LULU EPILOGUE 2004
Since Lulu left on her own in March things have been rather boring. Nothing much happening, other than the usual. I do have a lamb recuperating which Sjimbra tried to “play” with but other than that, and the odd possible sighting of Lulu (I cannot be certain that I have seen her again). I thought it was possible that the geese went away for the winter but it does not seem to be the case.
I think the closest possibility I have of seeing her was one afternoon, a goose flew over my house and it nearly flew into some trees., either because it was not looking where it was going or it was Lulu.
A couple of times I have seen 3 geese fly over my house and the thought has crossed my mind as to whether it was not Lulu and the two wild geese who I have a suspicion, “abducted” her. She met them before she able to fly too far on her own.
I am writing this in July 2004 and we have already had quite a bit of snow this winter. Lately there have been a couple of geese flying in the area of my house. The problem is that about 5 years before Lulu came along I had let a full grown Egyptian Goose go that had had its wings rather harshly clipped. This one has made its nest and produced offspring right near my house on two occasions. I had actually wondered when she was found, whether or not she was one of her offspring.
I had done quite a bit of filming of Lulu as she was growing and she and Shorty had quite a bond. I was sitting at the computer, listening to the bit I was about to write to DVD, Shorty was next to me, when Lulus voice came over the loud speaker. His eyes lit up and he actually looked under the computer to see where she was. Later I was doing more editing. Shorty was on the bed now, when, once again, Lulu “spoke.” Once again, Shortys eyes were wiiiiiide open. I find it rather interesting that he still remembers her. I wonder whether Lulu remembers him as he does her?? I think we are going to be in for a rather interesting next couple of months.
CHAPTER 2
The date was 24/8//2004 and I am pretty sure that on this day at around 7am, I saw Lulu for the first time since she flew away. I have seen a pair of geese before which I suspected could have been Lulu and her mate but could not be sure.
I was on my way to the dairy when I heard two Egyptian geese “arguing” in a pine tree next to one of the houses . The one goose started to fly towards me, but the male (I know he was a male due to his size) “herded” it away. They flew around the trees a couple of times and the one goose settled on the top of one of them and sat there watching us. I cannot be 100% certain that it was Lulu but the facts and by the way the goose behaved it really looked like her. They were rather fart away to get a decent photo but just the way she sat and watched us!!! I am very sure she still remembers Shorty so it will be rather interesting to see whether she comes to say, “Hello” to us eventually.
There could be another reason she never came down and that is because Aerosol, (the lamb) was with us as well. Now Lulu does not know Aerosol so she might be wondering about the “stranger” with us. Still, it is going to be a rather interesting time from now on I think because it is also getting close to nesting time. With a little luck she will nest close to the house where she grew up.
CHAPTER 3
Since my viewing of Lulu, one of our staff members told me that a short while after that he was checking on a water pipe near my house and saw her standing at my front gate. Apparently she did not fly away. I cant wait to see how she is. With a little luck she will be around on a regular basis soon. I just have one problem, and that is her mate who is wild. He might stop her from visiting.
BUT, on 10/9-04 I was coming down from the dairy in the morning, it was a misty morning but a goose flew over my head shouting “Good Morning” to me as it flew over. It had to be Lulu because it “shouted” as it got to me and slowed as it passed me. I could not be too sure it was her because of the mist but I only know one goose who would do something like that.
Then it was Saturday, 11/9 and I was going to start the engine that pumps water for our houses. Now, when I go for these little “walks” I always take my camera with me and today I was not let down. I came across a lone Egyptian goose roaming around a flock of Guinea Fowl. It could only have been Lulu. I just wondered why she was alone because when I saw her in the Pine trees she had a mate with her. She would not let me get too close but I did get close enough to get a couple of photos of her. She flew a short way away, so after starting the engine I went to look for her. She was about 300m away in a small land which is used for trials during the growing season. Again, she was very wary of us (I had the dogs with me) and did not let us get too close to her, but once again I got one or two photos. I did get close enough to see that she was now fully matured with white around her eyes, which she did not have when she flew away.
