get named after people, after habits, after all sorts of things. The Latin name is the same around the world for that bird.

At any hoot on with the story… We have raise domestic geese here for @ 25 years. When we first moved here and before we knew much about farming, the little we do…we tried to attract the Canada geese. To no avail I might add. But that turned out to be a good thing actually. @@@
We started out with @ 12 or so geese called Embden, beautiful white fowl. All was well until they began mating and we got gray geese, well greay and white… Ummmmmmmmm it seems that somewhere back in their line there was a story. Here is what we read and think happened. Toulouse had to have crossed with the Embden… @@ The neat part actually is that after these many years these guys must really like us because they continue to chase away the Canada geese. IT is almost like “HEYYA, this is our place so FLY AWAY.”
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These pictures are of one such day last week where a gaggle of Canada geese played in our creek. Some really good pictures I thought. Then our Geese came down and they “shouted” them away. For real, it was and continues to amaze me how animals are…
Embden Geese according to the records are not a very old breed, only being cited for around 200 years. The origins of this breed are thought to be from Northern Europe, in Holland and Germany. The eminent authority, Lewis Wright, was of the opinion that they originated from the town of Emden in Lower Saxony, Germany, although another source, namely Edward Brown, in ‘’Race of Domestic Poultry’’ believed that the breed was created by crossing the German White with the English White and then, by a process of careful selections, creating the goose as it is today. Others suggest that the English Embden’s great weight and size was produced by selective breeding with the Toulouse breed, which was then bred out leaving the large size of this breed. See we got rid of them ... are you not PLEASED????? @@@@@@@@ STreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch The Toulouse goose is a breed of domesticated goose derived from the Greylag Goose Anser anser. @@@@@@ As the name suggests, it originates from the area around Toulouse in southwest France. It is a large bird, with a weight of up to 9 kg.[1] The original grey coloured breed is a very old one and the name has been recorded back as far as 1555. The breed was first brought to the United Kingdom by Lord Derby in 1840, who imported some of them to England, and from then onwards the French Toulouse were used as breeding stock with the consequence that by 1894, English breeders had produced a massive bird. The 'Toulouse' in France although kept in greater numbers have never quite equaled such weights. The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), also referred to as the Canadian Goose[1], belongs to the Branta genus of geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey species of the Anser genus. The species name, canadensis, is a New Latin word meaning "of Canada".

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Bottom line

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Our geese are FAMILY

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44 comments:

Linda said...

Wow, that's a lot of geese and quite the story.

Paulie said...

Interesting background on the geese. Here, they "stop by" and we call them Canadian geese also.

kuanyin333 said...

You have such a wonderful family, and I can tell you love them! Such wonderful photos and a great selection for G! Mahalo for the education!

Katney said...

I think we call them Canada Geese, but after the lecture I would say that anyway.

I remember domestic geese from my childhood. We had some for weeding. They were MEAN!!. Ask my brother. I could send him here to comment, except he won't even comment on my blog. He would tell you about how the geese chased his little sister.

Lilli & Nevada said...

I love geese and you told it well, and you have some fabulous photos there

Janet said...

This was a good story and some really great photos of geese.

Kathy b said...

Thank you for all the information on your G. You have quite a family. Because of our friend who works for Audubon, we call them Canadian Geese too.

Silly Goose said...

Tee hee. Here in Canada it's considered incorrect to call them Canadian Geese. It's proper to call them Canada geese. ;-) But we hav a few words that are diffrent up her...in spite of Hollywood's and TV's influence.

Lana G! said...

Wow! They are beautiful and look like they walk a little like a penguin in those last shots! :)'m

I'm glad they're not dinner!

Juliana RW said...

nice shot of geese.

Hope you visit mine also Thanks.

Kyanite said...

Great geese photo's & good info.
Have had an interesting read too going back a few posts.

Blue

Anne-Berit said...

I am from Norway,and I have learned that the name is Canada Goose.Very interrestingG-post,and the photos are just beautiful.Have a nice day:o)

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi ,
This is a wonderfull G Theme for ABC wednesday, great GOOSE From Canada and not a Canedian haha, that makes a lot of difference? i quess not, welldone.


