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Ames, Iowa - McFarland Park Geese - May 2025

Angie DeWaard
Jul 26
2 min read

This was the first foray out into nature with the new camera lens. I asked the kids if they wanted to go to McFarland Park with me, and it was a resounding "no" from each.

...I can't really blame them for that, because I encountered two entire families of geese. And geese are maybe the worst animals on earth, and I'm including chickens in that. They're just angry a-holes with maybe no redeeming value - they're not pretty like swans. They're not tasty like chickens. They're aggressive like bears.

And look at the tongue on this thing (sorry, I had to zoom way in, but it's horrifying):

A gosling with a freaky tongue splashes excitedly in a lake, with rippling water and grassy edges visible. The mood is lively and playful. — The blog automatically tried to make this the cover photo for this blog entry. Nope, not today, Satan.

It's jarring, right? I don't think birds are supposed to have tongues, but I don't know. What exactly are they doing with it - baby humans use their tongue to nurse, but not birds. What is the use case?

Anyway. I kept about twenty feet away from the geese, as I figured they'd get really aggressive with the goslings. By and large, they were fine other than a lot of side-eying me.

A goose grazes on a lush green lawn, surrounded by blurred leaves. A serene lake is visible in the background under a calm, cloudy sky.

Six geese swim in rippling water with a greenish tint. Two are adult geese; four are goslings. The scene is calm and natural.

A family of geese walks on a path in a green park, with adult geese leading and goslings following. Bright, sunny day, relaxed mood. — They don't *look* like evil here...

Geese in a lake, one with wings outstretched, others swimming. Green grass on the shore, calm water, and a serene, natural setting. — ...but they're definitely evil.

A goose spreads its wings by a lake, surrounded by five other swimming geese. Lush green grass lines the shore under a cloudy sky.

Two Canada geese and five goslings walk on a path in a green grassy park. The setting is peaceful with lush foliage. — The little heads peering over the hill killed me. Also, I edited out a whole lot of goose poop on the sidewalk, but there's still a ton left. You're welcome.

Geese and goslings wade through a grassy field dotted with white flowers, with trees in the background. — I like the one gosling trying to maybe fly or something. Part of me wants to trip him because he's just going to grow up to be an evil goose, but he's cute for now.

Geese and five goslings walk on lush green grass near a tree and tall grasses. The sky is soft and overcast, creating a tranquil mood.

There weren't a ton of wildflowers in the prairie area yet, but I got a few. Mostly this was an effort to see which editing style I liked best with the soft flower; I haven't decided which I like best yet.