With a little luck she will slowly remember us and let us get closer to her.
CHAPTER 4
From now on I have decided to keep a diary of Lulu because it now seems as if she is going to be around on a regular basis.
13/9/04
I saw Lulu at the same place again today where I saw her over the weekend. This time she was on her own with no Guinea Fowl or “spouse goose” with her. I have a feeling that she comes to drink and bathe at the water trough, which is in the camp. Once again she did not let me get too close (I was on my own without the dogs) but I did manage to get a pic or two from about the same distance as on the 11th. She eventually flew away when I got too close. I wonder whether she had a bad “human” experience since she has been away?
I was going to start the engine for our water so decided to finish what I was doing and come back later.
It was about an hour later when I was reading our water meters for the houses when she flew over my head not saying anything and from the direction she was heading I thought she might be headed for the stream so after work I took the dogs for a drive but she was not there.
I now recognize her way of flying because she does not fly too well in a straight line, every so often she will bob and weave as if she is being chased by something.
14/9/04
Today Lulu was at the same place as yesterday and everything was a carbon copy of yesterday. Well almost. The horses, which are in the camp as well were very frisky and were chasing each other. Lulu was with a couple of Guinea Fowl today and they eventually flew away because of the commotion. I watched Lulu and because she did not fly too far away I went for a walk to try to find her but she was too far away to get a photo of and because there was razor wire between us I had to give up.. On the way back I came across a gooses egg, which could only be from her. It was lying in the middle of nowhere but in the area where she was now residing. I did not find this very unusual. This will be her first season as a “grown up. And because she is still young it is possible that she does not know exactly what to do yet. I have taken it home and am attempting to hatch it. Wow, imagine if it is actually fertile and does hatch. Unfortunately the odds are against it being so because think it is one of her first eggs and they do not usually produce. It is worth a try anyway.
CHAPTER 5
I have stopped keeping a daily record of Lulu now because I see her on an almost daily basis now and she still behaves in the same way. She still will not let me get too close to her. I have not seen her over the weekend though but the reason for that could be that the people who keep horses in the camp where she “hangs out” very often go riding on a Saturday and Sunday which might chase her away. (either that or she is now “nesting.”)
Another reason, which has a very small possibility is that it is not Lulu at all abut another goose. Why I think it might be possible is because every morning at around 5, a goose flies over my house, shouting good morning until it has flown over. Now this is the kind of thing I would expect from Lulu but up until the time of writing this (30/9/04) I have not seen the other goose. As I said earlier, I did let a full grown goose go a couple of years ago and she still returns at nesting time, so it is possible that this is she.
I had my camera stolen a short while ago and have just invested in a better one. With this one I can blow the photos up a LOT without losing picture quality. It is now possible to get a much better idea of the goose which I think is Lulu and to me this is really Lulu. Only time will tell.
As for the egg I found, I have thrown it away because it was not fertile. A bit of a shame really because it would have been nice having a baby “Lulu” around again even if her cheeping would have driven me half crazy.
CHAPTER 6
Well, it seems as if I might have spoken a little too hastily earlier. Today is 1st October and a rather different one when it comes to Lulu. I had to go past where she hangs out , earlier than usual and she was there with her “beau.” This is the first time I have seen him there with her.
But, this begins earlier in the morning. When I went up to the dairy at around 6 30, there was a goose flying over and around my house. It was not saying anything but it did seem interested in the area. I can only think this was Lulu.
Anyway, back to what I was saying. I went back later with the camera but the male had flown away so I sat on a log in the camp and watched her. This time she did she did not fly away. She did keep her distance though but at one time it did seem as if she was coming towards us. Is she remembering? Only time will tell.
Then, after lunch, when I had time to remove the photos I had taken earlier, I went back. She was still there but this time she did fly away. However, she did not fly to the area where she usually goes, possibly because there were people working there. This time she flew over my house. I lost sight of her but as I write this I can hear two geese “chatting” from the camp next to my house. It could be Lulu but then it could also bet the older goose that I let go a couple of years ago.
