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Dabbling Geese
a sight to behold and give you a chuckle
A little dabble here. A little dabble there.
Geese are dabblers. After seeing many, many geese (and ducks) submerge their heads directly down into the water with their fannies sticking up in the air, I have been wondering what they are doing. They remind me of being a kid and trying to do a handstand in the swimming pool. (For the record, I didn't have the coordination to do that. It always ended up being a very sad and ungraceful flop. Complete failure.)
I learned that the term for this particular
goose move is "dabbling," where they upend themselves to feed off the bottom of the pond.
Obviously, dabbling is best for shallow waters. They skim along the mud or algae or plants at the bottom of the pond, nibbling as they go. They use their feet and legs to help keep their balance. Additionally, they move their tails
to counterbalance their head movement underwater.
And now you know the proper term the next time
you see geese or ducks with their heads down
in the water and their tails straight up.
Dabbling! It's very comical, but obviously it is
an efficient way of eating. Bottoms up!
