06/02/2026
As part of my job in the construction industry, I visit active construction sites throughout the day. When I arrived at this site in late April, I noticed a Canada goose sitting on her nest just a short distance from where excavation for the building foundation was underway.
I was worried about her safety from the start, but there wasn't much we could do. The crew assured me they would give her plenty of space. Her mate, however, took his role as protector very seriously and frequently hissed at and chased anyone who ventured too close.
On May 4th, I arrived on site during a particularly windy day and immediately noticed something was wrong. The silt fence—a heavy plastic barrier used for erosion control—had torn loose from its stakes and was relentlessly whipping against the goose as she sat on her nest. She was hissing and fighting back against the plastic, but it just kept coming.
I looked around for her mate, and when I didn't see him, I decided to step in, hoping to not be attacked. As I approached to pull the plastic away, my heart sank. From a distance, it appeared the eggs beneath her had been shattered.
Then I saw it.
A tiny patch of yellow fluff under her belly. The eggs hadn't been destroyed —they had hatched.
I left her alone after that and continued on with my day. The next morning, I returned to the site to check on her—and, of course, do my job. That's when I finally saw a tiny yellow head pop out from beneath her feathers. 😍
I spent a few minutes photographing the adorable family when she started to gather her goslings and relocate to another part of the site. My presence may have encouraged the move, but honestly, it was for the best. They had been nesting in one of the busiest areas of the construction site, and I couldn't help but worry about the constant traffic from heavy equipment and workers.
Sometimes the most memorable moments on a construction site have nothing to do with the building being constructed.
