Geese and goslings.....gone

One of the few things I enjoy in this life is observing the natural world or the base simulation. I have seen ducks on the pond before, but this year was the first year that I observed 2 Canadian geese.  They hung out on the shoreline for about 3 weeks.  I saw them daily.  Then I noticed the female moved to this mound in the middle of the pond and never moved for 3 weeks. The male hovered at her periphery.  I was out with my friend when we noticed the balls of fuzz at the nest.  He commented that there are at least 5 or 6...then went on to ponder.."I wonder how many will survive."  I dismissed the comment.

Later that day, I noticed both adults and 7 goslings on the shore exploring their environment.  It was fascinating to watch each of them wandering about while staying near the parents.  I took the below photos that day...notice the turtle in the background.

The next day, I walked back out to the pond with my Guatemalan friend who told me that the geese were gone.  Unfortunately, he was right.  All of the goslings and both adults were gone. He astutely remarked..."imagine being born into this place for one day and then being killed."  Who knows what happened, although I think he is probably correct.  There are some big snapping turtles in that pond.  I did notice a large white cat out near the pond as well.  

I wonder if they will ever return...if any of them are alive.  Geese are known to return to their nesting areas for decades from thousands of miles away. 

This is such a strange place.