Swan Goose

The second and bigger of the two breeds of domestic geese at the duck pond are the Swan Geese.  Above is a younger goose with a smaller, immature bill knob and no flap of skin to speak of on the neck.  (Photo taken with the Canon PowerShot.)

The Swan Geese own the place.  The actual swan on the duck pond (more about him later) might appear to be the queen of all the duck pond, as my daughter insists, but the Swan Geese are the ones actually calling the shots. Loudly.

They'll be lazing about the middle of the pond, dabbling, or whatever it is geese do, and if they see a group of ducks and gulls getting out of hand with some kid's bread crumbs on shore, they'll start honking from across the park and paddling like mad to take charge of the situation.  They cut through the scrum, butt their way to the person with the bread bag, honking the whole way, and TAKE their share.  Not making with the bread crumbs fast enough? That's a honking. Sharing those bread crumbs a little too far and wide with the hoi polloi? That's a honking. Honking not clear enough for you? Oh, you better believe that's a honking.              

This closeup of a more mature and regal fellow with a very pronounced bill knob and long, velvety flap of skin on his neck, was taken on my iPhone from about 6 inches away.  He came running over to Maxine and me, insisting that he be given bread or oats or whatever it was he was sure we had, and crashed right into me.  He pressed against me stretching his neck all the way up as high as it would go along the side of my body (as I kept Maxine safely on the other side) looking for food.  But no biting.  He was insistent, but once he calmed down, downright pleasant.  He let me stroke his wings and neck flap, which is how I know it actually is velvety.  You could have thrown your arm around this one and hugged it - something I've seen people doing in the past.

A little girl at the park a few days later was calling them dinosaur birds.  Feeding the ducks and coots, having a great time, and as soon as the Swan Geese came a-runnin' and a-honkin' the little girl would cry, "Oh, no! The dinosaur birds are coming!"  The pedant in me wanted to say, "Actually, they're Swan Geese."  But she was right.  They are Dinosaur Birds.

Swan Geese, taken March 14, 2010 with Canon PowerShot and iPhone.  Identified on the web.