Every year, Ed and Carol fly north to Bedlam Farm to build a next and have their offspring. They showed up a week or two ago, and Ed was busy patrolling the woods in front of their nest in the marsh. Today, for the first time, they came out of the marsh and strutted around the pasture with all of the little Gulleys.

We closed the pasture off to give them some peace and privacy – the sheep and donkeys would bother them, and we came out quietly and took some photos. They come here every year and it has become a cherished ritual for us to see them. They are quite used to the dogs now and Red and Fate don’t bother them.

We named them Ed and Carol in honor of our friends the Gulleys. Ed is grumpy and loud, like his namesake. Fate came too close the other day and he puffed himself up and shrieked. Fate almost fainted, and fled.

The parents bracket the babies as they learn how to walk and eat bugs and explore the open ground. In a few weeks they will be done for another year. They are one of the cherished rites of Spring here, and it is always a beautiful thing to see this beautiful ritual every year.

Animals can be the most wonderful parents. There are many dangers for these goslings out in the marsh, they are in good hands.  These two are as good as Secret Service agents, but they don’t mind us unless we get too close. Which we don’t.

I do think they know us, our presence outside does not bother them, although it did the first couple of years that they came.