Mother Goose

One of these four geese was given the responsibility of incubating four hen's eggs which hatched into fluffy white chicks. (One out of shot).

All four geese are incredibly protective of the chicks. As I approached they formed a tight circle around the chicks and led them off away from me and my intrusive lens.

Having moved some distance away, they strung out in the line you can see.

The lead goose is Chinese Goose, identifiable by the strongly developed basal knob on the upper side of the bill. The other three are American Buff geese.

Apparently, the chicks are a bit puzzled when  the geese have a paddle in a pond, something chickens are not known to do. Puzzled was the word used by the farmer; I am not given to using anthropomorphic words if I can help it.