I’ve made it out to check on two of our three loon families, and have heard reports from the third.
The Loch Lyme Lodge in Lyme will host me to present An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon in the evening of July 23, part of their Tuesday Night Cookouts. We’re still figuring exactly when I’ll present, as soon as we know, the details will be on their site: www.LochLymeLodge.com.
And, I’m busy getting ready for the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair, August 3-11 at Mount Sunapee Resort in Sunapee, NH. I’ll be in booth 718, come on by and say hello. All the Fair details are on the League’s Site.
While I haven’t had a chance to visit the Westons, a friend reports they’re doing well with the one chick. And, mom seems to be hanging around.
The Eastons lost their first clutch. All I know is the nest was empty when I visited. The water was up to the lip of the nest, I suspect the nest flooded. They’ve decided to try again and the chicks are due in the next few days.
I often joke that the pair of great blue herons that share the Easton’s pond are skittish and only give me a couple photo opportunities each year. But, they make them count……
The Eastons returned to an island they used for a nesting site as recently as four years ago.
This is mom – this is the pair where dad is banded – turning the eggs.
The local osprey spent the morning hunting breakfast. He? made several unsuccessful dives before coming up with this brook trout he hauled off.
The big news from the Middletons is that the Loon Preservation Committee biologists were able to band both adults over the July 4th Holiday. LPC tries to band something like 30-35 loons every year – almost 5% of New Hampshire’s loon population.
Banding lets them track individual loons over many years giving insights on behavior. Loons get four bands, one with a unique number from the United States Geological Survey (hey, it’s the government). Being unique, that number will forever definitively identify that bird. But the numbers on the USGS band are small and all but impossible to read unless you’re holding the bird. Loons aren’t big fans of being held, so they get three more bands with a mix of colors. If the bird is banded as a chick, the USGS band goes on the left leg, if they’re banded as adults, they wear it on the right leg. The color combination gives a nearly perfect way to identify the individual without having to catch it.
Along with banding the birds, they also take measurements to learn about size and weight along with blood to test for lead, hematocrit (concentration of red blood cells) and for infections including avian malaria.
We now know that this is mom and she passed her physical with flying colors. Adolescent chicks will pester their parents when they’re hungry. The chicks will poke the parent or pull feathers. They try for the parent’s face or neck to get maximum attention. As the season progresses, the chicks get ever more demanding. The time the adults spend on the surface with the chicks drops dramatically as the season progresses.
Hungry chicks are very persistent. My theory is this is why the parents leave before the chicks come fall – they’ve just had enough. Dad finally got the hint and headed out to forage for second breakfasts.
Our chicks are no longer tiny fuzz balls, they’re growing rapidly. They’ll start losing their down shortly.
The chicks are rivals and seem to know the other is a competitor for food. The chicks will often squabble. If the older chick has a size advantage, it can kill or drive the other chick away from the family. Sad to watch, but that’s nature’s way of assuring the strongest survive.
One of our chicks was trying to keep some distance from the family – while staying close enough to get fed. When it got fed, the other would come over and peck at it.
The parents were feeding both chicks, here’s a nice perch.
The chick had no problem putting it away…. At one point a great blue heron flew high over the pond. After it got behind me, it gave several loud squawks. The resident osprey repeatedly dove on the heron, convincing it to find another place to forage. Poor stage management had all the action directly up sun making pix of the action impossible.
The bug eaters were doing well. There were several eastern phoebes foraging low along the edge of the pond.
And the waxwings were foraging lower than usual allowing good views.
I’ve got a new toy – a GoPro video camera. It is waterproof to an extent. Here’s a view of a male pumpkinseed guarding his nest on the Middleton’s pond.
I’m hoping to get out to check on the Eastons and Westons this weekend, weather permitting.
Lovely photos, Ian! Will the nests be affected by the flood?
Hopefully not. Their pond is south of the worst damage and the nest was well above water level. Keep your fingers crossed.
I made it out to visit the Eastons Sunday morning. They’re sitting high and dry, still 3-4″ above the water.
Such a pleasure, especially since I can no longer get out in my kayak.
Thank you are sharing your talents so generously.