Well Charline, there is a simple answer and there is a whimsical answer to this question and quite frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. The short answer, which is usually the one closest to the truth, is that the birds are moulting. That's not as disgusting as it sounds. Walking expends less energy than flying when short distances are anticipated. During the festival of moult, when birds develop anticipatory tendencies, the birds can't fly, so they need to walk. There are other issues to consider. When geese walk across a roadway they are garnering considerable attention and urban geese have learned from people that receiving attention is desirable, and believe me when I suggest that if they could access the internet they would be social media stars, even influencers. You know something, I'm not sure if 'influencer' is even a real word. When geese walk across a road in single-file they are advertising their established pecking order. That's another thing that they have learned from people. Geese also have 'attitude'. What better way to show it? Now, what would they do if there were no roads? Would they strut around like divas? They would still walk! This is especially true with goslings around. Parents want to keep their goslings away from other parent's goslings because they fear others would be a bad influence. You know, emerging gosling gangs and all. Geese will moult while they are teaching their goslings how to shun their neighbours and how to strut like a peacock, which is what every goose secretly wishes to be. Please, allow me a moment of silence while I try to remember what your question was. Oh, right, ... I've gone down the rabbit hole again. You started it. Besides, what was that crack about me being unable to resist a prompt, to keep my fingers off the qwerty, to keep my opinions in check. You're laughing at me again, aren't you?
I get the last laugh because you had your finger over part of the lens.
Made you look!
