They waddle cushioned
green feedbeds, nibbling new shoots
in crisp autumn air.
They rise as one, one pink dawn,
Wings in formation, on the way…
The Aleutian Canada Goose is mostly a herbivore, and is a primary consumer. They eat: grasses, berries, sedges, aquatic vegetation, legumes, succulents, clover, cultivated grains, corn, wheat, barley, soybean, and seeds. They sometimes also eat: small fish, crustaceans, and insects. They feed in areas that are relatively open so they can see potential predators or other dangers. The Aleutian Canada Goose usually eats at least 1/2 pounds of food each day.
The Aleutian (aka Cackling) [Branta hutchinsii] Goose [not much bigger than a mallard duck] and the Canadian Goose are virtually identical—so much so that until 2004, they were considered one species: Branta canadensis. … But size varies, and some smaller Canada Geese (females and immature birds especially) can stay nearly as compact as their estranged counterparts.
Image and Feeding Habits information come from here.
Information about the two types of geese found here.
Frank J. Tassone is the host of Haikai Challenge. Frank says:
This week, write the haikai poem of your choice (haiku, senryu, haibun, tanka, haiga, renga, etc.) that states or alludes to either Fall foliage or goose (kari)–or both, if you feel so inclined!
Tao Talk 
We have Canadian Geese in NZ.
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Interesting!
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Beautiful poem Li.
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Thank you, Sadje.
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You’re welcome 😉
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Very nice!
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Thank you.
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Thanks for the information! I don’t think I’ve ever done a goose for draw a bird day. Something to consider. But of course their true beauty is in flight. (K)
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Hoping one day you do. We have a lot of them around here on the waterways.
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Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #2: Jade Li’s latest #tanka for my current #Haikai Challenge!
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A beautiful tanka Lisa, I especially love how the geese ‘rise as one, one pink dawn’ 💚
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🙂 Thank you very much, Xenia and glad you connected with that line ❤
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You’re very welcome 🙂💜
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I know I’ve seen V’s in my sky. But I couldn’t tell you which geese!
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I see them eating grass more but never thought to see if there were any smaller ones in the bunch — but I will now 🙂
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I’ve always loved the Canadian Goose. They are a such an interesting bird. You captured that well. ❤
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Thank you, Colleen. People sometimes consider them pests, but what they don’t understand is that the grass wouldn’t be nearly so green without them around.
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So true. I do see a few around in January here in AZ. It’s their vacation spot. 😀
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Smart birds! 🙂
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I agree. LOL! 😀
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Take it easy, my friend, thank you for thinking of your blogmates. Thank you for your wonderful prompts all year. Hoping we all see a brighter 2021 ❤
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