After work I went to see whether she was still at her “place of residence.” She was so I tried the same trick I did earlier. I sat in the same place and watched her. This time the horses came and disrupted my attempt at bonding with her.
I think we are going to be in for an interesting period now. I wonder whether she has a nest in the area, which might be why she no longer flies away. We will keep a good look out for it.
CHAPTER 5
It is once again he weekend, the date being 9/10/04. Even though there has been nothing of interest to report on the “Lulu” front, today was a little different. I had to go and start the engine for water for the houses, which is rather usual for me over the weekend. Today Shorty decided not to join us o I took Sjimbra with me. If he knows I am going for a walk there is no way he will be left behind, unless I am going to fetch the cows for dairy, then he seems to know. He has come with me on a number of occasions but the cows chase him so if he sees I am going in their direction he stays near the garages where we park the farm vans, because he can watch me from there.
As usual, Lulu was in her chosen area, so I walked past and went to start the engine. On the way back I decided to sit against a tree in the camp so I could watch her. For a while Sjimbra sat with me but you could tell he was more interested in Lulu. I don’t find it unusual but am rather interested to find that he actually remembered her.
Today was the first time he actually showed “memory” of her. He did not have much of a bond with her when she was growing up, or not as much as she did with Shorty. Nevertheless, he lay next to me for a while and then started sneaking up on her. It seemed as if he was “hunting” her because he walked very softly and then lay down about 10m away from me (he was still about 30m away from her though.) There he lay down and watched her. She had moved away when I went into the camp but when Sjimbra started sneaking up on her she just stood and watched her.
He eventually seemed to tire of this game, walked to the water trough and had a swim. He knows that this is where she swims because she leaves droppings on the lid, which protects the ball valve. He sniffed that spot for a short while and then lay next to the trough and once again watched Lulu, as if to tease her as if he was telling her that if she wanted a swim then she would have to go past him. He and Shorty teased her once just before she left us. She wanted to have a bath in the baby bath I had put under the tap for her but he and Shorty lay next to it so that she could not get in. He seemed to have the same idea today. He lay there for a while, watching her, until the horses came for a drink when he once more came and lay with me. She, in the meantime, had also laid down and was watching him. The horses did not seem to bother her but then she was not in their vicinity.
I then had to go and check on the water (I had had to fix a leaky pipe on Friday after work which I could not stop leaking altogether so I was manually filling the water trough for the cows). ie I was turning the tap on until the trough was full and then turning it off again because the leak was on the same line as the water to our houses.
CHAPTER 6
It is now Thursday 14/10 and I have not seen Lulu since Sunday. I can only imagine that she is now nesting. This means that seeing her for the next couple of weeks will be by pure chance because she will only be off the nest to drink or eat a little and for short times (or, as I found out later, when “Hubby” relieved her.) I tried finding the nest on Sunday where I thought she might be hiding away but found no sign of her so I might be wrong in my thoughts as to where she might have it hidden.
BUT, I have been hearing Egyptian geese every morning in the trees where I first spotted her when she arrived in the area again. I have not seen them because they are usually gone before I get out of bed. (being Spring now the sun is up at close to 5 o clock).
This morning I was on my way to get milk at the dairy and two geese were sitting “chatting” in a tree close to my house. I was going home and was going to get my camera ready when I heard a swishing of wings above my head. I did not see the bird and did not get a chance to photograph it either but I have a sneaky suspicion that it was Lulu saying good morning (she always did have a crazy sense of humor).
I next saw her and her beau in the camp across from my house but they flew away before I could photograph them.
CHAPTER 7
It seems as if I spoke too soon yesterday because this morning the geese were chatting again as usual and I had time to get my camera. I thought they had flown away, so because I had noticed a couple of Weaver Bird nests in one of the Pine trees, I was photographing them. (my camera is still very new so I am always experimenting). I also had time to go home to have a look at the photos before going to work. Imagine my surprise when I saw an Egyptian gooses tail feathers hanging over
To be
Continued 3
