One Loon Family Still Here

On October 22, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Dawn yesterday found a cloudless sky and with the temperature here on the hill at 32°, I figured I could get the kayak around the pond. I headed north to check on the Westons. This is the family that faced intruders for several weeks in the spring. They hatched two chicks and one survives and is 15 weeks old.

I’ve got a couple appearances coming up. Wednesday October 26, I’ll be at the Bugbee Senior Center at 1:00 p.m.with my slideshow An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon. The show is open to the public, see the details on their site: https://www.bugbeecenter.org/activity/special-events/bugbeetalks/.

There’s a photographic print version of An Uncommon Look which I’ll be hanging at the Kellogg-Hubbard Memorial Library in Montpelier on November 1. It will stay up until November 30. I’ll be giving An Uncommon Look at 6:30 p.m. on November 9 at the Library. Free and open to the public.

And, I’ll be at Craft Vermont November 18-20, 2022 at the DoubleTree in South Burlington. Come on by and say hello.

When I got to the loon’s pond, the sun had yet to hit the tops of the trees along the west side of the pond and it was a refreshing 29°. There was only the slightest trace of ice along the shore, no problem for a kayak.

While I was launching the kayak, I noticed what looked to be a large hawk land in a tree towards the other end of the pond. Too far away for a good ID and with the loons talking I headed out to find them.


There were two loons on the pond. One I suspect is mom, the other is our surviving chick. When I found thems, they appeared agitated. They were swimming back and forth, fairly rapidly and making low hooting calls. After I watched for a few minutes, it occurred to me to check that hawk out. It turned out to be a juvenile bald eagle. One of the residents on the pond told me earlier that a young eagle had been harassing the chick. The eagle is at the top of the tree just right of center.
After a time, the eagle flew off to the north. The loons started foraging, but still appeared agitated.

A little looking around found a second immature bald eagle watching the pond.

A few minutes later, this eagle took off and made a couple of low passes over the loons. Both loons dove in plenty of time. The eagle settled on a new perch. The eagle that had flown off to the north reappeared – coming in like a husky hearing me unwrap a piece of cheese.
The loons kept a eye on the eagles – and kept talking about them – while they tried to forage.

I suspect that’s mom in front. My guess is based on not hearing the adult loon yodel. The male on the pond this year was not shy about yodeling at eagles or most anything that moved along the shore. Our chick is a male, he tried a couple of yodels that didn’t impress the eagles. Note that mom has pretty much changed into her winter plumage.
Our chick is just about as long as the adult, but isn’t yet at full adult weight.
The eagles took another leisurely flight over the pond. The chick took off wing rowing.
With the eagles out of sight, the chick took a moment to stretch.
But the eagles weren’t done yet. They reappeared and one made a dive at the chick.
The chick was prepared…..
And dove rapidly. I’m impressed by the speed. My camera takes 10 images a second. The chick was entirely submerged in the second frame after having been sitting mostly still in the first. After missing the chick, both eagles headed out of sight to the north.
The chick is capable of foraging for himself now. But that doesn’t stop him from from encouraging mom to feed him.
With the eagles gone, the loons had time to forage and to let me get good looks at them. Here’s a good look at our chick.
And a good look at mom.
Our chick foraging on the shadowed side of the pond.
And pestering mom to provide a meal.
And we’ll close with a couple shots of the chick stretching.
The loons are likely to stay on the pond until the ice starts to form. Mom is likely to leave first, the chick following a week or 10 days later. They may make a stop in a warmer pond and stay until the ice starts to form there. Eventually, they’re likely to head for the coast between Maine and Cape Cod to spend the winter. The parents will return next spring, the chick won’t be back until they’re ready to raise his own family. Depending on who tracks the loons, that will be somewhere between two and five years. This is likely the last time I’ll knowingly see this chick. I wished mom a good winter and the chick a long healthy life before I headed out.

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5 Comments

  1. Reply
    Margot October 22, 2022

    Lovely photos as always. I have enjoyed this series and learned more about Loons. Thank you for posting their story.

  2. Reply
    Vicki Dannhaus October 22, 2022

    Great blog

  3. Reply
    Linda M Stokes October 22, 2022

    I love your photo’s! I’ve been following you on Facebook all summer. Thank you for the updates on the loons!

  4. Reply
    Joseph A Geronimo October 22, 2022

    Great images Clarkie! Back in early September on a remote pond in the Adirondacks I witnessed an Eagle harassing the Loons. They were not happy to say the least!

  5. Reply
    Linda Charrron October 22, 2022

    Great Blog! I’ve learned so much from you. Wonderful pictures or these beautiful birds!

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