Posts Tagged: baby loons

Loon Chicks at 11 Weeks

On September 10, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

This pair of loon chicks is 11 weeks old this weekend. There was thick fog on the hill this morning when I checked the weather. Hoping the loons would be above the fog, I headed out. We went from fog to haze before a beautiful day broke out. The chicks’ big project continues to be to learn to fly.

I’ll be down at the Capital Arts Festival in Concord, NH September 24 & 25 with lots of wildlife photos and note cards. Come by and say hello. The event is free, much of the activity is on Main Street. You can find the details here.

Our loon family was spread out across the pond, sleeping in when I arrived. A few minutes before the sun reached the pond, the pack of coyotes that lives to the west convened to discuss – loudly – the issues of the day. That got one of our adults stirring and starting the day with a big stretch.

Our chicks were about half a mile apart at dawn, this one swam by on the way to tracking down a parent to get some breakfast. The chicks can pretty much feed themselves these days, but don’t miss an opportunity to have a meal served up for them.

Our parent obliged and went to work catching crayfish. This is the pond with the banded male. I wasn’t able to get a good look at either adult’s leg this morning, so I couldn’t tell who was whom.

As soon as the chick swallowed the meal, it started pestering the adult to be fed again. The chicks will nibble at the parents, around the neck if they can reach. Both parents were quick to dive when the chicks approached this morning.

Our adult inbound with another crayfish for the chick. Several times, our adult surfaced with food while the chick was diving. Many times, the adult swallowed the food itself.

After eating the crayfish, the chick went right back to nibbling the parent.

After a time, they took a break to preen.

While preening, our adult took a shower. Loons will dip their wings rapidly in the water to kick up a spray.

Preening is usually followed by a good stretch.

Our parent threw off some of the water from the shower.

After preening, it was time to start on today’s lesson. There wasn’t a wind for the chick to try to takeoff into. I got lucky when the first attempt went across my bow. Our chick is just starting its run.

Picking up speed, working the wings for all their worth!

Ohhh! Not this time! Our chick settles back into the water.

Our chick is determined to make this work…. here’s a second attempt – with an even better track for photos.

Once again, technically airborne, but the chick’s wings aren’t yet providing enough lift to take off.

The chick continued running and flapping….

Not today, little guy. It will probably be the better part of two weeks before the chicks can actually take off. They’ll keep trying until they succeed.

baby loons, birding, birds, loon chicks, loons, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife

Another Visit With The Loons

On September 4, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

This morning provided better weather for visiting the loons than Friday. I headed out before dawn to see what they were up to. The chicks were ten weeks old this weekend. They’re mostly foraging for themselves now, they can make prolonged dives. But they’re still happy to have their parents rustle up a meal for them.

The morning started with both chicks trying to fly. They’re not yet ready. They give a good try, running across the water trying to gain enough speed to lift off. They still need to grow their flight feathers a bit more before they can takeoff. Soon. Very soon….

Here’s our other chick giving flying a try.

Great form, just not enough lift to get him airborne.

Most attempts to take off are followed by a stretch.

Once again, breakfast was primarily crayfish. I think this is dad inbound with one for the chicks.

Here’s another crayfish for one of the chicks.

The chicks have gotten very good at taking the handoff from their parents, they rarely fumble the food, something they did often when younger.

After feeding, the chicks took a quick nap.

One of our chicks doing a foot wave. I’m not sure why they do this. I’ve heard it suggested that it is to cool their legs and feet. But, water is a better conductor for heat, so I’m skeptical of that explanation. I wonder if it is just a way to stretch their legs.

And each chick gave a good stretch after waking up.

A stretch with a shake of the head.

Know an organization in need of programs? I’ve got several PowerPoint shows, one on the surviving steam locomotives in the US, visiting the puffins on Machias Seal Island, one on getting started with wildlife photography and one on loons. For educators, I’ve got a program about career opportunities in photography. Email for more info.

baby loons, birds, loon, loon chicks, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife, wildlife

Loon Chicks Now Eight Weeks Old

On August 21, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Thanks to everyone who stopped by at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair. Nice to know people are actually reading the blog. My next show is the Capital Arts Fest, September 24 & 25 in Concord, NH.

Yesterday, I got a chance to check up on the Eastons. The chicks are now eight weeks old and seem to be doing well. They’re big – nearly as big as their parents. Their feathers have grown in and their bills have elongated. They’re diving and foraging for themselves, but still expect their parents to feed them. They’re getting independent, for much of the morning the family was spread out over something like a third of a mile.

