Mother’s Day on the marsh

Canada geese are the first waterfowl to begin nesting in Northern Iowa each spring.  With this year’s hatch currently reaching its peak, goose broods are becoming an increasingly common sight around area lakes and marshes.  Unlike many  waterfowl species, Canada geese maintain a strong family unit as adults care for their youngsters throughout the summer and, come fall, show them the way to traditional wintering grounds. This photo shows a female Canada with one of her newly hatched goslings.  The brood was hatched from a nest located atop a muskrat lodge at Ventura Marsh.  -Photo by Lowell Washburn.