Let’s catch up with the Middletons and the Eastons, I’ve been to visit them – and their pondmates – a couple of times.
Tuesday evening I’ll be at the Loch Lyme Lodge in Lyme, NH to show lots of nature photos and present An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon. For details, timing and prices, see LochLymeLodge.com.
And the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair opens August 3 and runs through August 11. I’m in booth 718. I’ve got lots of new images and favorites from years past. Come on by to have a look. If you’ve never been to the Fair, you’re missing a real show. Besides having some of New England’s best looking photographers, there is amazing work by all sorts of craftsmen, the skill is simply amazing. All the details about the Fair on the League’s site: NHCrafts.org.
The Eastons were receiving visitors when I showed up on July 14. Mom was tending the nest and dad was enjoying a peaceful morning. For a time.
Dad checked in on Mom and everything was peaceful when I left.
July 17 was the first day their eggs might have hatched. I went up to see how they were getting on. (They lost their first clutch, likely due to flooding.)
I went back on July 19 to see if the chicks had hatched.
On the 20th, I checked in on the Middletons. There was a thick fog when I put in and finding the family was a challenge. Until they swam out of the fog right in front of me.
The last time I visited, I was a bit concerned about the smaller chick. The larger chick had been pecking at him? constantly when he was with the family. The smaller chick had been separating from the family far further than normal at this age. This time, both chicks were traveling with the parents and the sibling rivalry seemed under control.
This morning, I headed back to check on the Eastons. There were several deer and a nice bull moose out and about. When I arrived it was a very pleasant 56° with a dead calm wind leaving the water with almost perfect mirror reflections. There were just a few whisps of clouds above and it promised to be a great sunrise on the pond.
A wren has claimed one of the boxes on our deck. She’s spending her morning alerting the world that this is her corner and she isn’t to be disturbed. For sheer volume of song per ounce of bird, there can’t be any noisier bird than a wren.
The weather has kept me from getting out the last few days. The Westons should have chicks by now, the Middletons are due momentarily and the Eastons will be on their nest another couple weeks. Let’s see what else has been happening.
The Tenney Memorial Library will host me for my slideshow, An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon on Sunday, June 23, at 2:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Before we get to the ponds, take a look at what my game camera caught. This camera was set up in my blind watching one one of the fox dens. Guess I’m glad I took that morning off.
There’s less activity around the ponds. Most songbirds are on their nests or feeding chicks and not out and about to be photographed.
I’ll be out to check on the chicks as soon as the weather breaks. Check back soon to see how they’re doing.
With all the nice weather, I’ve had lots of time to shoot – but that leaves little for posting. One set of fox kits has moved on, the other den is surrounded by grass tall enough that the kits appear only at the top of their pounces. Let’s check in on our three loon families and their neighbors.
I’ll be giving my slideshow, An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon, locally a couple times in the near future. First is Thursday May 30 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lyme, NH, School. Then again on Sunday June 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Tenney Memorial Library in Newbury, VT.
The Westons are sitting on at least one egg. Their nest is deep in the marsh, updates will have to wait until the chicks appear. (If you’re new to my blog, to protect the loons’ privacy, the families are the Eastons, Middletons and Westons, by the location of their ponds.)
The road up to the Easton’s pond finally got some work and I was able to get up for a visit.
UPDATE: We’ve got a second pair of chicks that have hatched since I posted this. Lots of pix in their own post at here.
The weather final cleared enough to let me get back out to check on our three loon families. Well, sort of. I got very wet the first evening and made it back to the car with seconds to spare the second.
First, there’s some sad news from Vermont, the oldest known loon in Vermont has died. His age was estimated at 31 years. VT Diggerhttps://vtdigger.org/2023/06/15/vermonts-oldest-loon-dies-at-the-estimated-age-of-31/ has a piece interviewing Eric Hanson, Lead Biologist at the Loon Conservation Project about the loon.
With loon chicks hatching it is once again time to request that you give them space if you go to see or photograph them. You may not intend them any harm, but you may distract the parents from seeing other threats. Our new loon chicks were greeted by a circling eagle on their first or second day out. The parents need to concentrate on the real threats, keep back and let them do their job. All the images of chicks here were with a 600mm lens and heavily cropped.
Tuesday evening I got a message from a friend on the Weston’s pond that the chicks had arrived. And that the eagle was eyeing them. Wednesday morning was wet and windy. It gradually cleared a bit through the day. I set out in the evening to check on the chicks. It was sunny when I left the house. On the way into the pond, I had to wait while a doe browsed from the road – with her fawn gamboling about in the road. By the time I had everything in the boat, there were a few sprinkles. Not enough to dissuade in intrepid photographer.
Thursday evening, I went back to check on the Westons. This time with just a couple puffy clouds in the sky.
This morning, I was up and out by 0430, with clouds above and fog below me as I headed to see the Eastons. They’re up in the White Mountain National Forest, they were on their nest by the time the Forest Service got the road to the pond open, so we don’t know when to expect the chicks. But, the last three years, they’ve hatched in the third weekend of June, so soon…..
I’ll be out looking for the rest of our chicks as soon as we get a break in the weather.
Link to the newer post: https://blog.ianclark.com/photography/wildlife-photography/the-eastons-have-two-chicks/