Other bird families have fledged their chicks as well. There have been kingbirds around all season, I haven’t been able to decide if we have two or three pairs. When I visited yesterday, there were something like 15 kingfishers out and about, making me suspect we had three nests.

The morning started out with a beaver swimming by the family. The chicks were curious and swam to intercept the beaver. The beaver passed just a couple feet in front of them before circling back and slapping. Both parents rapidly arrived on scene. The parents keep a good eye out under water as the family retreated.

Their path took them close to this branch sticking out of the water. Both chicks explored it and found things to eat, probably insects or larvae.

Mom was serving up delicate little morsels while dad went off to forage. When dad returned, he brought back this larger fish, the first of several fish he’d serve up throughout the morning.

The chicks have mastered the handoff, I didn’t see them fumble with any food offered. Note the size of the chick.

A pair of osprey have been regular visitors all season. They were joined by at least one, probably two (maybe even three) chicks. They appeared one at a time, but very shortly after this one headed out of sight, a second one appeared.

Osprey will often hover over the pond to let them watch for fish below. This one hovered a few seconds before diving.

The dive took the osprey completely under water, before it resurfaced.

Success! He’s nabbed what looks like a catfish.

The loons pretty much ignore the osprey while they’re overhead. Dad continued feeding the chicks. This looks like a white sucker for the next course.

With their feathers grown in, the chicks need to do a lot of preening. Lots of contortions are required to maintain all those hard to reach places.

The chicks are practicing adulting. They made a few runs over the water learning how to take off. Their wings aren’t yet strong enough to lift them, but soon…. I thought this chick was attempting a takeoff. As he opened up the range, I lowered the camera. He promptly dove and came up doing the penguin dance – a skill he’s going to need to take or defend a territory.

Coming towards the end of his run wing rowing, he made a sharp right turn.

After practicing the penguin dance, a wing stretch was required.

Not to be outdone, the sibling gave a nice stretch.

As I headed home for the morning, I passed several great blue herons, the pair on the pond must have raised a good brood.

I’ll get out to check on our other families as promptly as I can, stay tuned!

baby loons, loon chicks, loons, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife, wildlife photography

Loon Chicks at Five and Six Weeks

On July 31, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Two of our loon families chicks are now six weeks old, the other family’s chick is five weeks. Let’s check in to see how they’re doing, as well as seeing what a few other critters are up to.

I’m going to miss posing next week, I’ll be down at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair in Sunapee. I’ll have lots of new prints and cards, I’m in booth 725, stop by and say hello.

And, yes, yes that bee hovering above the swallow from my last post did survive to buzz another day. Apparently, I should have added that to the caption…. Surprising how many people were concerned for the bee…

The Weston’s remaining chick (on the western pond I’m watching) is doing well. There was an intruder in the neighborhood again, the parents were alerted and searching for him. I didn’t see any interaction with the intruder and the chick made only brief appearances while mostly hiding in the brush. There were a few other animals around.

Hank Heron was on duty in the marsh before dawn.

A handful of painted turtles took took some time to bask.

I made three visits to the Eastons before getting good conditions for photography. The first two mornings were peaceful, this morning they faced an intruder.

There are several families of ducks on the pond, the ducklings are growing up.

As are our loon chicks. They’re growing real feathers and will soon be in their winter plumage. These are the chicks that are six weeks old.

The has been a pair of great blue herons on the pond all season. In the last week, we’ve added two more. They appear to be adults, I suspect they’re this year’s chicks.

The herons seemed to be vying with each other to pick the best spot for photos this morning.

A tough call, but I think this one picked the best spot.

One of our chicks was sleeping in when I arrived on the pond.

The sibling was taking advantage of not having a line for breakfast. The parents were busy feeding it before the sun came up.

Mom and dad are foraging, our chick is awaiting the next course for breakfast.

Shortly after sunup, an intruder flew in. Mom and dad went to challenge him, our chick flattened out to hide. (I’m guessing the intruder is a male, our home team male is the more aggressive challenging the intruder.)

The home team and the intruder ‘circle dancing.’ Loons will circle each other to size each other up.

The intruder didn’t take the hint that the pond was occupied and dad stepped things up. Wing rowing is an aggressive display to drive the other loon off.
“

Wing rowing is when loons propel themselves along the water with their wings, while calling.

Changing direction is accomplished by dipping one wing in the water.

