Squabbling Egyptian Geese

There was a racket up at the Brewery Pond yesterday: it was loud and ferocious-sounding. In pairs, some new Egyptian Geese were arguing, darting their necks backwards and forwards, spreading their wings. One even jumped up into a tree. Was it a fox? Was it mating rituals? They made noises that they had never made before: growls, purrs, shrieks, hysterical shouts and honks.

Eventually, I realised that they were arguing with the echoes of their voices that were slapping back from the brick wall at the opposite end of the pond. On it went, call: response, call: response, call: response.....

If only I could have told them that the echo always has the last word.