Loon Chicks at Five Weeks

On July 21, 2023 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

The rain let up enough for me to get out to check on all three loon families this week. And, I only got caught in a shower once.

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair is coming right up, August 5th through the 12th. I’ll be down there with lots of wildlife and other photos. Stop by booth 726 and say hello. All the details for the fair are here.

I visited the Middletons last night. They’re the ones that lost their chick. On the last visit, they showed signs they might be courting again. That was before the heavy rains and flooding. We were spared the worst of the flooding, but did get significant rain. A friend on the pond has kept me updated. She says the loons have had one or two intruders on the pond regularly. When I visited, the hummock where they’ve nested the last several years has been washed away, with no sign of another nesting spot. There was an intruder on the pond, with some circling and posturing but no outright fights.

This morning, the forecast was for rain and thundershowers. When I got up, there were stars visible. I headed out to check on the Westons. One of the adults and two chicks were foraging not far from the boat launch. The other adult soon came down the pond to join them. They were in shadows, I headed up the pond to see who else might be about. The rain held off until I got to the other end of the pond. I had a soggy retreat.

On Wednesday morning, the forecast was mixed and there were a couple stars between clouds when I got up. I took a chance and headed east to visit the Eastons.

Mom was foraging on her own. She paused to have a look at me on her way by.
As I continued down the pond, I found our heron posing nicely again.
He as wading and looking over his domain.
The area he was foraging in has several piles of rocks just below the surface, separated by a few feet of deeper water. As he moved between a couple of rock piles, he appeared to swim for a short distance. I’ve never seen a heron do this and couldn’t decide if he was actually swimming or just wading through water that didn’t vary in depth.
Eventually I found dad and the chicks. They were resting peacefully. For a little while. Then the chicks woke up and wanted breakfast.
Mom caught up with the family and helped deliver breakfast.
Breakfast started with a few fish. Loons swallow fish head first to deal with the spines in the fish’s fins. Our chicks have gotten good at flipping them around to line them up.
The parents soon switched over to delivering crayfish. The chicks flip them around to swallow tail first.
Dad inbound with another crayfish. This is the pair where dad is banded, letting me tell the parents apart.
The handoff….
And the flip to turn it around….
Mom with a crayfish this time.
And a little fish to cleanse the pallet.
And a final crayfish before I had to head out.

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10 Comments

  1. Reply
    Nancy Wright July 22, 2023

    Mesmerizing! Thank you.

  2. Reply
    Elaine Kennedy July 22, 2023

    Thank you SO much for these amazing photos. They are so beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to share these photos with all of us.
    Blessings to you,
    Elaine Kennedy

  3. Reply
    Randall July 22, 2023

    Wonderful shots with such atmosphere!

  4. Reply
    Carol Diveny July 23, 2023

    I love your nature stories. A great education about our wildlife.

  5. Reply
    MELINDA MEYERHOFF July 23, 2023

    These shots were especially intimate. Thank you~
    Melinda

  6. Reply
    John Welch July 23, 2023

    I have enjoyed this series the past few years. The foggy wide shot of the Eastons is a real standout image!

  7. Reply
    Cyn Barrette July 23, 2023

    Thanks Ian! incredible photos….
    What a lot of work it is to be a loon parent. they are so devoted!!

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