After a time, the intruder was chased to the far end of the pond. Dad returned to the chicks to resume breakfast. These chicks can now make real dives, I clocked them underwater for over 30 seconds at a time several times this morning. But, they’ll still depend on the parents for food for several weeks.

Adolescent loons will pester their parents to be fed by nibbling on the parent. Mostly they nibble around the parent’s neck. I wonder how they learn this behavior. Certainly the parent’s don’t teach it to them….

Pestering paid off, dad resumed foraging for the chicks.

The chicks are learning to preen – to clean and straighten their feathers. Loons need to sort through all of their feathers regularly.

Loons have a uropygial gland at the base of their tail. This gland excretes a waxy substance that the birds used to keep their feathers waterproof. Reaching the gland and rubbing all of a loon’s feathers requires a bit of contortion.

Dad has finished preening and goes up for a good stretch.

The intruder stayed at the far end of the pond for the remainder of the time I was on the pond. I’m looking forward to getting back up to visit them again.

If you like my posts, please feel free to share them on your social media with the really annoying buttons on the left (they shouldn’t be showing up on mobile devices).

baby loons, common loon, loon, loon chicks, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife

Loon Chicks At Four And Five Weeks

On July 24, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

The loon chicks to my east are five weeks old this weekend. All four on both ponds, the ‘Eastons’ and the ‘Middletons,’ seem to be doing well. The pond to my west, the ‘Westons,’ has sad news, the parents have lost a chick.

Our bluebirds’ second brood is ready to fledge. Wednesday afternoon the adults started calling to the chicks to leave the box. Thursday they were more insistent. Friday they sounded impatient. Saturday morning, two of the four chicks left the box. This morning their are still two chicks in the box. Mom and dad have stopped calling, they’re busy feeding the two that fledged. The two in the box are looking out the door, trying to get up the courage to make the leap.

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair is August 6-15, I’ll be there with lots of wildlife prints, cards and more. Other images are available through my web site, www.IanClark.com. It takes me some time between capturing an image and getting prints made. If you see a photo that you’d like in one of my posts, send me an email and I’ll bump that image to the head of the queue.

The Weston family couldn’t be found during last week’s census. They’ve been under pressure from intruding loons all spring. They’re on a small pond, not being found in 90 minutes of searching was worrisome. I love how people watch out for ‘their’ loons, I heard from folks who live or have camps on the pond, worried that they hadn’t seen the loons for a couple days. A couple that live on the pond set out Monday to have another look and found the adults and one chick hidden in a remote part of the pond, a much better outcome than we’d feared. I visited Friday the pond Friday morning.

We’ll never know what happened to the missing chick. There are lots of threats, eagles, otters, coyotes if they get too close to shore and more. The intruding loon is also a likely suspect.

An intruding loon arrived on the pond shortly after I did. The Home Team came out from the little cove they’d been foraging in to meet the intruder, the chick hid in the brush. There was enough fog on the pond to make them have to search for him. (I’m guessing the intruder is male, the home team’s male is the more aggressive towards him, with lots yodeling to let us know he’s the male.)

The search continues… Eventually there was a brief skirmish and the intruder retreated to the far end of the pond.

After the intruder retreated, mom collected the chick to get breakfast started. Dad took up station between the family and the intruder. Things were quiet for a time.

There was a flock of tree and barn swallows feeding along the shore and gleaning insects from some of the plants. That’s one lucky bee overhead…..

With a gentle breeze, perching was precarious on the plants.

The flock is much bigger than it was a few weeks ago, this year’s chicks must have joined up. There were swallows coming and going in every direction after insects.

Mr. kingfisher briefly perched nearby while foraging.

Dad has spotted the intruder! He took a short flight to put himself between the intruder and the family.

Mom soon joined the fray. Dad is aggressively displaying and calling.

The intruder retreated down the pond. He didn’t leave, the fight for the territory is likely to continue.

Saturday I visited the Eastons, where both chicks are doing well and things were more peaceful. These chicks are five weeks old. They can’t dive yet, but are learning how to forage in the shallows. Mom and dad will have to provide most of their food for a few more weeks.

The chicks have learned that the water is shallow near rocks above the surface. Both chicks ventured to nearby rocks to forage on their own.

One of the adults herded the chicks into a shallow spot along the shore. The chicks were foraging on their own. The adult was foraging, eating some of the take and sharing some with the chicks.

This chick was “today years old” when it learned that sticks aren’t food.

