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Spotted at a get out point overhere:

Just so that people know what we are talking about...

Three years ago (17 October 2002) three little Egyptian goslings somehow lost their mother in our neighbourhood. They ended up with us. With lots of patience (and love) we reared all three of them. We even had to take them to the local kennels twice when we went away on weekends. When they were small we've covered them with a blanket in a basket at night. Later we kept them in a bigger cage at night till eventually they were big enough that we did not have to fear the neighbours' cat at night or the genet that caused some havoc amongst another neighbour's pigeons from time to time. As they grew up we recognized one to be a female and the other two males. They started taking their first flying lessons on our back lawn and ended up in the street many times. I was scared of dogs and arranged with the nature conservasionist at Arabella Golf Estate to take them their as they were big enough to look after themselves by then. He collected them at my house and released them at one of the dams on the golf course. But he told me they took off immediately and wondered f the have not flown back to our house. Great was our surprise the next morning when they were back. They then started flying to the lagoon during the day - come back during lunch time for a quick snack - and off again to the lagoon. I was a bit concerned about their safety on the lagoon as it was peak of the holiay season here in Kleinmond with lots of children swimming in the lagoon and the geese being to used to humans. When I went to the lagoon and started callingf them, they would immediately come to me (the one male was very tame and love to be stroked. But as soon as strangers came near they swam deeper.

They left our yard on 11 January 2003 for the last time and never came back again. Egyptian geese was just another bird for me (nothing special) as they are so common in the Western Cape. But since then they have a very special place in our hearts. We had a similar experience with a guinea fowl earlier this year, but that's a story for another time.

They (Egyptian Geese) are all over the show here because of the poxemity of the Berg River, but it is odd to see them standing in the middle of the wheat fields!
@DuQues: your geese are very clean, ours are not so white, more like browny white due to all the dust here.

Do they call them Egyptian Geese, is it because of there make-up like markings on there face.

In Dutch they're called Nijlgans. I don't think the English name has to do with markings but is probably more origin related?

Our Gypos are far more grey than DQ's

This is one near our dam here in Swaziland

Sunset dam:

Other Names
Afrikaans: Kolgans
Scientific: Alopochen aegyptiacus
Dutch: Nijlgans
Zulu: iLongwe

Food: Grass, leaves, seeds, grain, crop seedlings, aquatic rhizomes and tubers.

Habits: Highly gregarious when not breeding otherwise mainly in pairs. Spends much of the day loafing on the shoreline or sandbank. Flies early morning and evening to farmlands and grasslands to graze. They return to the water shoreline or trees afterwards to roost. Large flocks congregate on larger bodies of water to moult.

Sunset Dam,Lower Sabie

I do really enjoy these gregarious and character filled birds.

When I moved to my area it was on the edge of the bush. I could look for miles and see open veld and grasslands. Since then, over a matter of 12 years it has become one of the most built up areas in G'teng. The developments include the biggest entertainment/casino in South Africa. It was built in an area that used to be a habitat for many creatures, including Egyptian Geese.

About 2 years ago, I was off for an early morning run in a neighbouring suburb. The sun was only just starting to rise as I crossed one of the busiest intersections in our area. To my amazement, on the other side of the intersection, a mini early morning traffic jam had built up.
Strolling across the road, was mama, papa and 3 little goslings.

@Stoffel, what a wonderful story!

Egyptian Geese, patrolling Mpondo Dam

Larger view

These Egyptain Goose and SO visited us every morning, sometimes making way too much noise if ignored.

Nice photo's Jen!