After several nervous days of Durangoans waiting and hoping Animas River water levels wouldn’t rise too high and overtake a Canada goose nest, four out of gosling eggs had hatched as of Friday morning. The four babies crawled out from under their mom, exploring their new world but not getting more than a foot away.
Four goslings appeared Friday morning at a nest on an island near the foot bridge by Rotary Park. Passers-by have been monitoring the next since the Animas River rose within a foot or so of the nest last week, threatening to sweep it away. Local birders say the pair of geese have chosen that nesting spot for several years, and they’ve nicknamed the male goose Smudge. One egg remained unhatched in the nest as of Friday morning. A clutch of eggs can take several days to hatch.
Four goslings venture a few inches from their mom Friday morning at a nest on a small island near the foot bridge over the Animas River near Rotary Park. Durango residents and birders have been keeping tabs on the nest because of high water near the island. But the water has receded somewhat in recent days.