This chick managed to catch a dragonfly in the brush. It then continued to test the brush to see what else might be good.

The other adult broke up the lesson to deliver second breakfasts. The first course looks to be a shiner.

The other adult appeared with a delicate morsel.

One of the adults arrived with a crayfish. The adult dropped the crayfish in front of the chick, making the chick catch it for itself. Once caught, crayfish have to be lined up to be swallowed tail first.

Ack! The crayfish isn’t very cooperative! It looks like it pinched the chick. The chick tossed it. The adult looking on supervised as the chick caught it again.

Mom had been off preening and trying to nap by herself for a bit. Out chick went over to her. Was it coming for some cuddles, or was it just hungry?

Know someone who might like my blog? Please share it with them or on your social media.

baby loons, birding, birds, common loon, loon chicks, loons, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife

Loon Fight For Territory

On June 26, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Today was another beautiful day to get out to check on the loons. I headed to the pond where the chicks had yet to hatch when I visited Friday. This is the westernmost pond that I’ve been watching, so these birds are the ‘Westons.’

There was a single loon floating by itself near the boat launch, and a long way from the nest. This is the pond that has had intruders challenging the home team for the territory this spring.

A ways down the pond, I found the home team lazily foraging with two chicks.

Out newest loons, one chick riding, the other is tucked under the far wing.

One of the parents attempting to deliver a 10 ounce fish to the three ounce chicks. The fish was uncooperative and the loon dropped it. The loon reached underwater for it, not sure if it caught it or if it was the fish’s lucky day.

Our family drifted out towards the middle of the pond when things got exciting.

The intruding loon surfaced right next to the parent babysitting the chicks and went for them. Loons intent on taking over a territory will try to kill any chicks. Without chicks, the holders of the territory have less to fight for. The loon doing the penguin dance is the home team male, with the intruder in front of him. After the skirmish, the home team loon returned to the family, then turned and yodeled at the intruder hiding at the far end of the pond. Only male loons yodel, so this was most likely a fight between our male and another male who wishes to take over his territory.

The male from the home team rearing up to try to scare the intruder.

The chase is on! The intruder retreats, with our male in hot pursuit. Loons in a heated territory dispute will ‘wing row’ (‘wing oar’ to our friends across the pond) across the water. If the pursuing loon can catch up, they will fight by hitting each other with their wings or their beaks. Fights go until one retreats or gets killed.

“When you strike at a king, you must kill him” – or face the consequences. The intruder tries to get away.

The fight continued up and down the pond.

Loons wing rowing turn by dipping one wing into the water, the pursuing loon usually matches the move. With the spray, it can be hard to tell what’s going on.

And stay out! After chasing the intruder into the brush at the far end of the pond, our male returned to his mate and chicks. He spent several minutes yodeling in the direction of the intruder and pretty much any critter that moved around the pond. The intruder has retreated, but not left the pond. The fight may not be over.

baby loons, birding, birds, loon babies, loon chicks, loon riding on back, loonlet, loons, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife

Loon Chicks Have Hatched

On June 20, 2022 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

The strong winds over the weekend kept me home – pacing wondering how the loon chicks were doing. This morning, the wind was calm, and when I got to the pond, it was fully five degrees above having to worry about breaking ice while kayaking. I was able to check on two loon families.

First, our bluebirds are back for a second clutch. I’m not going to post daily updates for them this round, just too many things going to keep up with them.

If you’d like to see loons, take a look at the Loon Preservation Committee’s site, they host paddling trips where you visit lakes where they know there are loons with one of their biologists.

All the loon photos are taken with long telephoto lenses and cropped to let me shoot without disturbing the birds.
When I arrived on the pond, I found one adult preening and lazily foraging by itself and couldn’t see anyone on the nest. As I paddled down the pond, I found the second adult still on the nest. But the chicks should have hatched already….

After watching a few minutes, a chick appeared from under a wing….. A little later the second one peek out.

While waiting for the family to leave the nest, the second adult appeared to be hunting ducklings. The loon flattened out like there was a threat , it swam along the brush where a pair of duck families were hiding. The loon would poke into the brush and look around. The mother ducks were not happy.

With the chicks still in the nest, the odds are that one hatched Saturday and the other Sunday. Loons will leave the nest shortly after the second chick hatches. If it is late in the day, they may spend the night on the nest before heading out. The adult on this pond waited for the sun to get almost to the nest before heading out with the chicks.