This past week, I had time to check in with the Eastons and the Middletons. Fall had arrived. When I put in on Tuesday to visit the Eastons, it was 41° and the hills were definitely turning rusty.
Mrs. Easton was feeding Leaston, who is now over eight weeks old. I stopped to watch mom and chick before I found dad. Mom and Leaston had been foraging as the sun rose. I’d been waiting and hoping for them to turn broadside to me for a nice silhouette shot. Leaston was drifting with his? back to me. Mom has just surfaced with a meal out of frame to the left – just what I needed to get Leaston to turn into position.
Shortly afterwards, a loon flew in low over the pond and looked to have landed out of sight at the far end. Dad announced himself with a wail and came to join mom as they set out to challenge the intruder.
While mom and dad were searching for the intruder, this spotted sandpiper flew in close enough for a couple quick shots.Mom and dad located the intruder at the far end of the pond. I suspect the intruder was known to them – they rapidly went from circling each other to wing-rowing. I think this is the intruder.
This loon is starting a turn while wing-rowing. You can see he? has shifted his center of balance by lifting his left wing while dipping his right wing.
To come around faster, he’s dipped his right wing in the water. He turned right and shortly skid to a stop.
If I had followed who was who correctly, this is mom displaying as the intruder heads back to restart the skirmish.
The trio resumed circling each other….
Dad dove, mom ducked under to watch. The intruder is in the back.
With dad underwater, the intruder wanted to get away before dad had a chance to attack from below. The intruder starts wing-rowing…
He’s making good time…
And he turned towards me, giving us a great look.
He returned to face the home team again and promptly gave up, departing the pond. I suspect he’ll be back – he circled overhead for some time calling as he flew. He was still overhead as I packed up and headed home.
Wednesday I headed out to see the Middletons. It was chilly again – in the mid 40s – and their pond was in thick fog.
While I looked for the loons, I passed one of our great blue herons. He? was perched where the sun would hit the pond soon after sunup – if it could get through the fog. On chilly mornings, I find the herons sitting where the sun will hit them soon after rising more often than not. I’m convinced they’re smart enough to pay attention and be sitting where they’ll warm up quickly.
I found Littleton off on his own, just drifting along in the fog. Shortly after finding him, a loon flew into land. I suspect this was the female that drove Mrs. Middleton off the pond. She wasn’t quiet about her arrival, she tremoloed and wailed to let everyone know she’d arrived. Littleton flatted out to hide.
The new arrival started foraging and disappeared into the fog. After a bit, Littleton set out to find dad. Littleton caught up with dad who set to work getting breakfast. Dad surfaced with a weed in his mouth. He worked at freeing it, shaking his head and dipping underwater. It stayed put. Dad eventually gave a stretch and went back to work. After his next dive, the weed was gone.
Littleton’s adult feathers are mostly grown in. That means he? has to preen to keep them clean and waterproof. Loons, like most waterfowl, have a gland at the base of their tail called the uropygial gland. This secrets a waxlike substance called preen oil. Loons have to rub this over all of their feathers to keep them waterproof. Littleton is reaching back to get some of the preen oil on his head. He’ll rub his head over their feathers to spread the oil.
And dad took time to preen alongside.
And finished with a nice stretch. Note the nice pose, facing the camera, wings fully extended. I hope Littleton was paying attention to how that’s done….
First breakfast completed, morning preening done, it was time for second breakfast. Littleton reminded dad that chicks enjoy breakfast.
Littleton tries to get dad to get more food by looking cute. Milk that while you can kid, it will only work for another week or two…
While Littleton was working on scoring more breakfast, the third loon took off and left the pond.
A less subtle hint…. this one worked. Dad went back to looking for food.
And a good look at Littleton while he waits for dad to return.
And one last shot of Littleton encouraging dad to feed him.
Happy Labor Day! I’m hoping the forecast holds and I’ll be able to get back out again this week.
Thank you for the update and photographs.