Greetings from JoAnn/Holland
Visit my G for ABC wednesday

Tom said...

These Canada Geese are concidered pest by our farmers... great flock turn up and destoy grasslands for the grazing of sheep and cattle.
On the other hand many farmers keep Greylag around their farm houses for eggs and because they make good guards and make noise when soneone or something is about.

Goose eggs are my favourite, the yolks are beautiful. Never ate goose you will be pleased to know.

Mrs Mac said...

Ahhh! Mrs Nesbitt is going to love this one because of her pet goosie... LOL

We have huge flocks of Canadian geese here in Colchester. They settle on the University grounds, where there is a lake and some woods. But they wander all over the place up there, all round the campus. LOL!

Michele said...

WOW... great photos!! I love the write up you have with it as well... very entertaining!

FO - 2 said...

Great shots! :)
You captured the walking very well! :)))

Sharon said...

This is a wonderful series of pictures and I appreciated the lesson with them, it was interesting. My favorite picture was the stretch.

Pernille said...

Wow Wow!!!! So wonderful and cute!!
Great G and I love this geese:)

Daryl said...

This is wonderful!

Kerri Farley said...

Great G post!! Your geese and the Cananda geese are pretty!

Berit T said...

WOW, SO MANY GEESE!!!
Beautiful birds.

Petunia said...

Interesting story ang great pictures:)

Andrea said...

Wow, what an interesting and beautiful post.

Dragonstar said...

Wonderful! We've always called these "Canada Geese", but I'm known to be rather pedantic. I love that Stretch photo!
We've never kept geese, although I wanted them for their eggs when all our family was still at home. I always considered ducks to be people - they always smile at you, whatever the weather. Are geese the same?

Neva said...

That is a lot I never knew about Branta canadensis! Nice!

BumbleVee said...

I will have to call them by their proper name now..(Branta canadensis) instead of the rather colourful names I usually scream at them... ....when I am waving my golf club and trying to shoo them off the tee box so I can hit my ball. Then kicking geese "peep" away so I don't whack that instead of the ball and create a huge mess. They are huge (the Brantas that is..not the "peep") and can be quite mean, even to us Canadians.. ... although the "peep" too, is rather large... and so plentiful!! .. lol...

Great post...loved the info and the pics..

Nancy said...

Loved your pictures of your geese and the story that goes with them.Thanks for sharing about your geese.

kRiZcPEc said...

Nicely written and the geese are lovely.
Could I ask how to define info guru? - I think you are one. :)

AVCr8teur said...

Thank you for the lesson. Whatever they're called, they look lovely against the snow. Also, thank you for commenting on my blog.

Annie said...

Yes, yes, absolutely necessary that they be called Canada geese, not Canadian geese. I've reminded many of this fact.

Patty said...

Interesting information. Thanks. I have some geese too this week

Anonymous said...

WoW......some very beautifully captured shots!

Jean M Fogle said...

I learned alot about geese, thanks for sharing

Billy said...

Thanks for stopping by. I can't believe how big they are!

Miss_Yves said...

Very interesting post !
Wonderful pictures :the contrast between black and white is gorgeous !
miss Yves !

kml said...

Love the Streeeetch!

photowannabe said...

Thanks for the interesting educating information. Pictures are perfect too. Good G post.

Coy Hill said...

Loved the goose story! You are so right about the Canada geese adapting to new habitat. Twenty years ago they migrated over our area, now some stay year round.

I enjoyed your turkey post also, rafter... thats a new one on me :)

imac said...

Beautiful Post, like the photos and story, Nice one for G post.



hope you feeling better from the flu.

Liz Hinds said...

I'm glad they're not your dinner!

We call them Canada Geese. Not Canadian.

Gordon said...

Beautiful photos of geese and an interesting lesson. Thanks.

mrsnesbitt said...

Jo, our gander is an Emden goose. He is about 15 years old now. My avator is an actual copy of a watercolour I did of Dolly, another goose we had who sadly died. They were all part of the family.
A great choice.

VP said...

We have loads of Canada Geese on our river here in Chippenham. However, it was Great to see your story and info about them.

I hope you're getting better - I've been ill too, that's why it's taken me a while to get back to you after ABC...