It’s another sunny, windy day until about 1700 hrs, when the wind died completely and I was able to get in another paddle.  I set out for the southern point again, hoping to find the goslings, and sure enough, there they were, momma and her six little ones paddling for all they were worth.  The race was on.  

I had to get closer if I wanted any decent photos, but not so close as to scare them off. 

Pretty soon, it was time for mom’s nap.  They’d worn her out.  So, they hauled out and started looking for a little snack before bedtime.  

As soon as she felt they’d all had enough food before going down for a nap, she started giving signals to her brood that they’d better gather close, because she was going down, and they’d better be under her when that happened, or they’d be left out in the cold.

Of course, there are always those little ones who aren’t ready to go down for a nap.

It was like herding cats, but eventually they all huddled in a pile, waiting for momma to cover them for their nap.

I felt so fortunate that this momma Honker had let me witness this little ritual.